Need Advice on an external soundcard

kingaaa

Hi. Dont know if this is the right forum, but I'm looking for advice on a decent external card. Basically I'll be running my laptop into a powered mixer (mainly karaoke) obviously witht he mic's into a different input on the desk. But I also want the ability to run the "tape record" out of the desk back into the soundcard - back into the laptop for recording with Audacity. If there is one out there that incorporates a ground-loop isolator to reduce hum it would be great.

On a different not, when I'm recording from a single output on the desk, is it possible to record 2 tracks, one for music and one for vocals for mixing and editing?

Cheers

PMI

Hi any of the M-Audio external stuff is fine for what your doing.

Hum wise, thats your PSU bet if you run it on battery for a min its not there, so replace the Class1 grounded laptop PSU with a Class2 (non-grounded) version and the laptop's signal will be floating (ground-isolated). In this case you will have to be careful with any USB or FireWire accessories that are not buss-powered as they can ground the laptop through the USB/FW lead's screen.

There is enough power via usb to run all the m-audio cards, and Maplin do these PSU's

Good luck

kingaaa

PMI wrote: »

Hi any of the M-Audio external stuff is fine for what your doing.

Hum wise, thats your PSU bet if you run it on battery for a min its not there, so replace the Class1 grounded laptop PSU with a Class2 (non-grounded) version and the laptop's signal will be floating (ground-isolated). In this case you will have to be careful with any USB or FireWire accessories that are not buss-powered as they can ground the laptop through the USB/FW lead's screen.

There is enough power via usb to run all the m-audio cards, and Maplin do these PSU's

Good luck

Thanks PMI. The M-Audio stuff will allow both audio out and audio in via the usb?
The hum isn't too big a deal, I have a ground loop isolator - just trying to tidy things up a bit, its an awful yoke to be hanging out of your mixer!

PMI

It will allow audio in/out & midi in one unit via usb power alone

kingaaa

cheers:)