soundcards

soundforcards
recording
playback
by
Dave Tosti-Lane
Have you noticed that computer prices keep dropping and hard disks
are getting cheaper than popcorn at the movies--<:ompared byte for
bite? Are you thinking maybe it's time to try computer-based audio editing and playback? Before you take the plunge, take a tip from the folks
who got wet when the waters were considerably murkier: the right
sound card can make a big difference.
Not too long ago, there were only a few cards appropriate for theatre audio; now there are dozens. roday's cards are by and large much
better, and they sure are less expensive. For what you would have paid
for two tracks of high quality inlout five years ago, you can have eight to
sixteen tracks today, and with more options too.
What's a Sound Card?
Let's review what a sound card does and then
look at why in the world there are so many
choices. For years, Macintosh computers have
had the ability to make noise (in the good
sense). Today, the same is true with most Windows-based machines. But out of the box, neither computer is suitable for the complex
recording or playback of theatre sound. This
isn't really a criticism of either computer platform-the sound capability included \vith
both these days is perfectly adequate for typical office and home applications. But, what if
you want to have more than just a stereo pair
of outputs? What if you want to record a band
or a chorus using multiple microphones? What
if you need to interface other digital or analog
audio equipment to the computer so you can
really use the capability of the great software
available for both platforms today? Well, you
need a (wait for it) ... sound card.
Sound cards range from inexpensive
stereo game cards that cost around $39.95
to ultra expensive multitrack systems that
can go for well over $30,000. At its simplest,
a sound card is a device for changing analog
audio to digital data so that the computer
can store and manipulate it. Asimple card
would have a stereo input for a microphone or
a line input, an analog to digital converter
(AD, or sometimes ADC) to encode the incoming audio into digital data, a digital to analog
converter (DA, or sometimes DAC) to
unencode or decode the digital data back into
analog audio, and either a speaker output or a
line level output to get the sound back out of
the computer.
Notes on the Chart
The chart on the following pages is fairly
self-explanatory, but a few notes will help
clarify my intentions and decipher the
multitude of abbreviations. The column
labeled "Street Price" is only intended as a
rough guide. Most of the prices come from
dealer and discount musical instrument Web
sites. Some readers may wisely decide to
pay a higher price at a local establishment
in order to have the security of immediate
service and repair. The column headings in
the Inputs and Outputs section of the
chart represent the multitude of options
available for connecting external devices
to your sound card. An explanation of my
abbreviations follows:
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INPUTS
OUTPUTS
COMPANY
PRODUCT NAME
WEBSITE
STREET
PRICE
Aardvark
Aark24
aardvark-pro.com
$699
8
2 2
Aardvark
Direct Pro 24/96
aardvark-pro.com
$579
4
Antex
StudioCard 2000
www.antex.com
$895
4
Antex
LX-44
www.antex.com
$850
4
4
Antex
SC-22
www.antex.com
$595
2
2
1 1 1 8
2 2
2
1 6
2
2 2
2 4
2 2
8
$149
2
2
2
2
www.digidesign.com
$539
2
2
2
2
Digital Audio Labs CardD Digital Only www.digitalaudio.com
$279
Creative Labs
Sound blaster Live www.soundblaster.com
Platinum
AudioMedia III
DigiDesign
2
2
Digital Audio Labs
CardD+
www.digitalaudio.com
$459
Digital Audio Labs
CardDeluxe
www.digitalaudio.com
$449
Digital Audio Labs
TDIF 2496 PRO
www.digitalaudio.com
$495
Echo Digital Audio
Darla 24
www.echoaudio.com
$295
2
Echo Digital Audio
Gina
www.echoaudio.com
$425
2
2
Echo Digital Audio
Mona
www.echoaudio.com
$799
4 4
2
Echo Digital Audio
Layla
www.echoaudio.com
$595
8
2
1 1 10
2
Ego-Sys
Waveterminal 2496
www.egosys.net
$279
2
2
2
2
Frontier Design
Group
Dakota
www.frontierdesign.com
$639
Frontier Design
Group
Montana
www.frontierdesign.com
$239
10
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000
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2
2
2
2
8
2
2
16
16
8
4 2
1
8
16
16
1
2
1
8
2
6 6
2
4 2
1
8
1 1
16
16
2
1
Analog Bal: balanced analog input or output.
Analog U-Bal: unbalanced analog input or output.
