ad2326

Hey All,

It's my first post on this forum so hello all and thanks for viewing...


Im currently upgrading the gear in my makeshift home recording studio, just got some new monitors, midi controller, PC etc etc.

So I'm onto upgrading the sound card. Ive currently got one of the "standard issue" Realtek HD Audio codec drivers running, which is obviously just not cutting the mustard within Reason and Cubase! I'm working around it using the ASIO4ALL freeware drivers which admittedly do improve latency issues and such like, but ive decided its time to look for something a little more.... workable

and I've immediately looked in the direction of the M-Audio Audiophile 2496. However ive seen LOTS of warnings that drivers for Windows XP Media center are not available and its not supported under this OS.

I just wondered if anyone had tried to run an M-Audio card on WinXP MCE?? Because ive read on more than one occasion that XP MCE is fundamentally exactly the same as, for example, Win XP Home, or XP Pro, just with the Media Center software interface bundled??? How much truth there is to this im not sure.

If anyone has actually tried it, could you let me know how you managed, any issues for example, as the Audiophile 2496 seems to be one of the best in its price range (which is pretty similar to my budget...)


I have also looked at the E-MU cards, but knowing that they're "owned" by Creative, I'm a little sceptical of those...... Plus ive looked at the Echo Mia MIDI card, which does seem to get pretty good reviews too, and has balanced in and outs.


Sorry to ramble on, it is my first post after all....!



Cheers guys, hope you can help
Adam

Wozer

you should read the following: http://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/...&keyword=30163

if you are serious about this endeavor it would probably be worth the effort to make the switch to xp home or pro...the good news is that because it is currently not the state of the art (that would be vista) you should be able to get an oem copy for fairly cheap...

you mention MIDI, so I'm guessing you will want to get into sampling and such..that being said, you will probably want to get more HDDs to store the samples on and keep them separate from audio files for best playability...sooo...what you can do is install xp home or pro on a new HDD, and create a dual boot system...this will allow you to continue using MCE when you desire and also give you a place to put samples for streaming (they would reside on the MCE disc and you would be using the home or pro disc as the OS)....

good luck

ad2326

thanks for the reply Wozer and for the article link,

bit of a case of God damn WinMCE really!

i am currently running MIDI samplers on one HDD, it seems to run ok... Im using an M-Audio Oxygen 8 MIDI controller (at least one M-Audio device works!) and Reason 3, Cubasis VST and a couple of other wave editors and such. the CPU monitor in Reason and in the windows task manager has never gone particularly wild, even with a lot of software instruments running.

it does sound very tempting to look into the dual boot system, it wasnt something id acutally thought about. but ill have to go through and total up the budget for all the h/ware and s/ware! in your experience does storing the samples and files on a seperate HDD improve performance greatly? i take it switching to XP home id be able to preserve all my files, drivers, programs etc??

its not really that i had my heart set on an M-Audio card, i mean if i can find a different card to work well under win MCE then I'd go for it (this being a much cheaper option!)

thanks again,
Adam

ecc83

My personal experience of WMCE and M-Audio products has been quite the opposite of all the dire warnings.

This pc (Ei-Systems PCW, P4 3g 1G ram) has been running a 2496 without a blink for months. I have also just aquired an Maud Fastrack pro usb interface and that whizzes nicely too. (BTW Pro Tools Mp is a cheat).

I run Samplitude 8se no prob and have run lots of other demos of sequencer software and narry a twitch, well not one I could put down to the os anyway. I have another ps with Xppro on it, not a lot of diff'.

I have to say I never USE wmce, I don't have the hardware. I have opened it up and had a poke around but not immpressed. So why the cluck did I get it then?! The pc was cheap and had the spec I wanted and some things I cannot go into here.

Some good dlds, Sony soundforge, 30days no other restrictions great vinyl cleaner. Reaper, and just found Quartz audiomaster, free MIDI seq'.

I would just go for the soundcard, it will work. You need a good one anyway?
Dave. pm if you want.

ecc83

Adam, it appears I clucked up in the dinky box, please get back on element61prom@btinternet.com

Dave.