Audigy PLatninum Ex real specs?

tingo · Nov 23, 2003, 06:07 PM

Hi, this is my first post here....

I'm thinking of getting a Soundblaster card.... I already have a Maudio Audiophile but need more inputs. I was going to get another Maudio but they don't sell them in the area I just moved to. Looking for economic alternatives I came across the KX project and have some questions...

What I really need is a card that would work alongside the one I have and that would let me record atleast 4 tracks at a time, two of them being toslink (optical digi) at 24bits/44.1... I don't really care if the sound card resamples to 44.1 as long as it allows 24/44.1 digi to go in, 'cause that is what my mixer is going to be sending... Can the Audigy PLatninum Ex do that? ALso, what is the max amount of channels it can record at the same time at 16bits/48hz with low latency?

I can get it for $150 tax included is that a good price? There was also the Audigy 2 PLatninum but for us$30 more had less inputs and the box would take up the space I'm saving for a DVDR drive... Is that one better for what I need?

thanks for reading my post....

geraldandreas · Nov 24, 2003, 06:23 AM

yes, you can record 8 stereo (or 16 mono) channels directly with low latency, but you can do this also with every other SB card with the EMU 10Kx chip. but you have to use a programm with ASIO. and very important, look for a card with livedrive, the inputs of this are much better (the A/D converter). i had tried to record 3 inputs at the same time, without problems and latency was 5 ms. hope it helps, regards, gerald

kato · Nov 24, 2003, 12:44 PM

This sounds a bit optimistic:

"yes, you can record 8 stereo (or 16 mono) channels directly with low latency"

I think Tingo wants to record different physical inputs at the same time.
I don´t know how many physical inputs Audigy PLatninum Ex can do at once, but not 16.

"ALso, what is the max amount of channels it can record at the same time at 16bits/48hz with low latency? "

My guess is one analogue stereo (two mono) but I don´t know about digital in´s...sorry

Anyone with an Audigy PLatninum Ex ?

tingo · Nov 24, 2003, 01:07 PM

Thanks!

1) You said: " but you can do this also with every other SB card with the EMU 10Kx chip. but you have to use a programm with ASIO."

>>> You mean any of the audigys with the breakout box, right? When I went to the store the where some that only had 2 ins...

2)"....and very important, look for a card with livedrive, the inputs of this are much better (the A/D converter)."

>>> What it "Livedrive" and which cards have it? Never heard the term before.... I read some of the articles on KX main page but since English is my second language I didn't understand many of the terms.

3) The program I use to records uses asio so no problem there... The part I don't understand very well is the resampling the Audigy does and wether ti also happens with the Digital signals.... Can the digital ins in the Audigy (or anyother model) record at 24bits/44.1 without resampling? also, can I use both digi ins at the same time?

What I would like to do is have two setups one where I record 6/8 channels of 24bits/44.1 using the audiophile and then another at 16bits for when tracking live jams in my room...

Any more help is greatly appreciated....

tingo · Nov 24, 2003, 01:18 PM

Sorry Kato... you must have posted while I was writting my post.... I was reading the soundblaster site and they said the new audigy 2 sz can multitrack at 16/48 so I thought maybe the audigy plantinum ex might too....

BTW, is the new A2 PLat Ex really able to multi track at 24/96? I was thinking if taking the plunge and going for that one but it's a but of an overkill since I rather just record at 24/44.1 and I don't think the SZ plat 2 can do that....

Max M. · Nov 24, 2003, 01:55 PM

>two of them being toslink (optical digi) at 24bits/44.1...

But any A platinums (e.g. plain pl, pl ex, zs pl and zs pl pro) have only one optical in (fix me?).

>I don't really care if the sound card resamples to 44.1 as long as it allows 24/44.1 digi to go in

But they resample everything into 48kHz... In fact noone of Audigy models allow you to record 24/44.1 without
changes in signal... (kX have an special "direct spdif" recording option but it's only 16 bit and can record only single stream at time)

>ALso, what is the max amount of channels it can record at the same time at 16bits/48hz with low latency?

if we are talking about 16/48 then any platinum model really allows you to record simultaneosly at least 6 analog
+ at least 6 digital chanels through ASIO driver.
(although again signals from digital inputs are stilkl resampled even if they are at 48kHz)

(kato "My guess is one analogue stereo (two mono) but I don´t know about digital in´s...sorry" - you are wrong here)

> is the new A2 PLat Ex really able to multi track at 24/96?

Yes, Plat Ex under Creative driver has an option "Creative ASIO 24/96Ý (but not 24/44 or 16/96 etc... 24/96 only
(as well as 16/48)) but noone guarantees that it would be true 24/96...

