Is your PC the main source of your music? (Read 15305 times)

Ena · July 12, 2007, 10:10:07 am

Fair point. But if you want to be silly then get some of these http://www.dv247.com/invt/19228/

Frequency response: (+/- 3 dB): 23 Hz - 35 kHz and only £18,000 for the pair.

Bubba · July 12, 2007, 10:32:48 am

I feel it's time to trot out my favourite audiophile link: http://www.ilikejam.dsl.pipex.com/audiophile.htm

Falling Down · July 12, 2007, 12:01:49 pm

I like vinyl because in a post-apocalyptic scenario I could rig a primitive gramaphone using a pin, a paper horn and a winding contraption using bike parts and be able to listen to tunes in the comfort of my heavily armed hideaout.

Ena · July 12, 2007, 12:11:30 pm

And you can frisbee them at zombies, but don't expect them to sound good afterwards.

$30,000 for a bit of cable sounds like a good buy in anyones view. Nice site Bubba!

GCW · July 12, 2007, 12:36:16 pm

Vinyl only cracks/pops etc when it isn't clean.
I suppose the future is some form of implant directly into your brain.

Serpico · July 12, 2007, 09:03:17 pm

As soon as the needle hits the groove there's distortion from friction etc. Plus groove speed isn't constant from the edge to the centre, and then there's wow from the motor,and it's a piss weak signal that needs massive amount of corrective Eq...
As for human hearing extending to 20kHz, maybe when you were 8. For the rest of us, especially if you've ever been to concerts/night clubs/noisy work environments, it'll be a lot lower. I'm a sound engineer, I do my best to look after my hearing, but I had it checked a few years ago and even though it was 'biological normal' it still had significant hf roll-off.

lowlife · August 31, 2007, 03:36:47 pm

Just following on from the other recomendations and interesting posts from Uncle, Ena and everyone...

I just installed an M-Audio 24/96 sound card to improve latency with sequencing software (newb!). The improvement in sound quality and general 'oomph' I got as a result is astonishing from such an affordable peice of kit.

andy_e · August 31, 2007, 06:46:46 pm

Improve latency? I thought you would want to get rid of latency...

Bubba · August 31, 2007, 06:56:57 pm

improve latency = reduce latency

andy_e · August 31, 2007, 07:01:13 pm

Hehe cheers bubba.

I'm wanting to set up a decent sound system on the cheap (on the VERY cheap) and I already have an amp and two 10-watt speakers. Anybody got any recommendations for a cheap sub and some more powerful speakers? I know nothing about audio systems by the way.

Anyway, I can't tell the difference between lossless and 320 most of the time, it's not really that important in my opinion.

Ena · August 31, 2007, 07:38:55 pm

Really cheap is what? Less than £25? £250? I'd head for a secondhand shop for the amp but get some new speakers. No real need for a sub in most set-ups. Games and films maybe! Or something from this list for shielded PC speakers http://www.dv247.com/search/2940/0/ProductPrice/Ascending//1/ I've got some old altec lansing active PC speakers I'm binning, they're only 15+30 sub and that's quite loud in a small room. And my ears are shot...

andy_e · August 31, 2007, 11:08:45 pm

Kinda £50 ish. I already go the amp!

Ena · September 01, 2007, 03:17:40 pm

Do these need to be used near a PC? If yes then get compact shielded speakers. If it's for music I'd be inclined to get the most expensive pair you can and not worry about the sub, unless you want them for games then a sub might be good. Richer Sounds do good offers on speakers, and my vote (as a PC based music maker) goes to the classic JBL Control 1 at £50 at Richer (half priceish). Tiny and very potent. Not great for massive bass though, so if you're into dub or similar they won't really cut it. You can have my old altecs for free if I can get them to you. I'm in Suffolk!

Ena · September 01, 2007, 05:12:18 pm

Edit from last post. You could have them but just had a look and they're busted. Never mind.

andy_e · September 01, 2007, 05:13:32 pm

Oh, damn. The postage would have been killer anyway!

Bubba · September 05, 2007, 09:13:28 am

Quote from: lowlife on August 31, 2007, 03:36:47 pm

I just installed an M-Audio 24/96 sound card to improve latency with sequencing software (newb!). The improvement in sound quality and general 'oomph' I got as a result is astonishing from such an affordable peice of kit.

I'm going to replace my audigy 2 with this card for my vinyl digitising epic - where did you get the best price from?

lowlife · September 05, 2007, 12:49:56 pm

There are a lot of websites claiming to sell them very cheap, but I was having trouble finding one in stock. I considered the sense of buying something like this from a local store... in case I had any compatability problems. Again I had trouble finding anywhere with stock.
In the end it was a compromise and I ordered from Nusystems in Leeds. Not the cheapest deal on the net (only by a fiver or so) but it did arrive the next day.
I can't recommend the card highly enough Bubba...the quality is awesome for the money.

andy_e · September 19, 2007, 01:14:23 am

Quote from: Bubba on September 05, 2007, 09:13:28 am

I'm going to replace my audigy 2

If you sell it I'll take it off your hands...

Bubba · October 28, 2007, 09:29:58 am

Quote from: lowlife on August 31, 2007, 03:36:47 pm

I just installed an M-Audio 24/96 sound card to improve latency with sequencing software (newb!). The improvement in sound quality and general 'oomph' I got as a result is astonishing from such an affordable peice of kit.

Had a good chance to listen to this soundcard properly now and have to say it's really really good. Kicks soundblaster butt.

Houdini · January 31, 2008, 10:36:21 pm

The reason why vinyl is the best format is one of l.o.n.g.e.v.i.t.y.

Alas it's made of foul plastic; costs the Earth (literally); who the fuck is interested in inheriting sound files? It's heavy/unportable, subject to warp/wear/distress if uncared for. It's very expensive.

Yet the sound is phenomenal, hugely dynamic. It's immense.

No virus/trojan etc.. can touch it, not one, or the equipment used to reproduce the sound.

Who the fuck would want to inherit sound files?

What would your great-grandchildren reckon of your Bhopal Stiffs & Whitehouse & Regis collection as MP3? Fuck all.

B.U.I.L.T - T.O - L.A.S.T.

Thing is: and this is the crux - you can't rip them for free over the net, and that's THE reason they are ubiquitous. But vinyl refuses to die. I bought a 220g virgin vinyl LP t'other day - it will outlive me.

There are benefits to digital & that is presentation. There are things one can do w/ files that are impossible w/ vinyl. As soon as I have spare cash a Mac and Ableton will be employed to introduce my brand of 8 channel madfuck to the world, or maybe just some pals. For shits and giggles.

andy_e · February 01, 2008, 12:20:21 am

Yeah you can rip them for free over the internet- vinyl rips. </pirate>

But you're right. Vinyl sounds beautiful, no compression, everything as it should be, wonderful. But then again, 32bit WAV sounds exactly the same.

Bubba · February 01, 2008, 12:33:09 am

.flac ftw

andy_e · February 01, 2008, 12:35:47 am

I'm sure WAV must be better than FLAC?

Houdini · February 01, 2008, 12:40:14 am

Why and what are both?

andy_e · February 01, 2008, 01:09:12 am

WAV is an uncompressed sound file (and therefore suffers from no drop in sound quality) whereas FLAC is "fully lossless audio compression" and claims to be fully lossless but i'm sceptical.
CDs are 16 bit, Cubase SX3 runs in 32 bit (hence raping my computer)

Bubba, what is 320kbps MP3 in terms of bit? or is that different?