Rookie Notebook Recording questions

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

I want to do audio recording with my notebook computer
(Dell Inspiron 5150). I want to make some live recordings
from my band's mixing board, make digital copies of some
old cassettes/lps and maybe in the future do some multitrack
recording at home.

- PCMCIA or USB outboard box? I was leaning toward PCMCIA just
because it would simplify the setup on location. The ECHO
INDIGO IO PCMCIA card looks good, 24/96, 2in/2out, it has good
reviews. Is noise a problem with these type of cards? Are
the outboard boxes noticeably quieter?

- Is there a noticeable difference in sound quality when
recording with the 1/8" stereo miniplugs as opposed to using
RCA or 1/4" connections?

- I noticed that many of the affordable USB audio capture
devices are USB 1, not USB 2. For just 2in/2out (or even
4in/2out), is USB 1 connection speed not an issue?

- Software - to start, would Audacity be powerful enough for
what I want to do (not counting multitrack recording)?


Money is an object but I want to be able to make good quality
recordings.

Thanks for any help you can give.


--
David Swanger
swangdb@auburn.edu

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

On Wed, 10 Aug 2005 19:18:13 +0000, swangdb wrote:


>
> I want to do audio recording with my notebook computer (Dell Inspiron
> 5150). I want to make some live recordings from my band's mixing board,
> make digital copies of some old cassettes/lps and maybe in the future do
> some multitrack recording at home.

I don't record on a laptop, but some of your questions are generic enough
I'll put in my $0.02 anyway.

> - PCMCIA or USB outboard box? I was leaning toward PCMCIA just because
> it would simplify the setup on location. The ECHO INDIGO IO PCMCIA card
> looks good, 24/96, 2in/2out, it has good reviews. Is noise a problem
> with these type of cards? Are the outboard boxes noticeably quieter?

I wouldn't agree that PCMCIA would simplify anything. Sure, it makes the
laptop a more or less self contained recording unit. But it has to connect
to all your sources through a notoriously fragile dongle thingy. Location
work & fragile hardware do NOT mix. Plus if you ever need to record
through microphones, you're going to need an outboard box (preamp) anyway.
Many (if not most) outboard USB boxes have a two or more mic preamps built
in. Maybe not great preamps, but certainly usable for lots of things.
Furthermore, it's my feeling that PCMCIA is on its way out. If firewire
really takes off, USBs days may well be numbered. Buying a PCMCIA device
in 2005 seems kind of like buying a new DAT recorder in 2003.


> - Is there a noticeable difference in sound quality when recording with
> the 1/8" stereo miniplugs as opposed to using RCA or 1/4" connections?

Not really. But there is a noticeable difference in the sound quality of a
good fitting, reliable 1/4" connection and the noise & crackle (or worse
yet, silence) of a dodgy, iffy miniplug connection. There's also typically
a noticeable difference in the quality of hardware that uses 1/4"
connectors vs the hardware that uses miniplugs. And finally, many (not
all) 1/4" connectors are electrically balanced, so you get better noise
characteristics.


> - I noticed that many of the affordable USB audio capture devices are
> USB 1, not USB 2. For just 2in/2out (or even 4in/2out), is USB 1
> connection speed not an issue?

For 2 channels, probably not.

>
> - Software - to start, would Audacity be powerful enough for what I want
> to do (not counting multitrack recording)?

It's at least powerful enough to get started. And it's free, so it doesn't
cost you anything to find out.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

David,

I use the Echo Indigo with my notebook and it's fantastically quiet..the
reviews are correct on the technical specs side of things. It is indeed
somewhat sensitive to movement, and as Mike says the dressing of leads is
important, the miniplugs are easier to pull out. Make sure the chipset of
your Dell is compatible with the Indigo..there's a list on the Echo website,
and you can find ot what you have onboard your Dell by checking in the
Control Panel (System Properties>Device Manager)
The Indigo is a great little device..if 2 in/out is all you want !
Ray
---------------------------------------------------------
<swangdb@auburn.edu> wrote in message
newsddjtl$27p$1@aunews.duc.auburn.edu...
>
>
> I want to do audio recording with my notebook computer
> (Dell Inspiron 5150). I want to make some live recordings
> from my band's mixing board, make digital copies of some
> old cassettes/lps and maybe in the future do some multitrack
> recording at home.
>
> - PCMCIA or USB outboard box? I was leaning toward PCMCIA just
> because it would simplify the setup on location. The ECHO
> INDIGO IO PCMCIA card looks good, 24/96, 2in/2out, it has good
> reviews. Is noise a problem with these type of cards? Are
> the outboard boxes noticeably quieter?
>
> - Is there a noticeable difference in sound quality when
> recording with the 1/8" stereo miniplugs as opposed to using
> RCA or 1/4" connections?
>
> - I noticed that many of the affordable USB audio capture
> devices are USB 1, not USB 2. For just 2in/2out (or even
> 4in/2out), is USB 1 connection speed not an issue?
>
> - Software - to start, would Audacity be powerful enough for
> what I want to do (not counting multitrack recording)?
>
>
> Money is an object but I want to be able to make good quality
> recordings.
>
> Thanks for any help you can give.
>
>
> --
> David Swanger
> swangdb@auburn.edu