Least expensive GSIF card?

[Aenigma]

I\'m getting a 2nd giga system soon, and I\'m wondering what recommendations you all have for an inexpensive GSIF compatible card? I don\'t need multiple audio inputs or outputs. Built in midi for connecting it to my other PC would be ok, or I can get a seperate midi interface.

I currently have an Aardvark LX6

[composer22]

My vote is any of the lower M-Audio cards.

You might look into Terratec EWX24/96 Mastering Soundcard @ around $169.99 (musicians friend or sweetwater?). Has a 1x1 MIDI port. Includes GigaSampler LE?

But can\'t recommend the latter on live experience, only on my own cheap research to build a second giga for a friend of mine out of my old PC parts.

cheers

[lifeforce]

I\'ve got the Terratec EWX2496 ($179 came with GS-Lite) and its worked out fine. Took a lot of tweaking in the beginning - but they do respond in tech support and even have a toll-free number in the US for tech support. However, I\'m still a relative newbie to GigaStudio.

The other low price card (since low price is what we\'re talking about) that I\'ve heard more consistent good things about, than Terratec, for GS is the Echo Mia for about $199 I believe.

[marco b]

I think the cheapest GSIF card is Audiotrak
Maya 44 (not sure what\'s the lowest price,
about 130 usd??). It\'s only 20 bit card but
otherwise good quality. I have heard that it works
specially well with Sonar (bloody low latency
1,5-3 ms).
Hoontech DSPValue 2496 is of course very cheap alternative.
But If I have to pick up one favourite, It\'s
M-Audio Audiophile 2496, strong and stable
card with excellent drivers, and has MIDI too!!!

Marco from Finland

[This message has been edited by marco b (edited 04-04-2002).]

[Aenigma]

Great! Thanks for your help. I\'ll go check these cards out and see what looks best.

[Z6]

I have the M-Audio Audiophile 2496. With no midi experience it was easy to set up and it has worked flawlessly. Pretty cheap, high-quality.

Worth a look.

[BluesMeister]

You might want to surf over to Sounds On Sounds: www.sospubs.co.uk (\"http://www.sospubs.co.uk\") and search for Echo Mia. There are a lot of VERY unhappy owners http://www.northernsounds.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/frown.gif

The Mia doesn\'t support MIDI

------------------
BluesMeister

[Doug Marshall]

I was an extremely unhappy MIA owner. I\'m now a reasonably happy owner. I had a terrible time getting random static \"snaps\" out of multiple MIA cards. However, they now work perfectly and the sound is simply excellent. The crux of the problem turned out to be finding which PCI slot made MIA happy. Secondarily, locking the card\'s sample rate eliminated the last of the snapping sounds. Tech support was pretty good with suggestions although it was Allen at Tascam who suggested the sample rate lock (thanks, Allen!).

I have a final gripe and a question: It seems to me that no sound card should produce any sound whatsoever before it is fully initialized and ready to go. The Echo cards in general produce horrendous snaps during bootup (I\'ve experienced this with MIA, MONA, and DARLA24). I complained about this to Echo and they said it was normal behavior. I was wondering if other cards do this or do they have muting circuitry?

[Aenigma]

My Aardvark LX6 does a bit of that during boot up too.

[lifeforce]

ooo...Bluesmeister...You\'re right on top of things as usual I see. I didnt know about those issues with Mia. Still stumblin along learning the GS basics here - a newbie who should keep his mouth shut on the cards he doesnt know about - but I seem to have the Terratec EWX2496 running really smooth now with GS96 and Win98se thanks to you and a guy named JonFairhurst - more than Terratec tech support. Theyre helpful and theyre toll free but they dont really know GS.

[Dausenkunz]

I was told at the Messe that Ego-Sys have in fact been helping Nemesys with win XP driver development. That would make ESI or Audiotrak cards (both egosys brands) an interesting option.
Can anybody comment on that?