CONVERTER
DETAILS
PLATFORM
BUNDLED
SOFTWARE
NOTES
W95/98
ND-D/A
Drivers,
Samplitude Basic
External converters;
up to 4 cards can be used in asingle computer.
24-bit 96KHz
W95/98
ND-D/A
Drivers,
Samplitude Basic
External converters, with mic preamps;
up to 4 cards can be used in asingle computer.
20-bit ND-D/A
W95/98/NT
W95/98/NT4
drivers
20-bit ND-D/A
W95/98/NT
W95/98/NT4
drivers
(Claimed)
24-bit 48KHz
Includes MIDI port; can generate or follow
SMPTE LTC, VITC, and MTC.
20-bit ND-D/A
W95/98/NT
W95/98/NT4
drivers
DSP mixing; ability to read and write
SMPTE LTC, VITC, and MTC.
16-bit 48KHz
ND-D/A
W95/98/NT
Drivers, utilities
Includes 5-114" drive bay insert with
connectors and headphone output.
18-bit 48KHz
ND-D/A
MaclWintel
PCI
W95 driver
N/A
W95/98/NT
W95/NT drivers
Out of production.
ND 16-bit 64x
D/A 18-bit 8x
W95/98/NT
W95/NT drivers
Audio only: +4dB(rO.775v) on RCA connections;
out of production
24-bit 96KHz
W95/98/NT
W95/NT drivers
Can use analog and digital connections together
for 4 channel in/out; multiple cards sync together
via internal connection.
NlA
W95/98/NT
Drivers
24-bit AD/DA
W95/98, Mac
(604 or higher)
CoolEdit Pro SE
Mac G4 drivers under development;
BeDS drivers under development.
20-bit 128x
W95/98, Mac
(604 or higher)
CoolEdit Pro SE
Mac G4 drivers under development;
BeDS drivers under development.
24-bit AD/DA
W95/98, Mac
(604 or higher)
CoolEdit Pro SE
Includes 4 mic preamps.
W95/98 drivers to ship, NT, Mac, BeDS to follow
20-bit 8-50KHz W95/98, Mac
128x oversample
Drivers
forW95/98,
CoolEdit Pro SE
(NT in beta)
24-bit 96KHz
ND-D/A
W95/98
NlA
W95/98
Drivers,
CoolEdit Pro SE
N/A
W95/98
NlA
Drivers
Can be purchased with bundled Session Software
on Mac or PC ($799), or Pro Tools on Mac ($850).
Includes transport control cable and software.
Both Word Clock and SuperClock in and out;
full DirectX driver support.
Internal WordClock connector;
optional MIDI/SMPTE interface.
Allows any input to be used for
SMPTE LTC in/out.
Expands Dakota with additional ADAT
in/out, ADAT Sync out, SMPTE VITC and LTC in/out
and WordClock input.
Dig S/PDIF 0: optical digital input or output conforming to the consumer Sony/Phillips Digital
Interface Format. These are stereo connections,
typically found on MiniDisc players and compact
disc players; sometimes called "Toslink" connections.
Dig S/PDIF C: coaxial digital input or output
conforming to the consumer Sony/Phillips Digital Interface Format. These are stereo connections, typically found on MiniDisc players and
compact disc players, where a single RCA-type
connection carries two input or output digital
channels.
Dig AES3: balanced digital input or output conforming to the AES3 (also called AES/EBU)
specification typically are found on professional
level DAT decks, compact disc players, and digital mixers. These are most often XLR-type threepin connections.
Dig ADAT: These are single optical connections
(identical physically to Toslink connections)
which carry eight channels of digital audio in a
format developed for the Alesis ADAT digital recorder (sometimes called "Lightpipe"). These
connections can be found on a large number of
converters, digital mixers, and, of course, on
ADAT digital recorders.
Dig TDIF: These are Db25 computer-type connections, identical in appearance to typical 25-pin
computer connectors. They carry eight channels
of digital audio in a format developed for the
TASCAM DA-88 digital recorder. They can be
found on a number of converters, format converters, digital mixers, and of course, DA-88 and
DA-38 digital recorders.
ADAT Sync: Found on many cards that have ADAT
optical connections, these allow multiple ADAT
aware devices to "lock up" to each other so that
all tracks will be in sync.
Word Clock: These are connections which carry
a square wave signal at the sampling rate of the
device. Word Clock inputs allow the digital device to be synchronized to a master sync clock
for the studio. Word Clock outputs allow the device to serve as master clock for other digital devices. Most often these are BNC connections.
