Re: [ARSCLIST] current role of soundcards

["Prentice, Will" <Will.Prentice@xxxxx>]

Thanks for the responses so far. I've heard elsewhere from a few
IASA-compliant archives, who have said they use X soundcard *alongside*
Y ADC. The need to keep all analogue audio outside the PC is widely
recognised, but I'm wondering what use even an external soundcard is,
where you have a decent separate ADC using a non-audio-specific
interface (firewire/USB)?

To my mind, soundcards have tended to fulfil 3 functions:
1)	they convert analogue audio to digital
2)	they provide physical interfaces
3)	they can provide additional processing power

With an ADC as described above, none of this is required now, surely?
What am I missing?

Will

-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
[mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Tom Fine
Sent: 02 November 2006 13:21
To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] current role of soundcards

Hi Will:

You don't and, in fact, there are many on this list who advocate keeping
all that circuitry outside 
of the box.

I'm still very loyal to CardDeluxe but if I were doing more than 2
channels on the DAW, I would 
today buy an external box. I'm sure others have lots of recommendations.

-- Tom Fine

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Prentice, Will" <Will.Prentice@xxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2006 7:59 AM
Subject: [ARSCLIST] current role of soundcards


A passing thought, with a dash of devil's advocacy:

You're buying a new PC setup for the transfer of analogue material to a
high standard. Assuming you can obtain a high quality ADC with firewire
or USB interface and the PC has sufficient processing power, why would
you need a soundcard at all?

Will

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