E-MU 1616m cardbus adapter to USB

[5980]

Hello,
Anyone knows if there is a USB adaptor for cardbus ?
My laptop only hast usb ports and I want too see how could I use the cardbus. Thanks

[planetearth]

There are, but the drivers and PatchMix software almost certainly won't work with a CardBus audio interface that you're using via USB. The drivers and PatchMix software expect either a PCIe (or PCI) slot and memory address or a USB port and memory address, depending upon which version of the software (PCIe or USB) you install. And I haven't seen anything on Creative's site for CardBus adapters in the 14 years I've been using E-MU PCIe cards.

Steve

[5980]

Thank you steve. Do you think is it possible to use pcie to usb (e.g. https://se.grandado.com/products/mini-u ... NsQAvD_BwE ) adapter and then another connector as PCMCI to PCIe conenctor (http://www.hwtools.net/Adapter/CB242A.html)?

[5980]

There are, but the drivers and PatchMix software almost certainly won't work with a CardBus audio interface that you're using via USB. The drivers and PatchMix software expect either a PCIe (or PCI) slot and memory address or a USB port and memory address, depending upon which version of the software (PCIe or USB) you install. And I haven't seen anything on Creative's site for CardBus adapters in the 14 years I've been using E-MU PCIe cards.

Steve

Thank you Steve. Do you think is it possible to use pcie to usb (e.g. https://se.grandado.com/products/mini-u ... NsQAvD_BwE ) adapter and then another connector as PCMCI to PCIe conenctor (http://www.hwtools.net/Adapter/CB242A.html)?

[planetearth]

Thank you Steve. Do you think is it possible to use pcie to usb (e.g. https://se.grandado.com/products/mini-u ... NsQAvD_BwE ) adapter and then another connector as PCMCI to PCIe conenctor (http://www.hwtools.net/Adapter/CB242A.html)?

Definitely not, for the same reasons I listed earlier. Adding yet another type of computer interface (PCIe, USB & PCMCIA) will only make sure the software can’t find the audio interface, so the drivers definitely won’t work and PatchMix won’t even load.

And even if you somehow got it to work, the latency that accrued from going through 3 computer interfaces (translating all the commands with each interface) would make the whole thing unusable anyway. PCMCIA was developed literally in the last century. It was not made for low-latency connections.

Steve

[5980]

Thank you Steve. Do you think is it possible to use pcie to usb (e.g. https://se.grandado.com/products/mini-u ... NsQAvD_BwE ) adapter and then another connector as PCMCI to PCIe conenctor (http://www.hwtools.net/Adapter/CB242A.html)?

Definitely not, for the same reasons I listed earlier. Adding yet another type of computer interface (PCIe, USB & PCMCIA) will only make sure the software can’t find the audio interface, so the drivers definitely won’t work and PatchMix won’t even load.

And even if you somehow got it to work, the latency that accrued from going through 3 computer interfaces (translating all the commands with each interface) would make the whole thing unusable anyway. PCMCIA was developed literally in the last century. It was not made for low-latency connections.

Steve

Thank you for the advice Steve. Your musics are awesome man!
By the way, I wonder how could I use this card to new laptops. I do not have cardbus but I think I want to buy it if I find a solution. In such case then I need to buy another laptop that at least support PICe input to use the PCIe to PCMCI adapter. I had seen that people could connect the cardbus via PCIe adapter on PCs

Best Regards,
Sam

[planetearth]

Thank you Steve. Do you think is it possible to use pcie to usb (e.g. https://se.grandado.com/products/mini-u ... NsQAvD_BwE ) adapter and then another connector as PCMCI to PCIe conenctor (http://www.hwtools.net/Adapter/CB242A.html)?

Definitely not, for the same reasons I listed earlier. Adding yet another type of computer interface (PCIe, USB & PCMCIA) will only make sure the software can’t find the audio interface, so the drivers definitely won’t work and PatchMix won’t even load.