MIDI: These are Musical Instrument Digital Interface connections, generally five-pin DIN type
connectors. They are used either to pass MIDI
Machine Control (MMC), MIDI Time Code (MTC) or
general MIDI messages allowing interconnection
of keyboards and other musical instruments to
computer-based sequencers, samplers, and
other software.
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Frontier Design
Group
Sierra
www.frontierdesign.com
$289
Frontier Design
Group
WaveCenter/PCI
www.frontierdesign.com
$319
Frontier Design
Group
Zulu
www.frontierdesign.com
$495
Frontier Design
Group
Tango 24
www.frontierdesign.com
$689
Gadget Labs
WAVEJ4
www.gadgetlabs.com
$249
4
Gadget Labs
WAVE4/24
www.gadgetlabs.com
$269
4
Gadget Labs
WAVE4/96
www.gadgetlabs.com
$349
4
1 4
1
Gadget Labs
WAVE8/24
www.gadgetlabs.com
$499
8
1 8
1
Korg
SoundLink
1212 liD
www.korg.com
$349
Lynx Studio
Technology Inc.
Lynx 1
www.lynxstudio.com
$599
MIDIMAN
Delta 44
www.midiman.net
MIDIMAN
Delta 66
www.midiman.net
$349
MIDIMAN
DiD 2448
www.midiman.net
$129
2 2
2 2 2
MIDIMAN
DiD 2496
www.midiman.net
$229
2 2
2 2 2
MIDIMAN
Delta 1010
www.midiman.net
$679
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$399.95 4
8
2 2
2
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8
4
8
2
2
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1 1 8
2
2
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CONVERTER
DETAILS
PLATFORM
NOTES
BUNDLED
SOFTWARE
(Claimed)
External box with 8MIDI in/out,
SMPTE VTC/LTC in/out.
N/A
W95/98
N/A
N/A
W95/98, Mac
(ASIO/OMS)
W95/98/NT
drivers,
CoolEdit Pro SE
20-bit 128x
External
converter
N/A
Converter for any ADAT Lightpipe device.
24-bit 128x
External
converter
N/A
Converter for any ADAT Lightpipe Device
16-bit 64x
W95/98
Drivers
24-bit 48K
W95/98,
Mac (ASIO)
Drivers,
Cool Edit Pro SE
1/4" stereo Jacks, NT drivers promised;
SIPDIF ($129), and ADAT ($199) optional.
24-bit 96K
W95/98,
Mac (ASIO)
Drivers,
Cool Edit Pro SE
NT drivers promised; SIPDIF ($129),
and ADAT ($199) optional.
4-bit 48K
20-bit AID-D/A
W95/981NT,
Drivers,
Mac (ASIO/OMS) Cool Edit Pro SE
W95/98, Mac
24-bit 8-50KHz W95/981NT/2K
AD/DA
128x oversampled
SIPDIF ($129), and ADAT ($199) optional.
Rack mount external converters available
as option.
Drivers for
W95/981NT/2K
Up to 4 Lynx 1cards can be locked together
in a single machine.
W95/981NT,
4x424-bit/
96KHz
full duplex
(on card)
W95/981NT,
24-bit 48Khz
D/A for
monitoring
W95/98 (PCI)
24-bit 96Khz
D/A for
monitoring
24-bit 96Khz
AD/DA
In external box)
W95/981NT,
Drivers for
Mac (PCI)
W95/981NT,
Drivers for
W95/981NT,
ASIO/ASI02,
Mac, DirectX
Mac (PCI)
1/8" mini-jacks with RCA adaptors; includes MIDI
interface with adaptor cables. (out of production)
Drivers,
Deck II (Mac)
4x424-bit/
96KHz
full duplex
(on card)
Mac (PCI)
DIGITAL ONLY
Drivers for
W95/981NT,
ASIO/ASI02,
Mac, DirectX
Connectors on break-out box;
min. Pentium 11-266 (128Meg RAM for 96KHz),
Mac G4, G3 or G3 accelerator.
Same as Delta 44: adds Coaxial (RCA) SIPDIF
connections on card; total of 6channels4 analog, 2digital- can be used together.
Drivers,
control panel
Accepts CD analog internally;
2-channel digital input/output with analog
output for monitoring.
W95/981NT,
Drivers for
Mac (PCI)
W95/981NT,
Same as DiO 2448 with addition of higher
sample rate, mixer allowing 4 outputs,
higher quality D/A, Mac G3/G4 compatibility.
