So if I used Native instruments B4 (a softsynth), then I could use any old soundcard?
Why would someone buy an expensive sound card like Soundblaster Audigy II?
Starkeeper

Yes, I use B4 myself (killer app) and it'll work with any old soundcard. You buy soundcards like the Audigy for the audio input capability and the drivers. And in case you didn't know: the B4 works best with ASIO drivers which give you a very low latency between when you hit a note on your midi controller and when the actual note plays from the softsynth. I have heard of people using ASIO drivers with their Audigy cards but I don't know much more than that. Lately I've had good success with a beta-version of a generic ASIO driver which will work with any WDM soundcard (http://www.asio2ks.de/). On a studio system I recently designed I chose the M-Audio 1010LT audio interface cards which has very good ASIO support.

[This message has been edited by The Pro (edited 05-14-2003).]

I use direct drivers for my B4. It runs at 15ms[can't get much better than that..]..

I use my Compaq Presario to run Cakewalk. I edit and run my MIDIs from there to a SC88, which then is sent to the mains. I use the audio out jack to play mp3s. If you use a parrallel MIDI interfacea USB or a "to host" connector to your arranger, it will use the Yammy's internal GM/XG sounds to play the MIDIs, but you will have some limitations in using your keyboard concurrently, SO you might want to have a second keyboard for playing OR use a sound module like te SC88, MU50, EM100, etc. If you have Windows98 or higher you should be able to use the "GS Wavetable Synth" as you soundsource - it's basically a Roland VSC engine.

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Cass Pawlowski - Motown
PSR2000, SC88, Cakewalk

I just got finished learning to record and setting up my home studio. Now I have to figure this out? When does it ever end??

N E V E R ! ! !

BeachBum....

"That's What Friends Are For"

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www.donnypesce.com

Sorry... using the beta-version of the generic ASIO2KS driver I got down to 2.2ms with the B4.

What do you do about the arranger parts, when using the B4?
Do you let the keyboard play the arranger parts and send a channel to the MIDI out to play the B4 softsynth?
Sorry for all the newbie questions, but, well, this is all new to me.
Starkeeper

Pro, my Laptop runs with out any glitches under a load[other applications] at 15ms, I could try an even lower latency and gamble on a pulse or hic up, but why? Not even yourself can tell the difference between 2.2 and 15ms..It is plenty fast..BTW, that must be some sound card that you are using, my B4 shows intervals of 5ms, the lowest at 10ms, the highest is 400ms...Yours is so accurate that it shows decimals[2.2ms]..Of course ASIO is the best drivers , but all applications will not work with it, that is why the Direct drivers are a good choice overall and beside, they work..