24bit/192khz Line-in Recording on a Laptop?

Hmm... I am wondering what equipment should I use to do such recordings; apparently I cannot do this with just the laptop (stuck at 16 bit/192Khz) unless I change to Microsoft's drivers.

I would prefer a portable DAC/amp over a soundcard if possible; am looking for the former too.

Thanks!

 

I use one of these: http://www.rme-audio.de/en_products_babyface.php
If $750 isn't a stretch, I can recommend it - it's stable, the actual result quality is very high, and the Totalmix / Digicheck combo is first-rate as mobile tools / problem solvers on top of whatever you'll be running as a DAW.

I dunno whether you'd be able to pick one up still, but the cheapest way to get it would probably be the discontinued Creative E-MU 0202. I don't know whether it actually delivers, but on paper it is a 24-bit/192Khz interface.

 

Thanks for the recommendations!

It's just too bad the RME Babyface is way too expensive (nearly 1000 SGD!). As for the Creative E-MU... Worth a look, but I have a very bad feeling about its unavailability =X

 

I wouldn't frown upon 16bit/192hz for a mic unless your doing some kind of professional music recording. For voice its more than enough.

(Between traditional CD & DVD quality)

If you are going for some kind of high grade recording, then that brings to mind secondary questions like is your mic even that good? What about the actual recording environment. Even my Yeti USB mic easily picks up all the flaws of my bedroom as a recording environment, many people made there own DIY recording booths just to reduce ambient noise once you get into high grade mics and want the best recording possible.

So you sort of get into a scenario where "why get one without the other" because they all tie together as a chain of quality and the chain is only as good as its weakest link.

I might suggest depending on what your using it for and your needs something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Condenser-Microphone-Multipattern/dp/B004L9KLT6

As a usb mic it has its own DAC and it records straight up 24/192, if you need to use it with more traditional recording equipment it has XLR outputs as well. I use the non-pro version with only USB and the lower 16bit quality and like I said without having a better recording environment I would have no use for a higher quality mic. I just do web based stuff though I am not recording to a CD or anything crazy like that.

 

I am not doing mic recordings (should have clarified that from the start), my sources are mostly analog sources (e.g. VHS tape recorders with the correct plug converters)

 

Ahh well that is good to know.

And brings up a new piece of information.

::You can never create what is not there to begin with::

24/192 is pretty much top of the line on the consumer/prosumer end of audio quality. It is WAY better than anything a VHS contained

You cant take an old (crappy) source and make it better by converting it to a ultra high end new source.

The most common example of this is people asking how to convert .MP3 to .AAC or .FLAC

It is well known these audio formats are very high quality, but if you started with the crappy MP3 no matter what you do with it, it will always be a crappy MP3 and by converting it into one of those other file types your just making the file larger and losing more quality for no reason.

In your case to digitize your old content you have no choice but to convert it, however there is no reason to covert it to such a level.

 

I am aware of this "Garbage In, Garbage Out" theory too. But that's not the only source I am working with though; my laptop's line out is another source too.

Sure, I could use "Stereo Mix" but that's also crimped by Realtek to 16 bit too.

 

What Vicious says isn't quite accurate but if it's a fairly standard analog source 24/96 is fine to deal with the dynamic range involved and that gives you a whole lot more options in terms of what input device you buy - i.e. pretty much any decent <$200-class entry-level pro audio soundcard available now should do the job. e.g. a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (doesn't have to be, but that class of device is what you should be looking for IMO).

Sinamex Sinamex - Home distributes Focusrite over there.

 

Thanks for the link! I just noticed that I need to get a 3.5mm jack to these XLS jacks adaptor if I use this USB interface since the sources I am working with use 3.5mm jacks.

I am still unsure why 96KHz is ok (or rather, why 192KHz exists if 96KHz is ok). I also want to know how the quality can be improved by such USB interfaces if I could do such recordings with Microsoft drivers (which means I will lose some usage of my onboard speakers); after all, every dollar counts

 

You will not be using Microsoft drivers with these interfaces.
And yes, 96khz is OK for what you're doing. 192Khz is for high res digital (as in all-digital) recordings. 192K outside the studio / for other than critical recordings is also impractical in terms of playback and storage - and if you are balking at 1000SGD, all the more reason to do your recordings in a relatively sane format.

 

The XLR connectors always have 6.5mm jacks in the middle, i.e. you don't need to use XLR with an unbalanced source. It's best to get a single cable instead of connectors though, so try and find a stereo 3.5 -> 2 x mono 6.5 cable (you should be able to track one down in a pro audio store), or if that's not possible find a 3.5mm -> 2RCA (very common) and get RCA -> 6.5mm jack converters.

 

Sorry, what I meant was using the existing onboard chipset I had with the Microsoft drivers.

And all-digital recordings refer to setups that uses say, optical out to USB input?

Hmm... How do I know what is an "unbalanced" source?

 

If you don't feel up to getting to grips with basic pro audio recording tech, you might even like to look at the Creative X-Fi HD USB. In terms of either input or output, it will be better than any onboard soundcard and will handle 24/96 input.

It has a line in, and comes with an easy to use recording software (Smart Recorder) which is more suitable for beginners.

 

Actually, I did consider it, but I am not comfortable with it as I used to have a X-Fi card; had to stop using it when it gave me bizarre BSODs.

I have also heard quite a lot of negative comments about it too.

 

I can't say anything particularly negative about it.

A lot of the complaints for Creative stuff seems to come from driver support - in that e.g. newer OS's post-release aren't supported, a common bleat (so? product support is only for a certain time. Either use the same OS or get a new soundcard, duh), or it doesn't work on some superannuated piece of junk the complainer is trying to get it to work on.

Creative still have this activation feature on their software which is frankly bizarre in this day and age, but apart from that it all seems to work pretty well. The sound is respectable, if probably not class-leading - but most of the rest of the midrange consumer cards don't have comparable inputs, which is what you want. You can definitely do better, but from the comments above, I'm going to take a stab and say the beginner route is probably the best one in this case. The HD will cater for that class of user better than an entry-level pro audio soundcard.

However a pro audio interface will be more flexible in the end - but that assumes you take the initiative to get your head around it.

 

Hmm... One thing for sure, I did recall using the card properly and gave it proper drivers; still cannot figure out why would it give up on me. At that point of time, I did record stuff with it but did not know how to unleash its full potential then; thought that 320kbs MP3s were the "best" then, did not even bother about the bit depth. (That was during the Windows XP era)

I digress, how do I know if an audio interface is "pro"? I want to learn more by the way...

 

I think I will have to test the Creative stuff over the weekend to really decide on this; could only get either the DAC/amp (I was planning to get one) or Creative.

In the meantime, I have some sample recordings from a Zoom H2n and using Microsoft's drivers with onboard audio. May I know how to "see" from Audacity which recordings is better?