ASIO/ASI02,
Mac, DirectX
ASIO/ASI02,
Mac, DirectX
Converters in externallU rack mount box.
Min PII 300Mhz (128 Meg RAM for 96KHz)
Mac G3/G4.
Prices and Options for Every Budget
Cards with speaker outputs tend to be game
cards and aren't really intended to be used for
sel;OUS recording or playback. However some
game cards edge into the quality we are looking for in theatre sound, and some of them
would serve a small theatre company quite
well. For instance in the $100-$150 ( .S. dollars) range, Creative Labs' Sound Blaster Uve!
Platinum is a good sounding card with some
nice feanlres, but it has a limited number of inputs and outputs and it records at onJy one
sample rate. Moving not very far up in cost,
you'll find more features: usually a minimum
of four inputs and outputs, options for digitaJ
input and output (direct connection to consumer and pro digitaJ devices \vithout going
through the DAiAD converters), the ability to
use multiple cards in a single system, and so
on. The Darla 24 from Echo DigitaJ Audio
(around $295) falls into this middle group. It
haS onJy two inputs, but its eight outputs give it
a distinct advantage for theatre playback; it
doesn't have digitaJ in/out, but its ADIDA converters are much better than the ones in the
Sound Blaster; and the Darla 24 will work 'vith
both PCs and Macs. If you're able to spend a
At its simplest, a sound card is a
device for changing analog audio
to digital data so that the
computer can store and
manipulate it.
little more, Aardvark's Direct Pro 24196
(around 5 9) has high quality converters,
four higher quality baJanced anaJog inputs, six
baJanced anaJog outputs, and consumer level
digitaJ inputs and outputs, and it aJso uses an
externaJ break-out box with microphone preamps and phantom power. (Unfortunately, it
does not work on the Mac at this time, but may
in the near future.) From this point, prices go
up rather quickJy, but the options aJso increase. In the 599 and up range, you will
find systems with more advanced digital input and output options, more and better
analog inputs and outputs, and time code
features of particular interest to those doing
film and video work, or who have large collections of digital equipment that they need
to interconnect.
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MIDIMAN
Flying Calf
www.midiman.net
$149.95
MIDIMAN
Flying Cow
www.midiman.net
$349
MOTU
2408mkll
www.motu.com
MOTU
1224/324
MOTU
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$995
8
2
www.motu.com
$1,295
8
24i
www.motu.com
$1,195
MOTU
1296
www.motu.com
$2,095
MOTU
308
www.motu.com
$695
8 8 8
RME
Digi96
rme-audio.com
$300
2 2
RME
Digi96/8
rme-audio.com
$455
2 2
RME
Digi96/8 PRO
rme-audio.com
$635
2 2 2 8
RME
Digi96/8 PST
rme-audio.com
$635
2 2 2
RME
Digi96/8 PAD
rme-audio.com
$699
2 2 2 2 8
RME
Hammerfall Light
rme-audio.com
$635
4 2
16
1
4 2
16
1
RME
Hammerfall
rme-audio.com
$775
6 2
24
1 1
6 2
24
1 1
Sea Sound
Solo EX
seasound.com
$849
SEK'D
Prodif 96 PRO
www.sekd.com
$699
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CONVERTER
DETAILS
PLATFORM
BUNDLED
SOFTWARE
NOTES
(Claimed)
20-bit
delta-sigma.
128x
External
converter
N/A
Digital to analog converter only.
20-bit
delta-sigma.
128x
External
converter
N/A
AID Can be locked to external clock via
digital inputs.
24-bit 48KHz
AD/DA
(external)
W95/98,
Mac (PCI)
Drivers for
W95/98,
AudioDesk
software for Mac
Up to three 2408 converters can be attached to
a single 324 card (included); can mix with 24i,
308, 1224, and 2496. 2408 can be used alone to
convert between ADAT and TOIF.
24-bit 48KHz
AD/DA
(external)
W95/98.
Mac (PCI)
Drivers for
W95/98,
AudioDesk
software for Mac
Up to three 1224 converters can be attached to
a single 324 card; can mix with 24i,308, 2408,
and 2496.
Comparing Features
The sheer number of sound cards out there.
both for PC and for Mac slstems, makes an exhaustive comparison unwieldy. By the time an
ambitious reviewer managed to test all the
cards available, more th:m half of them would
be out of production, :md an equal number of
new cards, each promising to be the honest
thing. l\"Quld be waiting on the shelf for rel'iew.
