Mycosis Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Im considering getting a better sound card (currently using a SB Audigy 2). I hear some clicks and such when using Cubase SX3 and have the latency set at 5ms or so. Is this a common problem even with better sound cards? Also, all pro audio sound cards use 1/4 inch outputs. How would I use headphones with this? Are there adapters that convert to stereo? Also, how are the levels controlled if I were to output directly to monitors. Do I have to buy a mixer? Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reznik Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Im considering getting a better sound card (currently using a SB Audigy 2). I hear some clicks and such when using Cubase SX3 and have the latency set at 5ms or so. Is this a common problem even with better sound cards? Also, all pro audio sound cards use 1/4 inch outputs. How would I use headphones with this? Are there adapters that convert to stereo? Also, how are the levels controlled if I were to output directly to monitors. Do I have to buy a mixer? Thank you. set latency to something like 512 samples or longer headphones can be connected to an amp or mixer. levels can be controlled in a software or hardware mixer. hope that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mycosis Posted February 5, 2007 Author Share Posted February 5, 2007 set latency to something like 512 samples or longer headphones can be connected to an amp or mixer. levels can be controlled in a software or hardware mixer. hope that helps. Unfortunately the ASIO settings on the Audigy 2 only allow me to set the latency, thats the only setting I can change... very inconventient. Also, I am a little confused about the different between balanced and unbalanced inputs/outputs. Does balanced mean it allows for stereo panning? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reznik Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Unfortunately the ASIO settings on the Audigy 2 only allow me to set the latency, thats the only setting I can change... very inconventient. Also, I am a little confused about the different between balanced and unbalanced inputs/outputs. Does balanced mean it allows for stereo panning? you have to increase latency. increase it til no glitches are audible anymore. i have 11ms, thats ok, but i have a very good soundcard. for recording vocals or guitar, i´d lower it to 256 samples though. dont worry about balanced outputs. if the soundcard you are going to buy offers it, good, if not, not a drama. its only useful if both, soundcard and speaker (monitor) offer balanced outs/ins anyway. its not necessary imo. some might say theres even no difference audible. i´ll just quote mike here, who explained it recently there is also the issue of balanced cables, which is a technology that uses 3 contact points intead of 2 to eliminate some noise, google for it. rca supports it (i think), xlr supports it for sure (being a connection with 3 pins) and the 1/4" jacks support it if it's a mono signal which comes in a trs form. trs = tip ring sleep, which means there are 3 contact points (like in the pic here). some cables are only tip and sleep, which means they are mono unbalanced. trs can be either stereo or balanced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mycosis Posted February 5, 2007 Author Share Posted February 5, 2007 you have to increase latency. increase it til no glitches are audible anymore. i have 11ms, thats ok, but i have a very good soundcard. for recording vocals or guitar, i´d lower it to 256 samples though. dont worry about balanced outputs. if the soundcard you are going to buy offers it, good, if not, not a drama. its only useful if both, soundcard and speaker (monitor) offer balanced outs/ins anyway. its not necessary imo. some might say theres even no difference audible. i´ll just quote mike here, who explained it recently I see. Thats pretty inconvenient to have seperate L/R outputs on a sound card. That means in order to use headphones I would need to use a 1/4 in to RCA adapter and then RCA to stereo 1/8 inch and then a 1/8 male to female adapter. There must be an easier way. I've never found a mono male 1/4inch to 1/8 inch female adapter, that would be really helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reznik Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 I see. Thats pretty inconvenient to have seperate L/R outputs on a sound card. That means in order to use headphones I would need to use a 1/4 in to RCA adapter and then RCA to stereo 1/8 inch and then a 1/8 male to female adapter. There must be an easier way. I've never found a mono male 1/4inch to 1/8 inch female adapter, that would be really helpful.you cant connect a headphone directly to your soundcard. the signals need to get amplified. so you need to buy a mixer (with included preamp), or connect you HP to an amp or a stereo. dont you have a stereo at home? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mycosis Posted February 5, 2007 Author Share Posted February 5, 2007 you cant connect a headphone directly to your soundcard. the signals need to get amplified. so you need to buy a mixer (with included preamp), or connect you HP to an amp or a stereo. dont you have a stereo at home? Yep thats what I currently use to monitor my sound. Just a dolby digital receiver hooked to some bookshelf speakers. I wonder how monitors compare in quality to regular bookshelf speakers? I figured I could use headphones directly into the sound card because you can with other sound cards like my SB live, they must have a small amp. Guess I could just hook the headphones right into my receiver. Also wonder how much different it would makne getting an EMU 0404 or an M-AUDIO compared to the SB Audigy 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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