Soundcards

Attaching several different applications to a single MIDI or Audio device can be very useful — once you've worked out how to do it! Martin Walker guides you through the procedure and points out the varied uses of the multi-client approach.

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.

Running two or three soundcards simultaneously can greatly increase the power and flexibility of your PC but it can also lead to serious conflicts. Martin Walker leads you through the pitfalls.

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.

If you want to move the heady heights of true multitrack recording on your PC, there are plenty of rival systems on the market. Martin Walker looks at what you need to consider in making your purchase decision, and rounds up the alternatives.

If you're thinking of buying a PC soundcard specifically for HD recording, you'll find the market awash with models old and new. Martin Walker provides an overview of what's currently available.

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...

Brian Heywood hails the arrival of Windows 95, and passes on some hints for getting digital sound out of your AWE32 soundcard.

With Roland and Korg already in the soundcard market, this Yamaha offering has been a long time comming. Was it worth the wait? Panicos Georghiades reports.

PC sound cards often provide surprisingly sophisticated facilities, only to fall down on the quality of their synth sounds. Panicos Georghiades takes a look at a new contender that ups the ante with a little help from Korg...

Panicos Georghiades checks out Turtle Beach's most cost-effective PC sound card yet.

Following in the footsteps of Roland, Emu and Korg, Ensoniq have now taken the plunge into plug-in hardware with the latest release, the 16-bit Soundscape card for the PC. Paul Nagle puts it through its paces.