Still, anyone about to spend a few hundred
dollars really should compare the features of
several cards before making a commitment.
The table beginning on page 10 has a good
cross section of cards and converters (sixtyseven of them), and rve summarized what I
think are the most important features a theatre
sound designer needs to consider.
One can generally find a great
deal of information regarding a
24-bit 48KHz
AlD-D/A
External
converter
N/A
Works with MOTU 324 PCI Card
24-bit 96KHz
AlD-D/A
External
converter
N/A
Works with MOTU 324 PCI Card
N/A
Format
converter
N/A
Works with MOTU 324 PCI Card
N/A
W95/98/NT
Drivers,
analysis software
Optional WordClock module available;
Mac driver promised.
N/A
W95/98/NT
Drivers,
analysis software
Optional WordClock module available;
Mac driver promised.
20-bit DA
W95/98/NT
Drivers,
analysis software
Optional WordClock module available;
Mac driver promised.
20-bit 96KHz
AD/DA
W95/98/NT
Drivers,
analysis software
Optional WordClock module available;
Mac driver promised.
20-bit 96KHz
AD/DA
W95/98/NT
Drivers,
analysis software
Optional WordClock module available;
Mac driver promised.
N/A
W95/98/NT
Drivers,
analysis software
Expansion board adds 2optical S/PDIF, 8 ADAT,
1WordClock ($190), Mac driver promised.
N/A
W95/98/NT
Drivers,
analysis software
Mac driver promised.
24-bit 96KHz
(external)
W95/98/NT,
Mac
Drivers,
Cubasis(Mac),
Cubasis VST,
ACID Rock (PC)
20-bit
(to 96KHz)
W95/98
Drivers
Mic preamps included, mixable mic/line
inputs, headphone outputs, control-room outs.
Uses two 1/4" Stereo jacks for analog
in/out (unbalanced)
card or its vendor on the Internet.
It is inevitable, given the time it takes between writing and publishing of an article, and
the speed with which the computer industry
comes up with new products, that significant
cards will be absent [rom this list. It is also inevitable that some of the listed features will no
longer be accurate. Readers are urged to do a
little more research on their own before making a purchase decision. One can generally
find a great deal of information regarding a
card or its vendor on the Internet. Using the
mmle of a product in a keyword search
through Yahoo or one of the other Internet
search engine will give you dozen , if not hundreds of links. If you find that there is a user
group or support forum for any of the cards
IOU are considering, you will usually be able to
join the fa 111 01 even before you buy a cm·d, so you
can read ule messages :md see what common
problems mal be, :md more inlpo11anuy how
quickly mel· m·e dealt lIiUl by the SUppOI1 slllff.
Often the best part of these forums is the assistance of other users who have already solved
most of the problems you might encounter.
It is also important to consult with the
people who make the software you plan to use.
They will undoubtedlv know if there are compatibility problems with particular cards.
Don't, however, expect them to tell you which
card to buy; there are just too many combinaT2)&T
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100015
OUTPUTS
INPUTS
PRODUCT NAME
COMPANY
WEBSITE
STREET
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$999
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Prodif Plus
www.sekd.com
$399
2 2 2 2 8
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Siena
www.sekd.com
$499
8
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ADDA 2496 DSP
www.sekd.com
$3,999
2
2 2 2
SEK'D
ADDA 2496 S
www.sekd.com
$599
2
2 2
Sonorus
STUDI/O
www.sonorus.com
$569
Sonorus
AUDI/O AD24
www.sonorus.com
$649
Sonorus
AUDI/O DA24
www.sonorus.com
$499
Sonorus
Modular 8
www.sonorus.com
$6,995
Soundscape
Mixtreme
sou ndsca pe-digita I.com
$549
Soundscape
SS810-1
soundsca pe-digital.com
$1,695
Soundscape
SS810-2
soundsca pe-digital.com
$349
Soundscape
SS810-3
soundscape-d igital.com
$599
Terratec
EWS88-MT
www.terratec.de
$499
8
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DSP Factory
DS2416
www.yamaha.com
$849
2
2
Yamaha
AX16AT
www.yamaha.com
$299
Yamaha
AX44
www.yamaha.com
$259
Zefiro
ZA2
www.zefiro.com
$419
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CONVERTER
DETAILS
NOTES
PLATFORM
BUNDLED
SOFTWARE
16-bit
AlD-D/A
W95/98
Drivers
Analog in/out on RCA breakout cable.
