Sound Card for Vista?

Topic: Sound Card for Vista? (Read 3937 times) previous topic - next topic

Sound Card for Vista?

2010-08-13 01:32 pm

I have been looking for a suitable sound card to improve the playback quality. I prepare scores for a small woodwind group and like to play along with NWC to explore the playability of the scores.

Many folks recommend the Creative Extreme Gamer card but many also caution against attempting to install it in a Vista system.

I have a Dell Dimension C521 with AMD Athlon 64 X2 DCP 4200+ 2.2GHz with 2 GB memory running 32 bit Vista Home Premium.

Since these cards are not cheap and compatibility issues abound can anyone recommend where I should go (steady on there) from practical experience.

I have played with a Garritan software trial which was incredible but way beyond my budget sadly.

Re: Sound Card for Vista?

Reply #1 – 2010-08-13 02:16 pm

Hello Peter
I have the X-Fi extreme gamer card and am using it with vista. I am sorry that I cannot recommend it. It is too bad that vista was never good with sound and at this point it never will be. I am afraid that it is what it is. Windows 7 is in and vista is out. No one is making any improvements on vista and there are no drivers for older sound cards so that vista is not compatible with any of them. I understand that there are other options available, but they are too complicated for me to delve into.. I am stuck myself. Would that I could go back to XP! If you are technically oriented you may be able to use some of the help that has been offered on this forum. I would look back into the archives. Good luck.

Re: Sound Card for Vista?

Reply #2 – 2010-08-13 05:14 pm

I'll throw out an idea I have suggested before. Get a Yamaha portable keyboard preferably with a USB port (they likely all have one these days) or at least MIDI IN and OUT ports and use that as the "sound card"/MIDI playback device. For the $100-$200 US range the sound quality is hard to beat and you avoid the Vista compatibility issues with sound cards and softsynths. If you prefer the sound of your computer speakers to the keyboard speakers, connect the headphone jack of the keyboard to the audio in jack of the computer with a stereo patch cord.

Re: Sound Card for Vista?

Reply #3 – 2010-08-13 06:25 pm

Garritan is software only, so if it was "incredible" on your system, your current soundcard is probably fine. Your problem is most likely a lack of decent soundfonts. If your card can't use soundfonts natively, there are software solutions for that. Check some of Lawrie Pardy's back posts on soundcard issues. A good place to start is here.

Re: Sound Card for Vista?

Reply #4 – 2010-08-15 08:39 am

It might be because of your video card interfering with your sound card. Try to move the two cards as far away from each other as possible in the correct slots.

Re: Sound Card for Vista?

Reply #5 – 2010-08-15 09:36 am

The big deal for Peter is, of course, the quality of the default synth. in Vista. If you look at my VST solution as linked to by Bill, you will have a cheap, functional solution. Alternatively SB cards seem to be the only sound cards available that still have on board synths. If there is a Win7 driver available, it *should* work on Vista - Vista and Win7 share their kernel... However, checking with the manufacturer is advisable. Otherwise Milton's suggestion of an external hardware synth will work too.