I'm in the urge of buying a basic but good audiocard for my laptop.
I wanted to take a m-audio Ozonic, but for the moment it is too expensive.
So i'm going to buy a temporary midi controller, and I just want an audiocard good enough to record from my mixer (no mic input needed), and with low latency + rock stability to play live without any problems. I also need a good sound (not the best for the price, i guess, but nice, clear, precise, sharp... with a good dybnnamic).
So i came to the Behringer FCA 202 : it is cheap and firewire, 1stero in, 1stereo out : all I nedd for the moment :
Has anyone tried yet to use with a laptop ?
Is it stable?
Does it sound good ?
behringer fca 202
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- KVRAF
- 7045 posts since 28 Apr, 2004 from france
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- KVRAF
- 2686 posts since 5 Feb, 2004 from Nevada City, California
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 7045 posts since 28 Apr, 2004 from france
Yes...
I was hoping that the very basic architecture of this one would make it more performant : a one-job thing, made to do it well...
It got released jsut a few months ago, and there are already a driver update.. It looked quite quick...
I previously had a m-audio Ozone, but the drivers were updated just once in 3 years !
It is the first time everything i find about a behringer product is good (except your advice, all the articles i have rade on the web told that it was easy to install, without clicks, pops...) ;
The BCA-2000 worked bad ?
ANyone tried / owns the FCA202 ?
I was hoping that the very basic architecture of this one would make it more performant : a one-job thing, made to do it well...
It got released jsut a few months ago, and there are already a driver update.. It looked quite quick...
I previously had a m-audio Ozone, but the drivers were updated just once in 3 years !
It is the first time everything i find about a behringer product is good (except your advice, all the articles i have rade on the web told that it was easy to install, without clicks, pops...) ;
The BCA-2000 worked bad ?
ANyone tried / owns the FCA202 ?
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- KVRAF
- 2686 posts since 5 Feb, 2004 from Nevada City, California
the bca2000 discussion board used to be filled with people with system crashes and bca's that didn't work at all.. mine used to drop out completely after a minute or so in any app.. then i had crashes.. then the driver fixed that, but i was left with high latency.. they may have improved that somewhat now, but that all took months to accomplish..
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- KVRian
- 1023 posts since 8 Apr, 2003 from Östersund
Yes, I've reviewed the FCA 202 and all I can say is that it's definately worth its money. Sure the ins and outs don't have the dynamic range and frequency response of the more expensive cards and it's also good to know that the headphone preamp is rather weak. But for the price I felt that it's a nice card that works really well for a simple setup.
/Majken
/Majken
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 7045 posts since 28 Apr, 2004 from france
Yes, that is what i can read after a little search... Thank you for the tip !the bca2000 discussion board used to be filled with people with system crashes and bca's that didn't work at all.. mine used to drop out completely after a minute or so in any app.. then i had crashes.. t
hi Majken
You are the fifth happy FCA202 user i can find in 2 days...
But my major problem is the "good value for money".. I'd like to hear "good value" !
COmpared to a m-audio card, is it as nice ? or way worse ?
I have no sound card since 3 days, so i tried to use the realtek ac97 of my laptop, and it was so terrible !
I guess the dynamic is not the one you can find on a huge Motu, but does it worth a 200-300euros audio card ?
DO you hear well every details of the sound ? the basses are good, or muddy, or missing ?
Would you have a link of your review ?
The review I rade was all done by a guitarist, so the frequency range of a guitar is not at all the same as mine, working with 40hz subbasses !
You say the headphone is bad ?
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- KVRian
- 1141 posts since 29 May, 2005
well,
got another idea..
behringer will ship a set that comes
with a 25-keyboard and a usb-audiocard,
the price will be around $100,- only.
(so, if you get this package
the audiocard is like a free bonus)
considering the fact that other 25-keys
cost the same with no usb-card with it.
you can also get only the card,
which will cost around $ 30-40,-
check..
http://www.behringer.com/UCA202/index.cfm?lang=ENG
and
http://www.behringer.com/UMX25/index.cfm?lang=ENG
got another idea..
behringer will ship a set that comes
with a 25-keyboard and a usb-audiocard,
the price will be around $100,- only.
(so, if you get this package
the audiocard is like a free bonus)
considering the fact that other 25-keys
cost the same with no usb-card with it.
you can also get only the card,
which will cost around $ 30-40,-
check..
http://www.behringer.com/UCA202/index.cfm?lang=ENG
and
http://www.behringer.com/UMX25/index.cfm?lang=ENG
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 7045 posts since 28 Apr, 2004 from france
wweuurk
I saw that tinyRCA microbox (UCA202 ) ...
Herr, it looks like sh_t... I'm afraid it is just a bad alternative to native laptop audio card...
I do not want RCA connectors, and i'd rather wait 6 months to put 450euros in a m-audio Ozonic, with firewire, 2stereo ins 2stereo outs, 37 keys and many controlelrs...
I do not have the money for it now, but i do not want a bad thing, just because it is cheap...
More than this, I experienced problems with usb1, so i want Firewire, this is the reason why i looked at the firewire behri.
I would have gone straight to m-audio else, but as it is temporary, i do not want to put a lot of money, but i still want a good product for recording and playing live...
I'm really afraid that the UCA202 is bad... I never trust rca connectors !
