Hi, Bill,
The two inboard high-quality sound cards that keep popping up are the
CardDeluxe from DAL and the Lynx series.
http://www.digitalaudio.com/
http://www.lynxstudio.com/index.asp
Some people on this list use the CardDeluxe and, at one point, Bruel
and Kjaer used it in their PC-based instruments. I believe that this
is the most affordable high-end card available. The Lynx spec out a
bit better but cost more.
There may be driver issues with any system internal or external.
I will second the recommendation for RME. I have two RME Multiface II
units that sound great and have 8 channels of A-D and D-A conversion.
The DAL and Lynx cards are PCI and that may be an end-of-life
interface. The RME card that interfaces to the outboard converters is
available in PCI-Express which is the newer technology and if you
upgrade you only have to swap the interface card, not the converters.
A point of confusion: the connection between the RME card and the
external converters is via a FireWire cable but it is NOT FireWire protocol.
My relationship with RME is I have purchased two Multiface units and
two Multiface II units about seven years later. They have my money, I
have their units. I am happy.
http://www.rme-audio.de/en_products_multiface_2.php
I also have a MOTU 828 MK II which has a FireWire interface. It has 8
line inputs and two mic inputs. I use it for field recordings with a
PC laptop. They finally seem to have a stable driver set for my Dell
Inspiron 5150 (an older, but quite competent laptop). The drivers
have been more stable in a Dell 8300 Desktop.
I have also heard of problems with some users with the MOTU
Traveller, while others love it. I did not like the MOTU 8PRE and sold mine.
I think the RME Multiface II sounds better than either the original
Multiface or the MOTU 828, but the MOTU 828 is no slouch--I think
it's approximately equivalent to the original Multiface. All these
differences are very subtle. The 828 was much better sounding than
the 8PRE. There is a USB version of the 828 and also a MK III version of it.
If you're using a Mac (I know you said PC), I have heard great things
about Metric Halo.
Cheers,
Richard
Richard L. Hess email: [log in to unmask]
Aurora, Ontario, Canada (905) 713 6733 1-877-TAPE-FIX
Detailed contact information: http://www.richardhess.com/tape/contact.htm
Quality tape transfers -- even from hard-to-play tapes.
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