• Galliano
  • Programmed just to please
  • Offline
  • From: 10:15 flight to Madrapour
  • Registered: 2008-07-08
  • Posts: 733

Topic: Decent soundcard for notebook, recommendations?

I'd like to upgrade my notebook with an external soundcard.

There's been some year since I last checked the market, so I need to be updated.

I need a decent easy-to-usecard, no fancy stuff.
There was some product similar to the SoundBlaster Audigy2 a while ago but I think it's no longer available.
Replaced by some better and/or cheaper model?

My notebook has a ExpressCard interface.
I choose that to be able to add a soundcard later on but today there might be other possibilites, no?
USB?
It would be nice to have the sound card "inside" the computer (no external unit with cables) if possible, so the ExpressCard solution might be best (?)

I wanna be able to do some software mixing and be able to have a little better input/output than I have now.
(I only just use motherboard sound right now)

You Robots know what's good and not, any recommendations?

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
All of my base,
Are belong to you.

Galliano's Website

  • beem
  • The Methuselah
  • Offline
  • From: Erotic City
  • Registered: 2008-07-07
  • Posts: 15,327

Re: Decent soundcard for notebook, recommendations?

http://www.echoaudio.com/

CRACKED BY MR. Z...

beem's Website

  • From: Glasgow
  • Registered: 2009-01-19
  • Posts: 213

Re: Decent soundcard for notebook, recommendations?

Focusrite Saffire

Infiltrator's Website

  • beem
  • The Methuselah
  • Offline
  • From: Erotic City
  • Registered: 2008-07-07
  • Posts: 15,327

Re: Decent soundcard for notebook, recommendations?

Saffire is Firewire and has given alot of grief to one of my friends cos his FW chipset is whack.

CRACKED BY MR. Z...

beem's Website

  • Registered: 2008-07-23
  • Posts: 76

Re: Decent soundcard for notebook, recommendations?

terratec dmx 6fire usb or maybe Emu 0404, both are decent and not too expensive

  • Galliano
  • Programmed just to please
  • Offline
  • From: 10:15 flight to Madrapour
  • Registered: 2008-07-08
  • Posts: 733

Re: Decent soundcard for notebook, recommendations?

Sorry for not being very good at this...

I see there are some differences between the Echo Indigo DJx and IOx but I don't really understand the meaning.
In plain english (or swedish?), what is the difference and why should I choose the DJx or the IOx?

("DJx is for you who want to *insert reason here*, "IOx is if you want to *insert other reason here*)

Thanks...

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
All of my base,
Are belong to you.

Galliano's Website

7 Reply by Poodle (edited by Poodle 2009-02-04 14:57:51)

  • From: gothenburg
  • Registered: 2008-07-07
  • Posts: 326

Re: Decent soundcard for notebook, recommendations?

very simple

djx has two stereo outputs and NO inputs. (om du vill mixa kanalerna med extern dj mixer)

IOx has one stereo IN and one stereo OUT. (om du vill kunna spela in och kommer anv

  • From: Montreal
  • Registered: 2008-07-08
  • Posts: 980

Re: Decent soundcard for notebook, recommendations?

I had the Echo Indigo DJ and it was great, except that I had to hack my laptop a bit for the pcmcia card to really fit in there.

Facebook
Bandcamp

TONY COPS's Website

  • rude66
  • robot des duivels
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2008-07-07
  • Posts: 1,844

Re: Decent soundcard for notebook, recommendations?

pcmcia is not the same as the new expresscard.. how many laptops made today still have pcmcia?

i use an emu 1616m live on a pretty ancient laptop.. i've been looking at a replacement, but almost nothing (certainly not the cheap laptops) have this interface anymore..

  • Galliano
  • Programmed just to please
  • Offline
  • From: 10:15 flight to Madrapour
  • Registered: 2008-07-08
  • Posts: 733

Re: Decent soundcard for notebook, recommendations?

I haven't checked my notebook but according to some specifications it seems I have a PCMCIA slot (PC Card I/II) and no ExpressCard as I first thought.
(My computer is a HP Compaq 6715b GB837ET, bought about 1 year ago)
Sorry for mixing things up in my first post.

It

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
All of my base,
Are belong to you.

Galliano's Website

  • beem
  • The Methuselah
  • Offline
  • From: Erotic City
  • Registered: 2008-07-07
  • Posts: 15,327

Re: Decent soundcard for notebook, recommendations?

They make PCMCIA versions too. Problem is that PCMCIA only support 2x stereo out or 1x stereo in 1x stereo out. You probably need to get a external card. There are plenty of small footprint usb interfaces. Stay away from Soundblaster.

CRACKED BY MR. Z...

beem's Website

12 Reply by beem (edited by beem 2009-02-06 13:46:55)

  • beem
  • The Methuselah
  • Offline
  • From: Erotic City
  • Registered: 2008-07-07
  • Posts: 15,327

Re: Decent soundcard for notebook, recommendations?

Mayebe you wanna look this up, seems pretty small.

http://www.thomann.de/se/terratec_phase_26_usb_se.htm

or this

http://www.thomann.de/se/mixvibes_maya_44_se.htm

CRACKED BY MR. Z...

beem's Website

  • Galliano
  • Programmed just to please
  • Offline
  • From: 10:15 flight to Madrapour
  • Registered: 2008-07-08
  • Posts: 733

Re: Decent soundcard for notebook, recommendations?

Thanks.
Search continues...

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
All of my base,
Are belong to you.

Galliano's Website

  • From: Jyv
  • Registered: 2008-07-08
  • Posts: 73

Re: Decent soundcard for notebook, recommendations?

Express card huh? I've had the echo indigo IO for a couple of years and it has worked nicely. Even got it working under linux (Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon 64-bit) -don't know how I did it exaclty. The card requires the wider 54mm PCMCIA-slot. Luckily my new Lenovo T61 has a slot for this but it I think in the future the thinner 34mm is going to take over. So it might be and idea to get a 34mm card already. PC-card soundcards are compact and portable but if these aren't requirements I suggest you get something big and heavy with lots of nobs on it + firewire.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File: … ssCard.png

<Pete> His life was programmed from the very start.
<MacGyver> He never had a chance.

Autobass's Website

15 Reply by disco train (edited by disco train 2009-02-07 14:23:28)

  • Registered: 2008-07-20
  • Posts: 154

Re: Decent soundcard for notebook, recommendations?

rude66 wrote:

pcmcia is not the same as the new expresscard.. how many laptops made today still have pcmcia?

i use an emu 1616m live on a pretty ancient laptop.. i've been looking at a replacement, but almost nothing (certainly not the cheap laptops) have this interface anymore..

Have a look here:

http://www.notebooksbilliger.de/index.p … pad_rreihe



If we're talking about a decent soundcard for PCMCIA, RME should be mentioned. They might not meet the requirements for compactness and budget, but the decentness should be reached. Sadly they stopped the production of the RPM, but the Mobile Kit serves me well.