Hey, i've seen this Digital to Analog converters (DAC), which apparently makes the listening experience much better because the sound is way better.
e.g:
(http://www.amazon.com/AudioQuest-Dragon ... audioquest)
My question on DAC is: Can this be used in music production? Does this actually improves the sound or it just boosts frequencies? (which makes it appear to sound better)
I currently have my focusrite 2i2 connected to my KRK's rokit 5, and i'm currently using CoreAudio as my main sound card, can i buy an external sound card better than the Core Audio?
how can i improve the sound quality using DAC, Sound cards,etc, taking in consideration my setup ^^?
Digital to Analog Converters, sound cards, etc.
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- KVRer
- 5 posts since 2 Jul, 2014
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- KVRAF
- 10174 posts since 16 Dec, 2002
You seem a little confused.
Are you using the Focusrite or core audio as your dac?
Are you using the Focusrite or core audio as your dac?
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- Beware the Quoth
- 35520 posts since 4 Sep, 2001 from R'lyeh Oceanic Amusement Park and Funfair
What he said. How do you actually have things set up?
FWIW, if you're using the 2i2 and monitors, I suspect your room makes more of a contribution to the sound than any change of audio interface will. I really dont think changing audio interface is going to make a significant difference compared to the effects of your actual listening environment.
FWIW, if you're using the 2i2 and monitors, I suspect your room makes more of a contribution to the sound than any change of audio interface will. I really dont think changing audio interface is going to make a significant difference compared to the effects of your actual listening environment.
An idiot on Set Theory:
"In some cases there is an object called red that contains everything that is red. In much the same way a pot is a plate."
"In some cases there is an object called red that contains everything that is red. In much the same way a pot is a plate."
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- KVRAF
- 6482 posts since 8 Jun, 2009
I find it hard to believe that a USB-stick DAC is going to make a night and day difference to the Focusrite, which makes perfectly good audio interfaces.
CoreAudio is simply the audio layer in OS X – everything audio has to go through it. That then talks to the Focusrite driver.
CoreAudio is simply the audio layer in OS X – everything audio has to go through it. That then talks to the Focusrite driver.
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- KVRAF
- 7120 posts since 22 Jan, 2005 from Sweden
One thing to look out for with external DAC is that propagation delay through it(latency) may not be as low as for a musical soundcard DAC - so maybe do recording on ordinary soundcard where quality is not needed at that time - and do mixing through a DAC that you find sound the best.
Especially with USB DAC it might be 1000 samples delay or so.
In general there is nothing stating that external DAC would be better disregarding price though.
I've been using external DAC since beginning 90's - and when I tested new ones that also support 24/96 I bought according to this guys experiments:
http://www.lampizator.eu/LAMPIZATOR/LAM ... zator.html
He bought 5 $100 DAC boards(high quality Crystal circuits though) from HongKong, and upgraded them with different high quality capacitors and put his results there. The upgrade improves it quite a bit - and to a very reasonable cost.
My total cost became about $250, with a box and all capacitors. I did a mix between two of his. All Electrolytics OS-cons and Tantal as well. I was as he amazed what Tantal electrolytics did to the sound in the high end - unbelievable.
Pics:
Ready
Inside
With some use of soldering iron before anyone could do it. It's surface mount stuff so you need to be very careful when removing original caps.
Especially with USB DAC it might be 1000 samples delay or so.
In general there is nothing stating that external DAC would be better disregarding price though.
I've been using external DAC since beginning 90's - and when I tested new ones that also support 24/96 I bought according to this guys experiments:
http://www.lampizator.eu/LAMPIZATOR/LAM ... zator.html
He bought 5 $100 DAC boards(high quality Crystal circuits though) from HongKong, and upgraded them with different high quality capacitors and put his results there. The upgrade improves it quite a bit - and to a very reasonable cost.
My total cost became about $250, with a box and all capacitors. I did a mix between two of his. All Electrolytics OS-cons and Tantal as well. I was as he amazed what Tantal electrolytics did to the sound in the high end - unbelievable.
Pics:
Ready
Inside
With some use of soldering iron before anyone could do it. It's surface mount stuff so you need to be very careful when removing original caps.
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- KVRian
- 1055 posts since 19 Feb, 2003
Creative Soundblasters, etc. used to market that they 'enhance the user experience' too.miguellacorte wrote:Hey, i've seen this Digital to Analog converters (DAC), which apparently makes the listening experience much better because the sound is way better.
Doesn't mean it's good for music production where you want ACCURATE, not ENHANCED sound...
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afreshcupofjoe afreshcupofjoe https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=94815
- KVRAF
- 1838 posts since 17 Jan, 2006 from Portland, OR
No.miguellacorte wrote:Does this actually improves the sound
Coreaudio is not your soundcard. It doesn't determine the sound quality. Your DAC is part of your Focusrite 2i2. It's very unlikely that a $99 USB stick DAC is going to sound better than your Focusrite 2i2. There are better external audio interfaces than the Focusrite, but they are going to cost quite a bit more money. For example:miguellacorte wrote: I currently have my focusrite 2i2 connected to my KRK's rokit 5, and i'm currently using CoreAudio as my main sound card, can i buy an external sound card better than the Core Audio?
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Duet2iOS/
In any case, the Focusrite is a pretty decent DAC for a home studio. I wouldn't bother upgrading until you get some more experience. Otherwise, you are just throwing away money.
"The Juno 60 was often incorrectly referred to as a synth. It is, in fact, a chorus unit with a synth attached." -PAK
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- KVRist
- 40 posts since 26 Feb, 2010
If you were using PianoRollComposer to write a wave file using VST plugins, the music would be recorded directly from the plugins sounds to the wave file, so it wouldn't matter which sound card (or speakers) you were using. However, I use a Questyle Q192, which contains a very good DAC and a very good headphone preamp, connected to Grado PS500 headphones so I can hear what the music sounds like in very high fidelity.