A/D-D/A-card affect recording quality?

[Saxtrack]

Hi,

here´s a stupid question.

If I´m recording on a PC based DAW and use a mic preamp with AD-converter, does the quality of my recordings depend on the quality of the soundcard, especially the soundcard converters?

Does the quality of recordings depend on AD converters a n d DA converters or o n l y on AD converters?

I´m asking because I´m considering buying a good preamp with AD converter and would like to know if I have to buy a soundcard which has high quality converters too, or if I can save a little money on that issue.

Hope someone can help.

Thanks a lot.

[CustomDigi]

Unless your PC soundcard converters are actually converting something, you don't need to worry about them...for example, if you are using an Apogee MiniMe (through USB) which is a mic preamp and an A/D converter, that becomes your audio interface and you wouldn't even need a soundcard anymore.

Great A/D conversion with poor D/A conversion for monitoring does affect the quality of your recordings because you won't necessarily hear what you need to fix until it is much too late.

Good luck, and keep reading...lots to learn from the gurus that post here. Of which I am not one :)

-Matt
Fort Lauderdale

[Saxtrack]

Thanks for the input!!

Did I get this right? I´don´t even need a soundcard? That´s what I always thougt: Just spending money on a good preamp with converter, a midi interface for connecting my midi keyboard, and that´s it.

Will I be able to record on PC that way, using Cubase SX, Halion, Band in a Box and a Midikeyboard?

Don´t I need all that driver stuff provided with soundcards/interfaces, or wordclock stuff?

What if my PC doesn´t have a soundcard at all, not even a cheap onboard sound card?

[kittonian]

Saxtrack:

There is no such thing as a soundcard with high quality converters. There are soundcards with ok converters on them but when you are talking high end you are speaking of Prism and Apogee (the X series).

If you have a Mini-Me, which is a pre and a converter in one, you will plug that into your system via USB. However, you've only got 2 channels of I/O at that point. You also need to make sure that you purchase the optional USB for that device as it is not standard. You will not need a soundcard in this instance.

The Mini-Me is most useful for field recording purposes, whereas the the AD/DA-16X units are amazing for the studio. You also need to consider what type of monitors you are using, what your room is like, and all the other important factors that go into making great recordings.

Hope that helps!

[mogWai]

You need something to get the sound out of the computer into the real world, and the level of quality you go for effects what you hear and therefore your ability to make decisions as a producer and at the mix.

If everything is internal it wont effect the quality but it will effect the outcome.

if you plan to record vocals in the future then you need a decent AD stage as well - basically anything you record in yourself has to go through an AD stage, and this is where you start to scratch your head and make decisions based on price vs. performance.

[Jeff19]

i think the above given information is all correct and good, but let me answer your questions a little more directly:

Originally Posted by Saxtrack

If I´m recording on a PC based DAW and use a mic preamp with AD-converter, does the quality of my recordings depend on the quality of the soundcard, especially the soundcard converters?

No not the convertes. The AD-converter for this mic preamp that you want to buy will convert the signal to digital. it will bypass the converter on your soundcard completely.

Originally Posted by Saxtrack

Does the quality of recordings depend on AD converters a n d DA converters or o n l y on AD converters?

only the AD-converters will directly effect the signal. that is that the DA-converter will not directly effect the quality of the recording. BUT, it may indirectly effect it. picture that you buy this great preamp with AD like for example the neve 1073dpd. if you have a really crappy DA-converter like a crap stock sound card, then you may make recording decisions based on what you hear through the monitors (that had to go through the crappy DA-converter). say the highs were really ok on the recorded material, but your sound card cuts them off on the DA-conversion, then you may decide to boost the highs for recording or during mixing.

so if you buy a nice preamp with an AD-converter, then you will eventually have to buy a nice DA converter to hear the benefit of your nice preamp.

Originally Posted by Saxtrack

Did I get this right? I´don´t even need a soundcard? That´s what I always thougt: Just spending money on a good preamp with converter, a midi interface for connecting my midi keyboard, and that´s it.

Will I be able to record on PC that way, using Cubase SX, Halion, Band in a Box and a Midikeyboard?

NO! wait you are getting confused. you cannot buy a preamp with an AD-converter without a soundcard that has digital inputs. think about it, you need somewhere to plug in that digital output to get into your computer. some people had suggested buying an apogee mini-me. now this is not just a preamp with an AD-converter; it's also a "sound card" if you use the USB plug to get the signal into the compter. if you are thinking that "a good sound card with a converter" is the mini-me then the answer to your question is that, yes that's all you need. (by the way i'm not saying that it's not a bad preamp). but if you were thinking of buying a neve dpd for example then you will need a sound card that has a digital input. and the sound card needs to have the same digital input as the AD-convter has for output. like aes/ebu -> aes ebu or spdif ->spdif. some nice ones have multiple outputs or inputs.

now i'm not sure if different sound cards handle a given digital signal any better or worse. so i'm not sure if an apogee digital input would sound better than say a cheapo sound card digital input. humm. i wonder if jitter would play a role??? can anyone chime in here??? i'm really no expert.

[Saxtrack]

Hi Jeff,

just like to say thanks you for your detailed answer.

Of course thanks to the rest of you as well.