Re: [linux-audio-user] Cheap, good quality soundcard

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Subject: Re: [linux-audio-user] Cheap, good quality soundcard
From: Malcolm Smith (spock_AT_canopus22.demon.co.uk)
Date: Sun Oct 07 2001 - 09:27:51 EEST


Hello

I too am looking for Linux-friendly soundcards for a system I'm
building. Here's what I know...

Some non-Linux specific card sites:
http://www.pcavtech.com/soundcards/index.htm
http://www.digitalexperience.com/cards.html

Richard Jobson's Soundcard Attrition Page grills cards (DANGER):
http://www.bath.ac.uk/~masrwd/cardattrit.html

Points to bear in mind
----------------------

If you need sample-accurate transfers, don't go for:
- Turtle Beach Montego II (These all resample audio)
- Hoontech ST Digital XG (to an onboard clock rate)
- Creative Soundblaster Live (either 44.1kHz or 48kHz.)

If you need Linux compatibilty (obviously YES!), check the ALSA
supported card list at http://www.alsa-project.org/~goemon/
Notice that support for the Creative Audigy is still undetermined.
Anyone working on this? Maybe I should go look at the LADs' lists...
...OK I did, and only found two posts asking for info, but no answers.

Paul Barton Davis uses RME Hammerfall Digi9652, Hoontech (Trident) 4D-NX
and Turtle Beach Tropez+, so they must work ;-)
(see http://ardour.sourceforge.net
 and http://www.op.net/~pbd/mbox.html)

Joe Miklojcik also advises RME Hammerfall and Hoontech 4D-NX at
http://eca.cx/lad/2001/Feb/0049.html

M Audio cards are apparently OK with ALSA, although I don't know if
S/PDIF and MIDI features are supported (ALSA list doesn't mention these
- anyone know?)

So that's my two cents. For my own system, I'm currently thinking of an
RME Hammerfall LE with a Hoontech 4D-NX, to run Ardour and Rosegarden.
Soundblaster Live would be OK if it didn't resample the signal. Maybe
Audigy might be a possibility for you if it gets support, as it is both
cheap and good quality (24/48 recording and 24/96 playback).

Good luck in your Quest...

Malcolm


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