audio out of laptop help needed

[timtheenchanteruk]

I use the behringer at home and its fine here, with my really bad mains on the same socket a fridge etc, etc the noise floor is fine and Im going to get one as a stand by for live.

it also works with USB , even tough its instructions say it needs USB2.

 

TBH if you have been using the lappys internal card, with no problems then you shouldnt have much problem with the USBs.

 

in general I have found that lappys with double insulated PSUs are less likly to have problems than those that need the earth

[peternewman]

I would also recommend trying to go balanced if possible. It depends on how you plan to use it in future, but I'd try and avoid the PCMCIA/PC Card internal interface, for a start there is a new standard around, and its the kind of thing that becomes obsolete more easily, and secondly it ties you to using it with a laptop. If you go for the USB/Firewire option, you can move it between machines and use it on desktops or laptops as necessary. I picked up an external soundcard with balanced ins and outs from eBay a while back, just watching a few until a suitably priced one appeared.

[berry120]

I would also recommend trying to go balanced if possible. It depends on how you plan to use it in future, but I'd try and avoid the PCMCIA/PC Card internal interface, for a start there is a new standard around, and its the kind of thing that becomes obsolete more easily, and secondly it ties you to using it with a laptop. If you go for the USB/Firewire option, you can move it between machines and use it on desktops or laptops as necessary. I picked up an external soundcard with balanced ins and outs from eBay a while back, just watching a few until a suitably priced one appeared.

 

 

Following on from that point further, I'd even lean towards going USB rather than firewire, there's more of those ports around. Especially if it's being used on laptops.

[stringman]

Thanks guys,

 

the only reason I was going for a firewire is that my laptop has 1 firewire and 4 usb.

 

now already I use 1 for a mouse,1 (and usually2) for the portable hard drive and 1 for the light

leaving 1 free for a usb stick.

 

I dont use the firewire at all.

but the firewire versions are more dosh and more bulk but do give out balanced line.

 

was set on the usb but I reckon I may go for the firewire as there is less chance of it being used by another tech on the show when we run out of di boxes (thus rendering me headphoneless!!)

 

best wait for ebay me thinks

 

cheers

[stringman]

well chaps,

my £3 usb card arrived from ebay (via hong kong)

I have to say I was extremely impressed no noise or hiss through the headphones

I was about to plum it into a sound desk to try it out when I dropped the laptop and the usb card took the brunt and died!

 

Bugger!!

so have ordered a new one

 

so far well worth the £3

[Andrew C]

now already I use 1 for a mouse,1 (and usually2) for the portable hard drive and 1 for the light

leaving 1 free for a usb stick.

Beware using too many USB devices simultaneously. Although technically USB2 is faster than Firewire, its speed is shared by the number of devices.

 

I hit this problem on my general purpose desktop with a Tascam interface. All recordings were corrupted after I added a USB keyboard. Took me ages to workout what had gone wrong.

[nicemms]

well chaps,

my £3 usb card arrived from ebay (via hong kong)

I have to say I was extremely impressed no noise or hiss through the headphones

I was about to plum it into a sound desk to try it out when I dropped the laptop and the usb card took the brunt and died!

 

Bugger!!

so have ordered a new one

 

so far well worth the £3

 

At least it was only a £3 device that took the brunt!