tnt

Well, well, well. I've got two of these cards stuck in PC. It's been out a few years but it still can hold it's own against the current batch of sound cards.

Advantages:-

(1) It's circuitry is based on the Yahamaha 02R mixing console.

(2) All audio processing is done entirely by the card, which takes the load off your PC's processor.

(3) You've 24 channels of mixing (twice the amount with two cards linked together). Each channel has 4 band parametric EQ, plus dynamics, plus fx returns to the two fx units.

(5) Cubase has a dedicated mixing interface for the card making it easier to get access to all of it's features. You can automate the controls.

(6) Two independant fx units (four with two cards) based on the Yamaha ProR3/Rev500

(7) Records up to 32bit resolution

(8) The basic card has a pair of analog ins and outs plus digital i/o but you can expand on this with the AX44 unit.

Disadvantages:-

(1) Price - it's still quite expsensive to buy compared with recently released sound cards. Costs about £400 new. If you're buying second-hand make sure the card has been tested properly.

(2) Only records to a maximum frequency of 48khz.

(3) Latency - the lowest I can get it to is 27ms, but I don't think it's much of problem when playing VSTi's. Yamaha have'nt updated the software driver's since last year. Maybe they have another sound card on the horizon.


Right now I have'nt seen sound cards that make want to part with my DSP's, but my advice is to decide what features you want from a sound card first, then read up on any reviews (good and bad) of the ones you are interested in.