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Operating System Specific Discussions => Other Operating Systems => Topic started by: kickstart on October 30, 2010, 12:24:32 AM

Title: pc sound cards
Post by: kickstart on October 30, 2010, 12:24:32 AM
Hi.

Im using sometimes applications like fruity loops, renoise and reason under a pendium d 3ghz with realtek onboard sound, i can ear some "claps" using this programs and isnt a clear sound. Can i improve it with a pci sound card like sb audigy?
Title: Re: pc sound cards
Post by: ognix on October 30, 2010, 01:05:38 AM
Hello!
I don't understand what you mean with "claps", but I think that there shouldn't be.
In my opinion modern audio chipsets on PCs are not that bad, especially for playing (well, generally): we are not in the SoundBlaster 16 early days!  :)
But if you need more serious stuff for recording/digitizing sounds into your computer, or connecting to a better sound system (eg. a mini-studio), a better audio card is advisable.
SB Audigy are ok, but take a look also to M-Audio cards (pro and semi-pro); I own a Terratec DMX6fire, but I got problems with it, and Terratec does not provide any e-mail support or something (just by phone!)  :(
Title: Re: pc sound cards
Post by: Amiga_Nut on October 30, 2010, 04:32:02 AM
The sound quality on the analogue audio outputs is pretty dire on most PCs yes. The best thing to do is get a Dolby Digital cinema amp and use optical or coax digital out from the PC. Works a treat for me and most motherboards support either/or optical or coax digital out.
Title: Re: pc sound cards
Post by: Bif on October 30, 2010, 08:15:42 AM
Quote from: kickstart;588072
Hi.

Im using sometimes applications like fruity loops, renoise and reason under a pendium d 3ghz with realtek onboard sound, i can ear some "claps" using this programs and isnt a clear sound. Can i improve it with a pci sound card like sb audigy?


I doubt it's due to the quality of the sound card from what you are describing (claps). Unless your audio card has flaky drivers, likely you are running into audio output buffer under-runs because the CPU can't produce audio in time for the audio card. So a new audio card probably won't do you any good.

Have a look at any audio configuration screens in your applications and see if you can set things like buffer sizes larger, mix ahead values further, latency values higher, etc. Usually it's not strictly a lack of CPU power that is the problem but the CPU getting blocked out by other OS and apps for very short periods of time that prevents it from producing audio in time when using very small buffers.
Title: Re: pc sound cards
Post by: spirantho on October 30, 2010, 09:15:55 AM
Be careful about digital output - a lot of soundcards don't support realtime encoding, so they'll output a DTS/DD stream from a DVD, but won't give you anything useful otherwise. You need a soundcard that supports realtime DD/DTS encoding if you want surround sound on a PC through a digital connection. I think the more expensive SoundBlaster cards do this now, don't know about other makes.
Title: Re: pc sound cards
Post by: Ral-Clan on October 30, 2010, 05:50:03 PM
Quote from: Amiga_Nut;588095
The sound quality on the analogue audio outputs is pretty dire on most PCs yes. The best thing to do is get a Dolby Digital cinema amp and use optical or coax digital out from the PC. Works a treat for me and most motherboards support either/or optical or coax digital out.

No, I don't think the original poster wants a PC card that one would use for home theatre or gaming if he's using music recording applications.

What he wants is a low-latency pro or semi-pro audio card made for home recording / studio recording applications.  M-Audio makes good cheap cards like this: the "Delta" or "Audiophile" line.

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Audiophile2496.html

But before all of this, I would try playing with the audio buffer settings in your computer's audio software.  Try playing with the audio buffer settings in Fruity Loops or whatever music software you are using.  Also make sure the audio driver selected in these applications is ASIO or ASIO compliant.

http://rainrecording.com/pro/software/adjusting-pci-latency/

Also download the driver ASIO4ALL.  It gives ASIO ability to commercial sound cards (i.e. non-pro sound cards like the one on your motherboard) and may cure your problem (along with the buffer settings mentioned above).

http://www.asio4all.com/
Title: Re: pc sound cards
Post by: kickstart on October 30, 2010, 10:41:45 PM
Quote from: Bif;588112
I doubt it's due to the quality of the sound card from what you are describing (claps). Unless your audio card has flaky drivers, likely you are running into audio output buffer under-runs because the CPU can't produce audio in time for the audio card. So a new audio card probably won't do you any good.

Have a look at any audio configuration screens in your applications and see if you can set things like buffer sizes larger, mix ahead values further, latency values higher, etc. Usually it's not strictly a lack of CPU power that is the problem but the CPU getting blocked out by other OS and apps for very short periods of time that prevents it from producing audio in time when using very small buffers.


Maybe you have the best answer, im using default configurations, ill try to increase the buffers.

@all

The "claps" are like saturations in the output sound but cpu isnt worked at full percentage, this claps increase when im using a midi instrument and try to play live.

Thaks to all for the answers.