And i also saw the controlelr : it is nice to make affordabel stuff, but my needs are above this : i need a little more more keys (even 30 would be good), and mostly more knobs and faders.. I think I will go for edirol pcr-30 or pcr-50... quite cheap too, but nice features...
(and later, the 4way joystick of the Ozonic.. !)
To last, the fact is also that as a dummy, i sold my previous soundcard before buying a new, and right now i really would like to make music !! So i(m in a hurry !
I saw that tinyRCA microbox (UCA202 ) ...
Herr, it looks like sh_t... I'm afraid it is just a bad alternative to native laptop audio card...
I do not want RCA connectors, and i'd rather wait 6 months to put 450euros in a m-audio Ozonic, with firewire, 2stereo ins 2stereo outs, 37 keys and many controlelrs...
I do not have the money for it now, but i do not want a bad thing, just because it is cheap...
More than this, I experienced problems with usb1, so i want Firewire, this is the reason why i looked at the firewire behri.
I would have gone straight to m-audio else, but as it is temporary, i do not want to put a lot of money, but i still want a good product for recording and playing live...
I'm really afraid that the UCA202 is bad... I never trust rca connectors !
And i also saw the controlelr : it is nice to make affordabel stuff, but my needs are above this : i need a little more more keys (even 30 would be good), and mostly more knobs and faders.. I think I will go for edirol pcr-30 or pcr-50... quite cheap too, but nice features...
(and later, the 4way joystick of the Ozonic.. !)
To last, the fact is also that as a dummy, i sold my previous soundcard before buying a new, and right now i really would like to make music !! So i(m in a hurry !
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- KVRian
- 1141 posts since 29 May, 2005
ohhh...
i didn't know the uca has rca connectors..
on the other hand it is hard to tell,
wheter it is really no good, or ok..
unless it is out on the market
about the fca:
i also did only read good test-results,
last one i picked up was at a u.k.website,
(don't remember the name)
they did test the fca202 and said it's
a big bang for little bucks...
i didn't know the uca has rca connectors..
on the other hand it is hard to tell,
wheter it is really no good, or ok..
unless it is out on the market
about the fca:
i also did only read good test-results,
last one i picked up was at a u.k.website,
(don't remember the name)
they did test the fca202 and said it's
a big bang for little bucks...
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 7045 posts since 28 Apr, 2004 from france
true.on the other hand it is hard to tell,
wheter it is really no good, or ok..
unless it is out on the market
I'm verrry suspicious, but it might as well be a little killer... !
I may have read the same...last one i picked up was at a u.k.website,
they did test the fca202 and said it's
a big bang for little bucks...
I'd like now to know the size of the bigbang... !!
Majken, you use it as your mainsoundcard?
Do you make a lot of recording ? The sound takes are good ?
And the main out, when you play your tracks on your monitors, does it have good dynamics and a nice frequency range ?
And what latency settings can you reach on a project using let-s say 4-5 vsti and 4-5 vst plugins ? (and at which sample rate ? )
I think I'm gonna buy it... !
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- KVRian
- 1023 posts since 8 Apr, 2003 from Östersund
Like I was saying, I reviewed it. So I don't actually own the soundcard and only used it for a few weeks while writing the review. The dynamics and frequency response isn't excellent. However it's alot better than built in soundcards in laptops and on motherboards. And to be honest that's what the card is primarly meant to replace.Majken, you use it as your mainsoundcard?
Do you make a lot of recording ? The sound takes are good ?
And the main out, when you play your tracks on your monitors, does it have good dynamics and a nice frequency range ?
And what latency settings can you reach on a project using let-s say 4-5 vsti and 4-5 vst plugins ? (and at which sample rate ? )
The audio drivers were very nice on the system I used. Compared to an usb-soundcard like Mbox2 or such the FCA202 has lower cpu usage at the same latency. In fact running a standard test project we use for reviews showed the FCA202's drivers to be on par with soundcards from M-Audio and E-MU cpu wise meaning low latency should not be a problem.
My complaints would be the headphone volume knob which feels a bit fragile and that the headphone preamp is too weak.
The review is in swedish though, so it's not gonna be of much help for you. Otherwise you could've bought it online from the magazine website
/Majken
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 7045 posts since 28 Apr, 2004 from france
Thanx !
I just hope that the sound is muchmore closer than m-audio than realtec AC97 sh_t !!
If "the dynamic & freq response is excellent", it should be fine !!
I just hope that the sound is muchmore closer than m-audio than realtec AC97 sh_t !!
If "the dynamic & freq response is excellent", it should be fine !!
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- KVRian
- 1141 posts since 29 May, 2005
regardless,
since the ac97 is really outdated by now,
it's really time they should replace it with
a new chipset like ac2006 or whatever.
so, all recent notebooks and boards should
come equipped with at least a 18bit/48 onboard card etc.
but maybe they change it only every 10 years?
so, it will be ac07 maybe
especially considering a brand new 64-bit board,
equipped with only ac97 is a lousy deal.
that and other issues,
keep me away from getting a 64bit system anytime soon.
since the ac97 is really outdated by now,
it's really time they should replace it with
a new chipset like ac2006 or whatever.
so, all recent notebooks and boards should
come equipped with at least a 18bit/48 onboard card etc.
but maybe they change it only every 10 years?
so, it will be ac07 maybe
especially considering a brand new 64-bit board,
equipped with only ac97 is a lousy deal.
that and other issues,
keep me away from getting a 64bit system anytime soon.