USB sound above an SB in quality?

**pepar** · **07-11-09, 12:07 PM**

What is recommended as a more professional quality USB audio interface than the SB MP3+ (or other "gaming" solution)? I only need it to run REW on my laptop. Vista and Win 7 compatibility is required. M-Audio MobilePre looks good. Sound Devices USBPre, too. It has way more capability than I am likely to ever need, but does all that "come along" with the higher quality. Eldirol/Roland has an entrant in that category, but it is w-a-y more than I want - or feel that I need - to spend. The Turtle Beach is interesting, but is it as stable as the M-Audio or Sound Devices?

TIA!

**brucek** · **07-11-09, 01:19 PM**

If REW is your only concern, then go for an inexpensive USB card. You certainly don't need to step up to a M-Audio card - not that they aren't a good device.

brucek

**pepar** · **07-11-09, 02:06 PM**

Quote:

brucek wrote:

If REW is your only concern, then go for an inexpensive USB card. You certainly don't need to step up to a M-Audio card - not that they aren't a good device.

brucek

Thanks. I have the SB MP3+, but was looking for something better. Plus it does not work properly in Vista - no line in or line out. Windows 7 is just around the corner, too, and I was looking for something new and current that would have ongoing support and compatibility.

**Sycraft** · **07-13-09, 12:16 PM**

Well more or less any newer card at a given price point is likely to be better than an older card at the same price point. There are good SoundBlaster cards out there, if you like those. I personally have an X-Fi Elite Pro and it has great sound quality.

What kind of budget are you looking at for a card?

**pepar** · **07-13-09, 12:26 PM**

Quote:

Sycraft wrote:

Well more or less any newer card at a given price point is likely to be better than an older card at the same price point. There are good SoundBlaster cards out there, if you like those. I personally have an X-Fi Elite Pro and it has great sound quality.

What kind of budget are you looking at for a card?

I'm seeing M-Audio MobilePre's on ebay that I can buy for ~$50. I'll give one of those a shot. Sound Devices USBPre was mentioned by someone, but that is - new - a $500 card. Ouch, but then it has way more capability than I'll ever need. The M-Audio, too, but $50 fits my "sensibilities" these days.

**brucek** · **07-13-09, 01:00 PM**

The beauty of a mobile-pre is that it has a mic preamp with phantom power built in, so if you want to try a decent measurement mic for REW like the ECM8000, you don't need to buy a mic preamp - it just plugs directly into the mobile-pre.

brucek

**pepar** · **07-13-09, 01:22 PM**

Quote:

brucek wrote:

The beauty of a mobile-pre is that it has a mic preamp with phantom power built in, so if you want to try a decent measurement mic for REW like the ECM8000, you don't need to buy a mic preamp - it just plugs directly into the mobile-pre.

brucek

I have the EMM8 (from ETF) and it plugs into an accompanying preamp before going into the "soundcard" so I'm guessing that I could connect the EMM8 (and any future measurement mic) directly into a mobile pre-amp/sound card and eliminate a component?

**brucek** · **07-13-09, 01:35 PM**

Yes, as long as ayou have the calibration file for it, you can use it with REW. The reason we recommend the ECM8000, is that it's a very common inexpensive measurement mic that we have a calibration for on our download site.

brucek

**pepar** · **07-13-09, 01:50 PM**

Quote:

brucek wrote:

Yes, as long as ayou have the calibration file for it, you can use it with REW. The reason we recommend the ECM8000, is that it's a very common inexpensive measurement mic that we have a calibration for on our download site.

brucek

A generic calibration file? Isn't that self-contradictory? The EMM8 is serialized with individual calibration files.

Jeff

**brucek** · **07-13-09, 02:23 PM**

Quote:

A generic calibration file? Isn't that self-contradictory?

I don't know why it would be contradictory. The ECM8000 is consistent enough in its response that a generic file is quite adequate for home use. The movement of a microphone a few inches can result in a response change that would be greater than the inaccuracy of a generic file. If anyone wants more accuracy they're welcome to get their own microphone calibrated. This is simply a service we supply for free that most people appreciate. We explain all this on our Download Page.

brucek

**pepar** · **07-13-09, 03:04 PM**

Quote:

brucek wrote:

The movement of a microphone a few inches can result in a response change that would be greater than the inaccuracy of a generic file.
brucek

Touché!

**pepar** · **07-13-09, 03:08 PM**

Quote:

brucek wrote:

I don't know why it would be contradictory. The ECM8000 is consistent enough in its response that a generic file is quite adequate for home use. The movement of a microphone a few inches can result in a response change that would be greater than the inaccuracy of a generic file. If anyone wants more accuracy they're welcome to get their own microphone calibrated. This is simply a service we supply for free that most people appreciate. We explain all this on our Download Page.

brucek

I read the linked page and the page linked to that re calibration services. Would I be able to send them my Audyssey Pro measurement mic and have an individual calibration file generated for it? The accompanying cal file is proprietary.

Jeff

**brucek** · **07-13-09, 07:13 PM**

Quote:

The accompanying cal file is proprietary.

Could you explain what this means?

Quote:

Would I be able to send them my Audyssey Pro measurement mic

You'd have to ask them.

brucek

**pepar** · **07-13-09, 11:20 PM**

Quote:

brucek wrote:

Could you explain what this means?

It is a file format that can only be used by their software. The extension is APM and not CAL.

Quote:

You'd have to ask them.

Thanks, I did and only need one detail clarified before I send it to them.

Jeff

**JonP** · **08-01-09, 08:31 PM**

Hmmm... a thought, you could try renaming the file suffix to .txt, and see if it is some kind of text file.

If so, you should be able to massage it into the format that REW or other programs could use. If it's some kind of binary (non text) file, you're out of luck....

**pepar** · **08-01-09, 11:08 PM**

Quote:

JonP wrote:

Hmmm... a thought, you could try renaming the file suffix to .txt, and see if it is some kind of text file.

If so, you should be able to massage it into the format that REW or other programs could use. If it's some kind of binary (non text) file, you're out of luck....

Thanks. I sent it to Cross Spectrum and had them calibrate it, so I am good to go.

- Jeff

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