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Topic: Best sound card... (Read 4810 times) previous topic - next topic

Best sound card...

Hi, everyone!
I would like you to help me once again. How do I know which sound card am I using in my computer?
Whenever I use the laptop, I get a very realistic strings sound, and a crappy woodwinds voice. On the other hand, at home, in my PC I get an organ-like strings sound and a very realistic woodwinds and brass sound. Some pieces sound right in one while sounding horrible on the other, and viceversa. In some cases I get a reverse cymbal sound out of a tuba.

What is the best sound card for NWC, and how can I obtain it? (I'm very bad at hardware stuff)

Re: Best sound card...

Reply #1 –
Can't beat a SB PCI 64 or 128! Some would swear by SB AWE cards as well.

Leave the SBLive! alone in my opinion - I have it as well and it does not seem to simulate real orchestral sounds whatsoever!

Re: Best sound card...

Reply #2 –
The SBLive! uses soundfonts, so if you have 128Mb of RAM or more, you can go to, for instance, Hammersound and download the best instruments individually or GM soundbanks that you ever heard. I regularly add or delete a soundfont with Vienna and create a soundbank that is perfect for the music I'm using.

Don't know about the other cards Clive mentioned; I only know I love my SBLive! It gives me the sounds I've spent years looking for!

Regards,
Gordon

Re: Best sound card...

Reply #3 –
Clive,

If I understood you right, you say that Live cannot simulate orchestral sounds. May I ask, have you tried the 8 MB bank or may there be a problem in your speaker stuff?

Re: Best sound card...

Reply #4 –
I just installed an SBlive on the advice of some of you folks. I think it sounds pretty decent, and I haven't got into the soundfont business yet. Real speakers are a must(keep them away from your monitor and floppies).
I played with Vienna - what a Gordian knot that is. The help is hypertexted to death, so you can't read more than 3 sentences on a page. Anybody know of a tutorial out there, or a manual? I'm just not getting something about the presets, pools, banks, etc.

Re: Best sound card...

Reply #5 –
Vienna is for editing/making soundfonts and I agree that it isn't so flexible. You can found some alternatives among many other music software most of which are share/freeware and least executable demos at !www.hitsquad.com/smm

If you want to load and use existing soundfonts you don't need any Vienna or else. Just select "Sound Font" from "Audio HQ" and click "Load..."

If you are curious about where you can find existing soundfonts, !www.hammersound.net is the best place to start from.

Hth,
Ertugrul

Re: Best sound card...

Reply #7 –
IMHO, Live! is definitely the best sound card around. If you use the Reverb controller plus the Live! Concert Hall environment, it doesn't get much better. I admit the oboe's kinda crappy, but download the WT_Oboe soundfont, and you've solved the the problem. Live! forever!!

Re: Best sound card...

Reply #8 –
Thank you Ertugral for the most useful reference.

Re: Best sound card...

Reply #9 –
I downloaded a Cello font from Hammersound, and loaded it into my SBLIVE. I typed about 32 bars of Bach's D minor cello suite into NWC, and WOW. Like having Yo Yo Ma in my living room. Can't wait to try some classical guitar fonts. Any suggestions?