Somebody Please Suggest A Good, Cheap Usb Soundcard

[williamrobb88 0]

Hi all

 

I am using PCDJ through my laptop, and into an amp. I am quite new to this, and after a lot of reading, it is clear that the way I am set up leaves a lot to be desired. I am coming from my headphone out socket on my laptop (single Jack socket), into my powered amp. I have read that I should be coming from my headphone out socket into an external USB souncard (which I assume gives me 2 chanels), and that way I can set up PCDJ to use each chanel as a different line chanel so that I can control each chanel seperately.

 

Hope I've not been too confusing here.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

 

[Dukesy 0]

Look up gigaport. It plugs into the USB port.

 

Not just another USB peripheral, GigaPort AG was the first of its kind, offering eight channels of audio output to eight individual analog outputs. GigaPort AG supports ASIO 2.0, GigaPort AG is compatible with both MAC and PC.

 

USB to 8 channel

The GIGAPort AG is equipped with eight RCA analog outputs, which make the possibilities endless. With eight high quality outputs, you could be mixing directly to DVD, transferring files, or just kicking back listening to your favourite DVDs straight out of your laptop in full 5.1 surround.

 

Made for Surround!

 

The GIGAPort AG offers full compatibility with Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 surround formats and is ready to support DTS ES 6.1, and 7.1 new surround formats. The GIGAPort AG transforms your laptop into a full-blown 5.1 home theater system.

 

Specifications.

 

- 8 x RCA Analog Output (8 x 24 bit D/A Converter)

- ASIO2.0 driver for Mac OS 9.x & Windows OS

- One Headphone Out which doubles as SPDIF (Optical Output)

- WDM driver for Windows XP/2000/ME/98SE

- Green lights indicate audio output on each channel

- No power supply required, fully USB powered

- Access all channels directly from PCDJ

- PCDJ native support through Windows drivers - no need to load any driver discs

 

 

Typcal PCDJ setup for multi-channel output to a mixing desk as follows ;

 

DECK A Channels 3/4

DECK B Channels 5/6

Karaoke Channels 7/8

 

This leaves Windows and any other program on channels 1/2, handy if you're using media player or similar for video playback and want to route the sound through your mixer. Just run phono cables from each stereo output on the Gigaport to line in or CD in channels on your mixer.

 

 

http://www.audioframe.com/cubecart/images/uploads/giga_main.jpg

 

Prices online range between around £80 - £150, so have a hunt around!

[stardust 0]

I use Native Instruments Audio Kontrol 1 - which is around £150, apart from the great sound quality etc the build of it is solid and looks and feels a lot more expensive than it is.

[danger mouse 0]

creative soundblaster , works ok for me, around £40. argos,/pc world

[UKHero 0]

Check out this thread Click me

 

I use the Edirol sound card expensive but fantastic quality....

 

Nik

 

[williamrobb88 0]

I'm not being a cheapskate, but are these any good? And if not why?

 

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/106540

 

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/127895

 

 

Thanks guys/gals.

[gadget 0]

I went for the Creative Soundblaster Connect (it has 2 x phono in/out), and sounds a lot better than the rubbish laptop headphone output. Also has optical i/o on it too - but its a bit of a waste of time unless you have optical in on your mixer!

 

David

[Russ J 0]

So does all this mean that you can plug a USB sound card into your laptop, and with Traktor or PCDJ I can route deck A through one channel (and into my mixer through to the speakers) and listen to my next track on another chanel through headphones before putting it through to the mixer and to the speakers?

 

I've literally just been down to Maplin, and the young lad in there said that it's for surround sound only and wouldn't work!

 

Will it or won't it??

 

Please help!

[gadget 0]

So does all this mean that you can plug a USB sound card into your laptop, and with Traktor or PCDJ I can route deck A through one channel (and into my mixer through to the speakers) and listen to my next track on another chanel through headphones before putting it through to the mixer and to the speakers?

 

I've literally just been down to Maplin, and the young lad in there said that it's for surround sound only and wouldn't work!

 

Will it or won't it??

 

Please help!

 

 

Traktor 3 will only use one sound card for both monitoring and master outputs (and rec output if you want it). Its a bit of a gripe with some of the older Traktor 2 Users who upgraded to find they couldn't use multiple sound cards with it! (The software writers mentioned somethign about differnet sound cards and different timings, etc).

 

So you will need a half decent sound card with proper outputs for it to work.

 

I'd tend to agree with the salesperson - Its not always possible to use the "surround" channels as you'd expect on the card to route sound through (in my previous experience with sound blaster live cards).

 

For traktor 3 you'd need some half-decent USB sound card (M-audio do a 4 channel output device), or as Dukesy mentioned, try the gigaport device (8 channels) - and i think with it you can also tell traktor to send each deck to its own line out (but i havent used traktor 3 since I trialled it).

 

 

David.

[Russ J 0]

Traktor 3 will only use one sound card for both monitoring and master outputs (and rec output if you want it). Its a bit of a gripe with some of the older Traktor 2 Users who upgraded to find they couldn't use multiple sound cards with it! (The software writers mentioned somethign about differnet sound cards and different timings, etc).

 

So you will need a half decent sound card with proper outputs for it to work.

 

I'd tend to agree with the salesperson - Its not always possible to use the "surround" channels as you'd expect on the card to route sound through (in my previous experience with sound blaster live cards).

 

For traktor 3 you'd need some half-decent USB sound card (M-audio do a 4 channel output device), or as Dukesy mentioned, try the gigaport device (8 channels) - and i think with it you can also tell traktor to send each deck to its own line out (but i havent used traktor 3 since I trialled it).

David.

 

Thanks for that gadget, I'm going to have a shop around. It must be able to work, I've seen laptops for sale with several outputs built in - so it can't be that difficult to plug one in and get two outputs.

