Soundcards

RME's DIGI range of soundcards offers comprehensive cross-platform support, high audio quality and lots of extras, such as digital format conversion.

The ultimate soundcard for high-end musicians? Creative Labs' Soundblaster products may have dominated the consumer soundcard market, but can they take the next step up with its successor?

A new wave of dedicated DSP cards is helping computer musicians boost their plug-in power. The latest to appear is Universal Audio's UAD1, which offers recreations of vintage compressors as well as a high-quality reverb.

Martin Walker tests an inexpensive, high-quality soundcard which uses virtual outputs to allow multiple PC applications to share its hardware outputs.

Many musicians with computer-based studios don't need lots of inputs and outputs, but that doesn't mean they're happy to put up with poor audio quality and design compromises of consumer soundcards. However a new type of affordable, high-quality soundcard is now emerging to meet this need. Martin Walker puts two or the leading candidates to the test.

A new selection of soundcards from Germany promises excellent audio quality at extremely competitive prices, with a selection of I/O options to suit most buyers. Martin Walker tries out the first model in the Marian range.

Despite the ever-increasing number of PC recording cards on the market, there's one particular niche that has remained unaddressed, for years. Martin Walker tries out a product that, at last, fills the gap.

SEKD pioneered the development of 24-bit/96kHz soundcards for PCs, and their lead has been followed up enthusiastically by other manufacturers. Does the new Sienna have the features to take them back to the top of the pile? Martin Walker finds out.

Laptop computers have tended to be difficult to use for music, one of the main problems being their limited or non-existant audio I/O. Vo Fletcher tries out a product which eliminates this shortcoming.

Terratec's EWS64 XL caused a stir in the world of soundcards last your by offering a built-in 64-note polyphonic sampler. The new XXL now adds the internal organs of Waldorf's classic Microwave XT synth. Martin Walker decides whether these impressive parts make a convincing whole.

Guillemot's MAXI Studio ISIS PCI soundcard system for the PC seems to offer a lot of bang for the buck. John Walden dives in to find out what all the flap is about.

Over the years many musicians have got started with a low-cost Creative Labs soundcard, but the latest upmarket Soundblaster Live! model is even more tempting. Martin Walker checks out the specs.

In contemporary music terms, the Korg Wavestation is verging on the antique, yet it still has the capacity to surprise and...

If you like playing the odd game, but still want quality audio when writing music, Martin Walker believes the Turtle Beach Montego could provide the best of both worlds.

If audio performance and price are higher on your list of desirable soundcard features than bells and whistles, Midiman's Dman 2044 could be just the job. Martin Walker discovers a 4-input card that's as easy on the wallet as it is on the ear.

In a market already awash with soundcards, it takes a clever company to find a niche that hasn't already been filled. Martin Walker finds out what tricks this new card has up its anti-static sleeve.

With a feature list longer than most people's arms, the EWS64 XL has whetted plenty of appetites. Martin Walker dismantles his PC once again in the search for the ultmate soundcard.

How much more can Creative cram onto a single PC Soundcard? Paul White finds out.

Turtle Beach have a reputation for producing some of the best PC soundcards available, and the new loftily-named Multisound Pinnacle and Fiji cards have been eagerly awaited since their predecessors, the high-spec Tahiti and Multisound Classic cards, were discontinued. Janet Harniman-Cook scales new heights...

The Maxi Sound 64 is a new Plug and Play full-duplex soundcard with some pretty tasty features, cooked up by French company Guillemot International. Martin Walker tucks in.

When a musical giant like Yamaha start putting their name to daughter boards, you know something's up. Yet the DB50XG harnesses your PC soundcard's processing power as never before. Panicos Georghiades and Gabriel Jacobs dig the new breed...