> I was thinking if taking the plunge and going for that one but it's a but of an overkill since I rather just record at 24/44.1

So none of Audigy models will suit your needs... (because of bad 44.1kHz and "never easy" 24 bits)

Max M. · Nov 24, 2003, 01:55 PM

>two of them being toslink (optical digi) at 24bits/44.1...

But any A platinums (e.g. plain pl, pl ex, zs pl and zs pl pro) have only one optical in (fix me?).

>I don't really care if the sound card resamples to 44.1 as long as it allows 24/44.1 digi to go in

But they resample everything into 48kHz... In fact none of Audigy models allow you to record 24/44.1 without
changes in signal... (kX have an special "direct spdif" recording option to record anyrate digital input without resanpling but only at 16 bits and it can record only single stream at time)

>ALso, what is the max amount of channels it can record at the same time at 16bits/48hz with low latency?

if we are talking about 16/48 then any platinum model really allows you to record simultaneosly at least 6 analog
+ at least 6 digital input channels (channel == mono) through ASIO driver.
(although again signals from digital inputs are still resampled even if they are at 48kHz)

(kato "My guess is one analogue stereo (two mono) but I don´t know about digital in´s...sorry" - you are wrong here)

> is the new A2 PLat Ex really able to multi track at 24/96?

Yes, Plat Ex under Creative driver has an option "Creative ASIO 24/96" (but not 24/44 or 16/96 etc... 24/96 only
(as well as 16/48)) but noone guarantees that it would be true 24/96...

> I was thinking if taking the plunge and going for that one but it's a but of an overkill since I rather just record at 24/44.1

So none of Audigy models will suit your needs... (because of bad 44.1kHz and "never easy" 24 bits)

tingo · Nov 25, 2003, 03:57 AM

Hey, thanks for taking the time to help me out....
"But any A platinums (e.g. plain pl, pl ex, zs pl and zs pl pro) have only one optical in (fix me?)."
>>>Sorry I meant stereo.... stereo toslink and stereo analogue...

"kX have an special "direct spdif" recording option to record anyrate digital input without resanpling but only at 16 bits and it can record only single stream at time"

>>> What does single stream data means?

"if we are talking about 16/48 then any platinum model really allows you to record simultaneosly at least 6 analog
+ at least 6 digital input channels (channel == mono) through ASIO driver.
(although again signals from digital inputs are still resampled even if they are at 48kHz)"

Man, that still is a pretty good deal me thinks.... If I can get the original Patinum ex for around $100-$125 I might just get it. Any other cards offering 8+ins at either 16bits or 24bits would cost almost 3 times as much... I just really want to be able to track whole band jams when necessary and 16/48 might be just fine... Is there any big difference between the Aud Plat EX and the Aud 2 Plat EX that in my case would make me go for the second one?

thanks again...

Max M. · Nov 25, 2003, 10:49 AM

>What does single stream data means?

"one stereo input"

>I just really want to be able to track whole band jams when necessary and 16/48 might be just fine...

I forget to mention one more bad thing....
The problem is that any ASIO host can work only with one ASIO driver at time... E.g. you won't be able to record simultaneoly from Adg. and Aphl.
(this is reasonable ASIO spec. limitation relaited to sync. issues)...
Some manufacturers make drivers which can represent several identical cards (digitally synced to each other) through single asio driver (so you can record all of them at time)...

tingo · Nov 25, 2003, 12:17 PM

thanks....

What about if I use WDM drivers? I read somewhere that I should be able to use both cards that way? Would the latency be good enough?

In any case, if I find one so cheap I can resist..... Could I use just the A Plat EX to track say 10 channels and get good enough results?

Max M. · Nov 25, 2003, 01:02 PM

>What about if I use WDM drivers?

WDM give only 1 record sîurce at time (e.g. 2 channels - both kX and CL).

>Could I use just the A Plat EX to track say 10 channels and get good enough results?

Ah... maybe... let's think...
6 analog input channels + 6 digital... right if you connect digital outputs of Audiophil to Audigy (e.g. using Aphl as ADCs) then right... 10 channels are possible..
(i suppose Aphl has at least two digital outputs (for exmple one optical and one coaxial) and can monitor its analog inputs through its digital outputs)...
like that maybe.

tingo · Nov 25, 2003, 01:23 PM

I forgot to mention... I have a digital mixer that has spdif and Toslink both of which can be used at the same time and some of my gear also has digi outs... using the digi ins wouldn't be a problem as lon as I can use them all at the same time... So in thoery i could just monitor everything through my mixer...

thanks I'm going to give some serious thought into this... I found this Maudio model, 1010LT which would give me with the Audiophile 14ins, but it cost twice as much... I need to crunch some numbers...

thanks again...