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Page 6 of 8 Audio Playback/Monitoring: While I am not an Audio engineer or mixer, I do require some level of accuracy in my audio both for my motion graphics and video work and for my personal music listening obsession (music of all types is always playing when I work). A total, in depth break down of my audio system is beyond the scope of this article but I will briefly cover the sound card that drives it and simply list the other components. If there is sufficient interest, a detailed breakdown may follow in a future article. Sound Board: A standby from my K7D system, I run an M-Audio Audiophile 2496 sound card. This board, with some of the most robust drivers (Midiman Delta-series) in the industry, has made me nothing but happy both in playback quality, features and application support. It is only 2-channel (though it has component RCA inputs and outputs, as well as coax digital in and out and MIDI connections available). It has no MIDI synthesizer (so you must use a software synth if you require one). This isn't a problem these days since software synths sound just fine (wasn't always the case) but its not ideal for gaming. Ditto the lack of any 3D audio support or acceleration. This card isn't a gaming card and doesn't pretend to be one. It does, however, output some of the cleanest low-level signal around. My only complaint here (same with all boards anywhere near the price) is the relative weakness of the signal. Due to the limited power available from the PCI bus, the output voltage is well below that of a nice component source, such as a CD player. This means a higher gain on your amplifiers and more potential for noise and distortion getting into the signal (assuming you use the analog output). I have toyed with the idea of using a 12V (from the car audio world) line driver to boost the output a bit (and powering it from a PSU molex). If I have some time on a break from school I might do it (results will be in the pending audio article if I do). If you don't require super accurate mixes or thrive on ultra-clean grooves, an M-Audio Revolution + Promedia (or Logitech) setup is a very nice option and very affordable by audiophile standards. Also a relative bargain are headphones. Here you can get far more accurate sound for far less money at the price of only being able to hear it yourself. I often work with my headphones despite a nice set of speakers/amps because of their amazing accuracy and clarity. Audio System Overview: Source: M-Audio Delta Audiophile 2496 Interconnect: Custom Silver RCA, Custom Silver Speaker Cable Monitor - Satelite: ALR-Jordan Entry-S - Passive Monitor - Subwoofer: M&K V-2B Servo - 125W 12" Active Amplifier - Satellite: Onkyo A-5 40W+40W, Bypassed Preamp Monitor - Headphone: Sennheiser HD580 Precision Amplifier - Headphone: Custom Dedicated Multiloop |
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