Usb sound card

[Bizzie]

Seems like it would be the best option for me then, just need to wait for next payday and hope the price doesn't rise in the mean time.

[James D]

Ian,

The John Atwood reviews shows up the real limitations of the Creative card if used for recording and how it has been optimised for PC game audio playback. It is an excellent card for its target market. BTW E-Mu is the Professional Audio side of Creative.

James

[Bizzie]

I thought I'd bump this thread back to the top as I've just bought the E-MU 0202 and have had time to play just a little.

First I had to get some mono 6.3mm jack plug to phono convertors so I could connect to my pre-amp and oh dear there was a horrible noise like static with regular clicks and hardly any sound at all, there are some switches under the unit that are ground lift on and off I tried in both positions and it made no difference.

I then tried recording at 24/192 and it seems to work well as I can listen to playback with my headphones plugged in the unit.

I sent an email to the tech support on monday and got a reply today saying that its most probably a ground loop and I will need to use a line isolation box whatever that is, so as a temporary measure I just dissconected the power supply to my laptop and run it on battery power. After connecting up again I found that the problem has disapeared and it works how it should and sound fantastic.

So can anyone tell me what a line isolation box is and where I can get one?

[Bizzie]

I will try again as this had gone down the list a bit.

Can anyone tell me what a line isolation box is as I really need to have my laptop plugged into the mains when recording and can't monitor properly unless I can run it through my amp and speakers.

[Little Mick]

Hi

If it’s what I think it’s a pair of small in line transformers which run in the signal cables CPC do them.

Regards

[Bizzie]

Thanks Little mick

I tried to ask E-MU technical what they meant but didn't get a reply not a lot of good I starting to wonder if it is a ground loop or if I'm hearing switching noise from the laptop power supply any thoughts anyone.

[Bizzie]

I may need some help with this one it s very odd, I have had some more support from E-MU and they asked me if I get noise through the headphone out put and if the noise comes back if I disconnect the computer power supply and reconnect it.

There is no noise using head phones connected to the soundcard and when I disconnect the power and reconnect the noise returns I then decided to try the soundcard connected straight to my MF Xcans headphone amp and there is no noise.

So it seems that the problem must be with the Pre II and I don't know what to do to solve it any Ideas anyone.

[BOONDI]

try running a wire from your laptop to a suitable earth point on your preII.
Make sure that you get a good earth point on the laptop. The metal anti theft slot is a good candidate.

Hope this helps.....

[Bizzie]

Originally Posted by BOONDI

try running a wire from your laptop to a suitable earth point on your preII.
Make sure that you get a good earth point on the laptop. The metal anti theft slot is a good candidate.

Hope this helps.....

Just tried it and it made no difference, thanks for the input though.

For those wanting something external that does not include a DAC you might do worse than one of these. It is the one provided as an option in the Audionote 2.1 DAC

Simon