Do sound cards matter much with Softsynths?

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Miasma
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2011/10/14 14:40:30 (permalink)

Do sound cards matter much with Softsynths?

I use Dimension Pro and a few other softsynths, soundfonts, etc.  I don't use any external instruments.  So I'm wondering, does it pay to invest in a good sound card?  Will it really improve the sound much?  I'm currently using the Soundblaster X-Fi that came with my computer, but would I be better off upgrading to something like an M-Audio soundcard?  Or would that only make a difference if I was plugging external instruments into it? 
 
(and if you think I SHOULD upgrade to a better card, do you have any recommendations?) 
 
Thanks.
 
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    Crg
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    Re:Do sound cards matter much with Softsynths? 2011/10/15 08:29:28 (permalink)
    First I'd have to ask, how are you using softsynths without a Midi instrument? Are you just writing on the Notation Staff or the Piano roll?
    Sound cards make all the difference in the world. There are too many to just make a recommendation. Cakewalk makes soundcard-interfaces that are tailored to Sonar and work well. Having a good interface will give you access to ASIO drivers which are usually much faster. External Midi instruments will give you access to the full potential of your softsynths. On board soundcards are notorious in DAW's for causing problems and are usually not capable of handling real recording scenarios.

    Craig DuBuc
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    Miasma
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    Re:Do sound cards matter much with Softsynths? 2011/10/15 10:20:52 (permalink)
    Crg


    First I'd have to ask, how are you using softsynths without a Midi instrument? Are you just writing on the Notation Staff or the Piano roll?
    Sound cards make all the difference in the world. There are too many to just make a recommendation. Cakewalk makes soundcard-interfaces that are tailored to Sonar and work well. Having a good interface will give you access to ASIO drivers which are usually much faster. External Midi instruments will give you access to the full potential of your softsynths. On board soundcards are notorious in DAW's for causing problems and are usually not capable of handling real recording scenarios.

    I do use a MIDI controller (an M-Audio Oxygen 61), and it works fine with the soundcard I have (meaning that I don't have any latency problems.)  But when I said I don't use any external instruments, I meant I don't use any that generate sounds.  For example, I'm not trying to plug a guitar into the sound card, nor am I trying to use any external sound modules-- I'm just using sounds that are generated from within the computer itself.  A lot of reviews I read about soundcards talk about how well they record external sounds, but since I'm not trying to do that, I'm wondering if upgrading to a more professional card would really make my recordings sound better.
     
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    dburns
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    Re:Do sound cards matter much with Softsynths? 2011/10/17 00:36:48 (permalink)
    A quick and dirty test might be to load a drum loop and try to record a part played with your Oxygen through a vst instrument, like Z3ta2. If you have no lag or other problems, you're good to go. I suspect though, you will find your keyboard/vst to be unplayable due to the Soundblaster driver latency. Using ASIO4ALL will improve it, but a more professional sound card and drivers will vastly improve the recording experience. With a "pro" soundcard, compared to the SB, it's the driver/latency that is most important. The sound may not be all that different, unless you are looking at more expensive cards (with mic pres, etc.).

    Dave Burns
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    More equipment than skill.
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    Miasma
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    Re:Do sound cards matter much with Softsynths? 2011/10/17 23:13:17 (permalink)
    Ok, cool, then I think I'll stick with my current set up.  I've been using the Soundblaster for quite a while with my MIDI controller, and there's really no noticeable latency at all.  I just thought maybe the sounds from DimPro, etc, would be noticeably better if I upgraded to a pro-level soundcard.
    Thanks.
     
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