And even if you somehow got it to work, the latency that accrued from going through 3 computer interfaces (translating all the commands with each interface) would make the whole thing unusable anyway. PCMCIA was developed literally in the last century. It was not made for low-latency connections.

Steve

Thank you for the advice Steve. Your musics are awesome man!
By the way, I wonder how could I use this card to new laptops. I do not have cardbus but I think I want to buy it if I find a solution. In such case then I need to buy another laptop that at least support PICe input to use the PCIe to PCMCI adapter. I had seen that people could connect the cardbus via PCIe adapter on PCs

Best Regards,
Sam

Thanks for the compliments on my music, Sam! I really appreciate it!

Maybe I don't fully understand what you have or what you're trying to do. Do you already have a CardBus E-MU audio interface that you're trying to use with a modern laptop/desktop? If you don't already have one, I seriously would not recommend buying one.

You can connect CardBus devices to PCI or PCIe devices, but that isn't necessarily true for devices that require extremely low-latency/high-bandwidth connections. I really don't think what you're trying to do will work to your satisfaction, even if you can get drivers for it or get PatchMix to find the audio interface. (You can still get PCIe or USB drivers for the 1616m, but not CardBus/PCMCIA drivers. And none of these drivers work under Windows 10, for all intents and purposes.)

I just went looking for any information I could find about CardBus/PCMCIA drivers for the E-MU 1616m, and here's what I found: https://www.soundonsound.com/sound-advi ... ire-or-usb, Someone asked this same question almost 14 years ago that you've asked here, and he was told then that it wouldn't work. He was told to hold out for a different type of laptop expansion adapter...which also came and went more than 14 years ago too. (Remember ExpressCard slots? No? Don't worry -- they didn't last long outside the corporate laptop world, since USB did everything they needed to do, and did it cheaper.)

So again, if you're looking to buy a CardBus audio interface, I really think you'll be wasting your money. You will be able to get a PCIe interface adapter for it, but even if you could find drivers for the CardBus interface (if that's what you need to make it work), I still don't think PatchMix would see the device. And I think you'll have serious latency problems.

And again, if you're on a Windows 10 machine, none of this will work, anyway, unfortunately. Windows 10 users who have E-MU audio interfaces have had to start hacking Creative Labs' SoundBlaster card drivers to get their E-MU cards to work. And each update to Windows 10 seems to break those hacks, requiring new work-arounds.

I wish I had better news for you, my friend!

Steve

[BertKoor]

I wonder how could I use this card to new laptops. I do not have cardbus but I think I want to buy it if I find a solution. In such case then I need to buy another laptop that at least support PICe input to use the PCIe to PCMCI adapter.

You got it backwards. Don't buy a new laptop but buy another USB audio interface.
Sorry to say, but you have to dump the dinosaur cardbus interface.
PC hardware (including peripherals) is economically written off in 3 years. Yours lasted... how long??

[5980]

Thank you Steve. Do you think is it possible to use pcie to usb (e.g. https://se.grandado.com/products/mini-u ... NsQAvD_BwE ) adapter and then another connector as PCMCI to PCIe conenctor (http://www.hwtools.net/Adapter/CB242A.html)?

Definitely not, for the same reasons I listed earlier. Adding yet another type of computer interface (PCIe, USB & PCMCIA) will only make sure the software can’t find the audio interface, so the drivers definitely won’t work and PatchMix won’t even load.

And even if you somehow got it to work, the latency that accrued from going through 3 computer interfaces (translating all the commands with each interface) would make the whole thing unusable anyway. PCMCIA was developed literally in the last century. It was not made for low-latency connections.

Steve

Thank you for the advice Steve. Your musics are awesome man!
By the way, I wonder how could I use this card to new laptops. I do not have cardbus but I think I want to buy it if I find a solution. In such case then I need to buy another laptop that at least support PICe input to use the PCIe to PCMCI adapter. I had seen that people could connect the cardbus via PCIe adapter on PCs

Best Regards,
Sam

Thanks for the compliments on my music, Sam! I really appreciate it!

