Julian, PCI-E soundcards are available but they are not inexpensive and you need to read the reviews carefully as some (e.g. Creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio) are not up to the quality of their PCI cousins.
The inexpensive solution may be a USB soundcard like the UA-580 available from ByteRunner, GWC (pctekonline) and others. The other approach is a dedicated (purpose built) interface and of course I can suggest some <G>. 73, ... Joe, W4TV > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Julian, G4ILO > Sent: Saturday, January 30, 2010 10:37 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [Elecraft] [OT] PCI Express sound card for digimodes > > > > Apologies for the OT question but I'm at my wits end. I just > bought a new computer for the shack and find that I can't > install my SB Live 24 card that I kept from the old one > because it doesn't have PCI Slots. Instead, it has what I've > been told are PCI Express slots. Even my local computer shop > hadn't heard of a PC without PCI slots, and said PCI EXpress > is only for graphics cards. But that can't be right as the > computer has 4 of them, 3 short ones which are PCIe x1 and > one long one which is PCIe x16. > > The built in Realtek sound card has all kinds of controls for > special effects, karaoke etc. but I can't find an option for > "look, just convert it to digital as accurately as possible > and don't mess with it." In any case, I really want to use > the internal board for normal audio as it has front panel > sockets for headphones etc. which is why I had the second > sound card. However when I search for PCI Express sound cards > they are all pretty expensive. The cheapest seems to be an > Asus Xonar DX 7.1. I admit the DX part sounds promising, but > it still has these special effects features and outputs for > subwoofers and so on none of which I need. > > What's a guy who just wants to work digital modes to do? A > few years ago you could buy a 16-bit ISA sound card for 15 > quid. Surely we don't all have to go out and splash £200 on a > RigExpert or MicroHam now? Someone suggested I got a "cheap > USB audio device" but how cheap is OK? You can buy these > things on eBay for $2, I kid you not, but I bought one once > and tossed it after 5 minutes it was so bad. > > I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who has had this problem > and solved it satisfactorily because I'm getting withdrawal > symptoms not being able to work digimodes. Is it just me, or > is technology getting way too complicated? > > ----- > Julian, G4ILO. K2 #392 K3 #222. > * G4ILO's Shack - http://www.g4ilo.com > * KComm - http://www.g4ilo.com/kcomm.html > * KTune - http://www.g4ilo.com/ktune.html > > -- > View this message in context: > http://n2.nabble.com/OT-PCI-Express-sound-card-for-digimodes-t p4485694p4485694.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