 

I'll definately look into the gigaport option though.

 

Cheers again - I'll let you know if I'm successful.

 

Just of interest, I notice you've set up with a laptop (from your avatar), how do you work it?

 

Russ J

[gadget 0]

Thanks for that gadget, I'm going to have a shop around. It must be able to work, I've seen laptops for sale with several outputs built in - so it can't be that difficult to plug one in and get two outputs.

 

I'll definately look into the gigaport option though.

 

Cheers again - I'll let you know if I'm successful.

 

Just of interest, I notice you've set up with a laptop (from your avatar), how do you work it?

 

Russ J

 

I'm currently using beatport sync (which is a really cut down version of traktor). I liked traktor 3 quite a bit though didn't like it when it wouldn't work with both laptop sound and the external creative usb soundcard!

 

I like sync cos its pretty simple, and its easy to search for a track if someone requests it. But I do play CDs half of the time as well - depends how I feel at the time. The creative USB is wired to line-2 input on the Stanton CM-203, and the REC out is wired to line-in on the USB sound card (so I can record the set to check it afterwards, or use the laptop for visuals on the 2nd screen if attached).

 

Hoping to get a faster laptop in the next couple of months and I'll re-evaluate dj-software then. I'm also looking at getting a USB->DMX controller too (not sure what to go for on this).

 

I have a long list of things I want to buy (flight cases for amp(s), lights, etc), new mixer (so I can EQ the mics properly!), 4 x LED PAR Cans, some more LED light effects, equalizer/crossover/sub/better speakers/etc, more music, etc.. The list goes on! (don't want much do I?!).

 

Cheers,

 

David

[williamrobb88 0]

Hi guys

 

Before I go any further, let me say thanks to the guys who advised me on the purchase of a souncard for the purpose of playing my tracks from my laptop into my mixer.

 

Well, 1 week on, and I am in the possesion of the souncard. It is USB External souncard. Creative Blaster Surround 5.1 (PC World £40) Model No: SB0490.

 

The documentation is quite unclear and does not show how to set up the card for the purposes I want it for. By this I mean, the massive broadsheet userguide (in about 20 different languages), shows you how to set up for 4.1 & 5.1, but there is no instructions on how to set it up the way I want to use it. Hopefully, somebody will advise me here. Here are the details:

 

I intend to connect my soundcard to my laptop via the supplied USB cable. However, at the back of the soundcard, there are many different ports. What I want to do is simply this:

 

I want to come out of the soundcard and into 2 different channels on to my powered amp, so I can control each PCDJ onscreen player via a different channel on my mixing desk. I have set PCDJ up to play Player 1 through the right channel and player 2 through the left channel.

 

I'm getting confused now!

 

My current set up (without my new sound card) is simply 1 lead that has a small jack at 1 end (this is plugged into the laptop jack socket on my laptop). At the other end of this lead are 2 phono plugs which plug into a L & R input on my Mixer on channel 1.

 

 

__________________

| |

| |

| | Jack |--------- Phono

| LAPTOP |-----------------------|

| | |______ Phono

|_________________|

 

You can see above that 1 lead from the laptop splits into 2 phonos that I plug into a channel on my mixer.

 

My problem here is on the back of my souncard are the following Jacks:

 

C/SUB REAR FRONT LINE IN SPDIF OUT DIN USB

O O O O (O) (O) [ ]

 

So, looking at the above sockets, how do I get to 2 different inputs into my mixer. I'm guessing that because PCDJ is set up to play Player A and Player B to different channels, that I must use 2 of the above sockets as a single channel each?

 

I'm confused even more now!

 

What I want to say is, after all is said and done, from this little ball of confusion, how does this equate to me getting 2 inputs (1 for each PCDJ player) into my Mixer.

 

Hope you've not all nodded off.

[Dukesy 0]

Maybe you can split the channels on the card via a new installed driver - it worked for someone else recently - here

 

I personally would have gone for one of these - dedicated for the job and ideal as recommended by PCDJ. Similar product would probably do the trick too!

 

 

[danger mouse 0]

i use that sound card but am a bit of novice on setting it up, i only wanted to run it through one fader channel on mixer so went laptop usb to usb sound card then connection saying(front) on sound card to mixer using the lead supplied (mini jack to rca)as my mixer has rcas.see if that works first . i did set it up to do 2 faders ages ago but cant remember , i think i just connected up another mini jack to rca to what says (rear) on the soundcard, thats for the other fader , i guessing as i dont use pcdj you tell it player 1 front and player 2 rear . there are settings for speaker configuration in the sound card programe, try selecting 4.1 or something like basically 4 signals ,left and right fader 1 left and right fader 2, hope that helps a bit

[UKHero 0]

Did you install the software that came with your card it should be in there you need to set it for four speakers you may also need to do some configuring in your chosen software..

 

Nik

 

[williamrobb88 0]

Hi all

 

I've just returned my soundcard (Creative 5.1 soundblaster) to P C World, because it cannot be configured to play player A through 1 chanel and player B through another.

 

So, I need some advice chaps.

 

I desperately need to be able to play player A & player B as 2 seperate players going into 2 different channels on my mixer. I have read the manual, and it talks about the MAYA 44 and a different Creative card.

 

Can you guys recommend a good card that will allow me to play differet players into its own channel on the mixer, so I can control each player independantly on my desk.

 

What are you using?

 

Thanks guys

 

[dj007 0]

Hi williamrobb88

is this the card you tried.

X-Fi Soundblaster

i havnt actualy bought the add on to it yet but im sure i was told the adapter would work.

jim

[alicat 0]

I had the same problem then I bought the USB headphones. Work a treat.

[Dukesy 0]

Gigaport - as suggested earlier in thread.