Thanks

Andreas

[Bill]

> helping Nemesys with win XP driver development

??? Drivers are for hardware. Nemesys doesn\'t develope drivers...

[tabbu]

Hey Marco! How\'s BumtsiBum?! http://www.northernsounds.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/wink.gif

[Dausenkunz]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=\"1\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bill:
> helping Nemesys with win XP driver development

??? Drivers are for hardware. Nemesys doesn\'t develope drivers...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Nemesys did not have a WDM-Driver API ready when Egosys wanted to sell an OEM-Gigasampler bundeled with their Win2000 Soundcards. This led to some \'transfer of ideas\'.
Note that Egosys cards are the only in the market that allow to route the Gigasampler output directly into the VST Environment.
This allows to route single gigasampler tracks directly into the Cubase or Logic Mixer which is in effect very similar to rewire. (It might also work with sonar. I\'ll have some ESI-Waveterminal cards next week to test these functions)

regards

Andreas

[Craig_L]

Andreas,
The DSP24 value and the DSP 24MkII also allow you to send a pair of outputs from GS directly to Cubase etc as does WamiRack 24.
Craig

[marco b]

Hello again!

I just found out how extremely cheap is Soundtrack DSP24Value. Here in Finland
It\'s only 125 EUR (about 138 USD) in local computershop still with optional midi/digital I/O!!!
By the way, Audiphile is 320 EUR in one musicshop!!!??

Ultimate inexpensive GIGA card ???

Hei Tabbu, are you finn or you just know finns?
Sorry. I\'m not that Bumtsi Bjurström....

[Ernstinen]

Hello marco b,

I\'ve got an Audiophile 2496 which works well, but I\'m going to upgrade to a WamiRack 24 because of increased Midi capabilites.

By the way, my grandparents are from Sotkamo and Tampere Finland. I was raised in a wood burning sauna in N. Minnesota. It\'s great going into an icy lake, don\'t you think?

Thanks,

Ernstinen

[Colossus Ex]

The Audiotrak (\"http://www.audiotrak.net/eng/index.html\") Maya 7.1 retails for $70 US and handles ASIO 2.0/ 2 input, 8 output (48 kHz only) and GSIF 2.2/2.5/ 8 output (48 kHz only). I don\'t think it has built-in midi, but I\'m pretty sure it\'s the cheapest card that is GSIF compatible.

[Kim]

Hi all
I would never recomend the Gigastation card. On my system, I have had nothing but midi problems and with every driver update the problem changes. On the initial release, everytime I openned a new Performance, I would have to reset Giga96 to get midi in again. On the next release I got all this stuck notes. On the new release 3.6, midi will just stop being recieved all of a sudden.
I am saving for a better card eg RME Digiface, as there is no way I can use Giga professionally with the Gigastation card.

Thanks
Kim
PS Sorry if this sounds aggressive, but I am really not happy with ego-sys.

[Houston Haynes]

Originally posted by Kim:
[snip]...as there is no way I can use Giga professionally with the Gigastation card.

Thanks
Kim
PS Sorry if this sounds aggressive, but I am really not happy with ego-sys.<font size=\"2\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">Hey Kim,

Sorry to hear that you have trouble with the GigaStation. I have no trouble at all, using 3.6 drivers, DirectWire, ASIO and the 2120 card for MIDI. (in XP Pro environment). I personally believe that there is PUH-LENTY of apportunity for professional use of the GigaStation, but that\'s just me. images/icons/wink.gif

As usual with these things - your mileage may vary (YMMV). It\'s a shame that so much depends on other system components which may or may not interact with you pro audio gear, but I also think it\'s unfair to say that GigaStation is unfit for professional use. I\'m still undecided, since I\'m not a plug-n-play guy, I\'m not sure that I\'m the best person to ask about these things. I\'ll go back to tweaking my BIOS settings now... images/icons/tongue.gif

Cheers!