20-bit
AlD-D/A
W95/98
Drivers
Uses two 1/4" stereo jacks for analog
in/out (unbalanced).
24-bit AlD-D/A
W95/98
Drivers
Analog in/out on RCA breakout cable.
24-bit 96KHz
External
converter
N1A
Balanced XLR in/out 2channel AD/DA.
24-bit 96KHz
External
converter
N1A
Balanced XLR in/out 2channel AD/DA,
half-width 1U rackmount.
18-bit
W95/98,
(NT beta),
Steinberg VST
MAC
W95 driver and
control panel
(Mac &W95)
24-bit
64X over
External
converter
N/A
Analog to Digital converter; XLR
analog inputs, 1/2 rack size.
24-bit
128X over
External
converter
N1A
Digital to Analog converter; XLR
analog outputs, 1/2 rack size.
24-bit
128X over
External
converter
N/A
Flexible configuration (modular) multiple sync;
flexible options include AES3 and BlackBurst Video.
N/A
W95/98/NT
Drivers,
Soundscape V2
software, utilities
20-bit
External
converter
N/A
Stand aAlone or can be used with Mixtreme or
other TDIF or ADAT interface cards.
N/A
Format
converter
N1A
Converts ADAT to/from TDIE
20-bit
External
converter
N1A
Stand alone or can be used with Mixtreme or
other TDIF interface cards.
24-bit 96K
AD/DA
oversample 64x
AD,128x DA)
W95/98/NT,
AlSO
Drivers
Converts in external box which
can mount in 5-1/4" drive bay.
18-bit record
16-bit playback
W95/98
Drivers, utilities
Expandable via AX44, AX16AT.
N1A
W95/98
Drivers, utilities
Expands DSP Factory with digital in/out.
No details
W95/98
Drivers, utilities
Can use 2together for 8 analog channels in/out.
20-bit
output only
W95/98/NT
Drivers, utilities
Only digital inputs; analog outputs
for monitoring.
(Claimed)
tions of equipment that might wind up in a
single mach.ine. Obviously, the earlier advice
about user groups or support forums holds
true for software as well. One thing you can
count on is that the typical sales creatures at
the local computer/video/appliance/furniture
store will not be able to produce an)thing resembling a clue if you ask them for advice
about using digital audio in performance.
A Personal Comparison
Can be configured for one S/PDIF and one ADAT
connection if desired.; also includes optional BNC
WordClock in/out, ADAT and MIDI
timecode INPUT.
Use with external converters via TDIF;
optional S/PDIF and Video Blackburst
daughter card ($149).
I have recent experience \vith two sound
cards-the Wave 8/24 from Gadget Labs, and
the Layla from Echo Digital Audio-using
them for building sound effects and running
two productions. My observations, while not
an objective review of either product, may provide some helpful reference points for those
making their own comparisons.
The cards were installed in a Windows
98, Pentium II, 350 MHz machine, and were
used with three software applications: SAW
Plus 32 from Innovative Quality Software,
Sound Forge from Sonic Foundry, and SFX PRO
from Stage Research. Both cards performed
well for basic editing projects. The Layla card
seems to me to have a lower noise floor
(qujeter) than the Gadget Labs, and it also
provides two more inputs and outputs. The
Gadget Labs card locates it's analog-to-digital
(AID) and digital-to-analog (D/A) converters
on the PCI card inside the computer, while the
Layla converters are contained in its one-unit
rack-mount break-out box. The Layla includes
SIPDIF digital input and output in the basic
package, while the Wave 8/24 offers SlPDIF as
an extra cost option.
I experienced some problems with the
Wave 8/24 when attempting eight-channel playback using SFX-Pro, which makes e.xtensive use
of the DirectX multi-channel features. (I lmdel'
stand Gadget Labs is working on their DirectX
dlivers.) It djd however work well \vith SAW
Plus32 and the other editing applications and I
have since installed the ~ ave 8/24 in another
computer and use it for building sound effects.
The Layla installed qUickly and easily, and
worked perfectly with SFX-Pro using the drivers included with the card.•:.
Dave Tosti-Lalle (dtostilane@comisb.edu)
is cbair oftbe Pelformance Production
department at Comisb College oftbe A/1s
(ww/O.comisb.edu). A sound designer and
member ofAES, Dave bas also written
articlesfor MIX and Cadence magazines.
TZ>&T
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