I have been using a Marian Marc 4 Midi sound card for some time. Thinking it was about time I upgraded, I recently bought the Marian Trace Alpha sound card. When I opened an old project in Home Studio 7 XL, I found the mix was totally wrong with the new sound card. So I remixed. I then "bounced to track" and exported the resulting .wav file. When I played the .wav file on Windows Media Player, it sounded OK but not quite right. I then wrote the .wav file to CD using Sony CD Architect and played the CD on my Sony Stereo system. Rubbish! Some instruments were so quiet you could hardly hear them and others blasted me off my seat!
 
So I went back to my old Marc 4 Midi sound card, remixed and everything was fine. Has anyone else had similar problems with the Trace Alpha card? I have the latest drivers and found the problem was the same with both ASIO and MME.
 
 
 
 

I'm just guessing here.
Comparing quickly the features of Marc 4 and Trace Alpha my first (and only :o) thought was that it has something to do with the mixer function of the Trace. Otherwise, I don't think I've ever heard that changing soundcard messes up the mix. Slightly changed EQ-balance or sound otherwise, yes, but a messed up mix....never heard.

"DSP Mixer

The digital mixer - completely integrated in the TRACE hardware - operates with quick and flexible DSP functions allowing latency-free mixing of all signals to several stereo sums as well as the latency-free monitoring and routing of all inputs to all outputs. Thus perfect monitor mixes can be set up quickly and played back on any output. The mixer can be configured optically - all inputs/outputs and many mixer sections can be either shown or hidden. All audio-, routing- and layout settings are easy to save and load within session files (total recall).
The Mixer offers 20 channels (8 x internal Playback, 8 x TDM Input, 4 x physical Input) and - depending from the used samplerate - up to four individual stereo sums.
Output routing control: Independent from the mixer the systems provides six physical stereo outputs - two physical stereo outputs plus four stereo TDM busses. All outputs can be driven with the mixer stereo sums, 16 software playback channels (see below) or both physical stereo inputs. Multiple routings are of course possible."

Hi Kalle - Very many thanks for responding. Like you, I have never heard of different sound cards changing the mix and having had a number of different cards over the years, this is the first time it has happened to me. Odd, particularly as the Trace Alpha is really just the next generation of the Mark 4 Midi. Having gone through the documentation of the Trace Alpha mixer in some detail, I cannot find anything that might cause the problem. Possibly a fault on the card itself? I suspect I may just junk the card and have a look at Asus Xonar Essence ST as my card upgrade. Again, very many thanks for your help.

You should be looking at a proper audio interface, not a computer sound cards. There are to many threads here ( and all DAW forums)  with people banging there heads against the wall because they are trying to run a DAW on a consumer gaming card. 
And you don't really want any DSP mixer between your DAW and your monitors. It will give you a false impression of your mix. 
All audio processing must be within the DAW and then the export will sound identical every time. 

Cactus Music
You should be looking at a proper audio interface, not a computer sound cards. There are to many threads here ( and all DAW forums)  with people banging there heads against the wall because they are trying to run a DAW on a consumer gaming card. 

Now that is just a foolish thing to say. Perhaps you are not familiar with Marian interfaces? Definitely not  a "consumer gaming card".

And you don't really want any DSP mixer between your DAW and your monitors. It will give you a false impression of your mix. 
All audio processing must be within the DAW and then the export will sound identical every time. 

Another foolish statement. Plenty of pro interfaces have onboard DSP mixing/routing, even if your Tascam interface doesn't (although your Yamaha digital mixer certainly does!). An onboard DSP mixer should not affect the mix unless one has set it to do so.


malcolmb: it might be that sample rate conversion (and/or possibly dithering or truncation) is occurring and affecting your audio. Make certain that your Marian card and Sonar are both set for whatever sampling rate and bit depth you used for your old project. Also, make certain that Windows system sounds are disabled and if you haven't already done so, disable your PC's onboard audio in your BIOS setup. That should ensure against any sample rate conversion and dithering/truncation occurring.

Hi Goddard - Very many thanks. I did check that Windows system sounds and PC onboard audio were disabled but didn't check sample rate etc in the project from the old card to the new - could well be the issue and I will check this out - again, very many thanks. (Absolutely agree with your comments about Marian interfaces etc - after trying a range of cards in my (very low!) price range, I felt and still feel the Marian Marc 4 Midi was by far the best - a lovely warm sound ideal for my music - the only reason I felt I had to upgrade was that it is fine for XP but with the constant changes in Windows Operating Systems, Marian will eventually stop supporting it - and that will be a very sad day!).

" have a look at Asus Xonar Essence ST as my card upgrade."


I was not referring to the Miriam,  He was thinking about purchasing an ASUS sound card which to me would be a gaming card. 

don't really want any DSP mixer between your DAW and your monitors. 

I didn't say input, I said "between your DAW and monitors"  = on output.   

Nothing wrong with using a DSP on a input signal if you know how to use it. But say putting reverb on your monitors AFTER the DAW will not result in reverb on the export,, that is what I am talking about, sorry if it is not clear. This has been an issue for a few people who use onboard sound cards that process the sound with enhancements ( DSP) and  they can't figure out why their exports sound so different when they burn a CD and play it elsewhere.