Maybe I don't fully understand what you have or what you're trying to do. Do you already have a CardBus E-MU audio interface that you're trying to use with a modern laptop/desktop? If you don't already have one, I seriously would not recommend buying one.

You can connect CardBus devices to PCI or PCIe devices, but that isn't necessarily true for devices that require extremely low-latency/high-bandwidth connections. I really don't think what you're trying to do will work to your satisfaction, even if you can get drivers for it or get PatchMix to find the audio interface. (You can still get PCIe or USB drivers for the 1616m, but not CardBus/PCMCIA drivers. And none of these drivers work under Windows 10, for all intents and purposes.)

I just went looking for any information I could find about CardBus/PCMCIA drivers for the E-MU 1616m, and here's what I found: https://www.soundonsound.com/sound-advi ... ire-or-usb, Someone asked this same question almost 14 years ago that you've asked here, and he was told then that it wouldn't work. He was told to hold out for a different type of laptop expansion adapter...which also came and went more than 14 years ago too. (Remember ExpressCard slots? No? Don't worry -- they didn't last long outside the corporate laptop world, since USB did everything they needed to do, and did it cheaper.)

So again, if you're looking to buy a CardBus audio interface, I really think you'll be wasting your money. You will be able to get a PCIe interface adapter for it, but even if you could find drivers for the CardBus interface (if that's what you need to make it work), I still don't think PatchMix would see the device. And I think you'll have serious latency problems.

And again, if you're on a Windows 10 machine, none of this will work, anyway, unfortunately. Windows 10 users who have E-MU audio interfaces have had to start hacking Creative Labs' SoundBlaster card drivers to get their E-MU cards to work. And each update to Windows 10 seems to break those hacks, requiring new work-arounds.

I wish I had better news for you, my friend!

Steve

Thank you Steve for the details. Yes I did not buy it yet but I was thinking to use my laptop which only has USB ports to use the E-MU in a portable way!
This sound card does amazing job with great price. I have no idea if I want to have a portable solution ( use laptop sometimes) which sound card could fill up E-MU 1616m and of course by considering the cost of the hardware

thank you again and continue to compose your great musics


Best regards,
Sam

[5980]

I wonder how could I use this card to new laptops. I do not have cardbus but I think I want to buy it if I find a solution. In such case then I need to buy another laptop that at least support PICe input to use the PCIe to PCMCI adapter.

You got it backwards. Don't buy a new laptop but buy another USB audio interface.
Sorry to say, but you have to dump the dinosaur cardbus interface.
PC hardware (including peripherals) is economically written off in 3 years. Yours lasted... how long??

Thanks for the advice but what alternative exist for such sound card with decent price? many expensive sound cards do not have the output quality of E-Mu or you need to spend X time to reach the same quality.

Best regards,
Sam

[BertKoor]

Hard to give a good advice, because it depends... Most audio interfaces in the sub-400 range are good enough.
What I/O do you require?

[5980]

Hard to give a good advice, because it depends... Most audio interfaces in the sub-400 range are good enough.
What I/O do you require?

My benchmark is 1616m and I need the same I/O as this sound card
I once checked Focusrite ( I cannot remember the model ) but it was terrible output quality

Best regards,
Sam

[BertKoor]

Exactly the same does not exist anymore alas. I would not directly discard Focusrite interfaces.

For those without intimate knowledge of the 1616M, could you list out per type of connection how many you actually need?

What is more important to you: recording many channels simultaneously, or playing back many tracks simultaneously?

How about the DSP & patchmix features? Must have or not?

[5980]

Exactly the same does not exist anymore alas. I would not directly discard Focusrite interfaces.

For those without intimate knowledge of the 1616M, could you list out per type of connection how many you actually need?

What is more important to you: recording many channels simultaneously, or playing back many tracks simultaneously?

How about the DSP & patchmix features? Must have or not?

I use all the I/O
The DAC quality is the most important and also latency.

[BertKoor]

[Balanced, unbalanced, mic, line, instrument, RIAA phono preamp, spdif optical or coax, aes/ebu, adat, midi, joystick port??
*Detailed* specs please...