The quiz, of selecting the best External Sound Card for a particular use or application gets asked a lot. I have put together this quick guide which highlights the main considerations when selecting the right audio interface for your Pc or Mac for recording and/or podcasting.
The first question: What are you going to be using an external sound card / audio interface for?
- Podcasting
- Recording straightforward vocals for presentations
- Home recording vocals and instruments
- Recording an whole band or group
Parallel To USB Cable
Benefits of an External Sound Card
An external sound card or audio interface, often called a "break out" box, has a major advantage over an internal Pci / Pci-Express card when it comes to recording and podcasting. The Analog to Digital (A/D) and Digital to Analog (D/A) conversion engine is located in the external box, therefore, all of the processing that goes on to convert the analogue stream into a digital stream and vice versa is undertaken inside the box away from the electrical noise of your computer. The resulting digital signal is sent via cable to an input in your Pc or Mac via a Usb, Firewire or a dedicated card specifically designed to combine the box to your computer.
Other foremost advantages include, ease of facility and connectivity; advanced functionality such as pre-amps; Hi-Z inputs; in-built hardware effects; mobility; use with laptops, notebooks and desktops.
Considerations
How many analog inputs do you need? Are you podcasting using one or two microphones (2 inputs)? Do you need inputs for musical instruments such as a guitar and/or keyboards (4 - 8 Inputs)? Or possibly you want to report your whole band and microphone up the drum kit (20+ simultaneous inputs)?
The more inputs you need, the more you will need to spend. From palpate it is advisable to choose an external sound card with a few more inputs, just in case.
Pre-Amps
Pre-amps boost the very low signal input from microphones up to a level that mixers, sound cards, effects, etc can work with. Pre-amps are not elective if you are recording with microphones. You need a pre-amp channel for every microphone you are recording simultaneously. I recommend you get the same number of pre-amps as you have analog inputs in your external sound card. It doesn't do you any good to have the inputs if you can't use them.
Connecting your external sound card to your Pc or Mac
- Pci or Pci-Express (Via internal card to "Break out" box) - Desktop only - not easy to install
- Usb 1.1 - Slowest association speed- only good for one input at a time
- Usb 2.0 - Faster, The standard - best for simultaneously recording up to 8 inputs, Mobile
- Usb 3.0 - New, Faster still, awaiting audio peripherals to be released (One to keep an eye on)
- Firewire - Stable, fast, low latency, favorite explication by seasoned recordists
Pc, Mac or both.
Make sure your chosen external sound card works on your engine - the specifications will tell you. There are externals sound cards that work just on Pcs and just on Mac's and those that work fine on both.
Midi
Many external sound cards come with Midi in and out ports. If you need Midi or think you may want to experiment with Midi, I recommend that you purchase a sound card with Midi already built-in. You'll want to make sure that the sound card uses a standard Midi jack as some consist of ports that need adaptors. It is best to avoid adaptors.
Midi can trigger synthesizers (which essentially shapes and moulds sound electronically to model various instruments) or samplers (which instantaneously play back short recordings of sound files). Because of this, Midi is used all the time in music ranging from techno to metal to movie scores. With the right samples, it is easy to switch from working on an orchestral score to a rap beat in seconds.
Hi-Z Input
Increase the quality of your direct guitar recordings, by plugging your guitar into a high impedance input. Your standard sound card input was not designed to work with a guitar and therefore, some high frequencies can be lost. Hi-Z input is Included on many audio interfaces.
Monitoring
Do you need to monitor vocals / guitars straight through headphones, have separate monitoring for each member of the band? Most recording software will allow direct monitoring of the signal straight through the main outs (which is how you listen on playback straight through you studio monitors). This is normally satisfactory for a drummer but may not be nearly as useful for the rest of the band.
Do some study before buying an external audio interface to make sure that your monitoring needs are taken care of.
Software
Some sound cards come with recording software included. Make sure you factor this into your decision and into the price as well. Most recording programs bundled with sound cards are the "Le" version which means they ordinarily are lacking some of the features of the given clubs flagship model.
With that said, most people do not need the features included in the most high end recording software. You will probably be fine with whatever software that comes with your audio hardware (assuming it comes with any at all). If you find that the schedule that comes with your sound card is lacking in features, most clubs will allow you to upgrade to more high end versions at a discounted price.
A selection of well known software clubs that work well with an external sound card consist of Cakewalk, Cubase Alberton and Pro Tools.
How To pick The Best External Sound Card For Recording and-or Podcastingparallel to usb cable