Stupid question I know, but i promise, I'm asking for my friend (Forrest Gump)... In my search for an audio card these features (Balanced/unbalanced ins and outs) are what separate one from the other (Audiophile 24/96 and Echo Mia). Whats the difference, and what's better? Please help!

Advance and appreciation and thanks (from Forrset of course!)

D

Balanced +4db/Unbalanced -10db. Balanced is better. But keep in mind you have to match input to output. Can't plug an unbalanced output into a balanced input. Too soft. Can't plug visa versa as now it's too loud. Loud is better, but usually more expensive and only on higher, more expensive end gear. Most consumer/prosumer gear is unbalanced. Most pro gear is balanced.

Devon

Thanks for the help Devon B... Just to elaborate, I have 2 turntables, a MC303, a bass and electric guitar running through a Mackie 1402VLZ waiting to be hooked up to the computer (which runs Cubase SX and Reason)... I will then assume the unbalanced is better for my needs. Correct?

Two different concepts being confused here..
Signal levels and balancing are not the same thing.
The difference between "pro" and "consumer" is the signal level defined as 0db.
The M-Audio Delta range of cards gives you a choice of either, plus an in-between setting.
This is so that pro gear with lots of headroom can be used normally,but more modest equipment doesn't have to struggle to produce a hot enough signal to drive the converters effectively.
Your Mackie mixer will easily produce "pro" levels

Balanced signals require 3 connectors,instead of two for unbalanced.
This is because two identical cores carry phase inverted versions of the same signal. When these reach the other end the reversed phase signal is switched back into phase and the two are summed, with the result that any interference picked up en-route will be cancelled out.
Microphones usually use balanced signals as their output levels are very low, and more susceptible to noise.
Most synths and samplers (or hi-fi gear) use unbalanced connections, as the higher signal levels are more immune to problem interference.

Your Mackie desk almost certainly has balanced master outputs, while the aux outputs are probably unbalanced. (Usually balanced connectors are XLR mic types, but stereo jack plugs can also be used)
You would get slightly better results using balanced cable runs to your card, but line level signals are usually perfectly ok unbalanced provided you have decent cable that isn't a mile long..

Unknown:

There are two main differences between balanced and unbalanced systems as far as I know. Unbalanced systems are far less likely to pick up noise from the cables running between components (say, from your Mackie mixer and your sound card), and balanced signals are far less likely to suffer from high frequency loss with long cable runs. (Unbalanced signals start to loose high frequencies after about 25 feet, and balanced signals can run for very long distances without loosing high frequencies. When you go to a concert and see the mixing desk more than 25 feet from the stage, you can be sure that they are using an unbalanced system.)

Baxter

DevonB wrote:

Balanced +4db/Unbalanced -10db. Balanced is better. But keep in mind you have to match input to output. Can't plug an unbalanced output into a balanced input. Too soft. Can't plug visa versa as now it's too loud. Loud is better, but usually more expensive and only on higher, more expensive end gear. Most consumer/prosumer gear is unbalanced. Most pro gear is balanced. Devon

Nope, sorry, wrong.

Whether a signal is balanced or inbalanced is independent of its nominal level. Though it is true that most (not all) balanced connections are also +4dB, the opposite is most certainly not the case, there is a lot of stuff which is unbalanced at +4dB.

Balanced line simply means that the signal is transmitted as the difference in the voltages on two lines, both of which can float relative to ground. Any external interference (say from the mains) affects both lines together, so the difference actually stays the same and the signal comes through clean. (There is usually a third conductor in these wires, a shield which is tied to earth).

In an unbalanced connection one of the two lines is tied to earth (it is often also the shield), it can't really vary much, so external intereference only affects the other line, varying the difference, so your signal is messed up

In short, balanced = less susceptible to external electromagnetic interference = better.

However you are right about the possible problems with level mismatches, and that louder is better.

platinumears wrote:

Your Mackie desk almost certainly has balanced master outputs, while the aux outputs are probably unbalanced. (Usually balanced connectors are XLR mic types, but stereo jack plugs can also be used)

Mackie mixers only have certain outputs which are servo balanced (on the 1402VLZ it's only the XLR main outs), but all other outputs apart from tape (i.e. all the jacks), have matched impedances on the ground and signal lines, so if you're feeding them into a balanced input via a balance cable you'll still get an improvement in interference rejection.

THANKYOU ALL... Thus far

From this, I am assuming, that if I run everything thru my Mackie, then to the soundcard then a balanced card could be better (less interference). Am I better off upgrading to the Delta 44 that offers both bal/unbal in/outputs via the breakout box (butr doesn't seem to offer MIDI in/outs)rather than the Audiophile/Echo Mia or would the MIDI Mia be better... Boy am I confused.

Strike me down for my stupidity... after you have replied!

This depends on your budget, and the quality you are aiming for. You are correct that the delta 44 has no MIDI (I have a 66), so that is a more expensive option. However, it also has twice as much analogue IO which you may find useful with your hardware.

If you use non-balanced .. you might end up with crappy local radio commercials in your tracks.

clowndog wrote:

If you use non-balanced .. you might end up with crappy local radio commercials in your tracks.

That's only likely if you use unshielded cables and long runs of them. With short runs (shorter than 25' or so), shielded single-ended cables will do just fine.

JonHodgson -

Duh on my part! Balanced vs unbalanced is having ground or not having ground. I've USUALLY seen in my experience unbal are -10db in level, and bal is +4db, and make that automatic association in my head, and I shouldn't. Thanks.

Devon