Which budget USB sound card?

[pizza]

So I want to buy a sound card for my hobbiest music production. I don't have a budget, since I don't know what these kinds of things cost. I saw a video on YouTube listing card between 35$ to 399$, and I have no idea which is high, mid or low end. I want an external one using using USB. Not a requirement, but would be cool if it had guitar and mic support (unless it makes the card too expensive). Most important is that it simply works, I've googled a bit and some cards seem to require patches and custom built kernels, I sadly lack the time for such things.

Answers highly appricated, I hope this question isn't redundant (didn't find any similar in searching this sub-forum)!

[briandc]

I use a Behringer UCA222. It works immediately (no driver needed), I've never had problems. It costs about 30 dollars.


brian

[j_e_f_f_g]

I'm a gigging musician, and done some audio engineering, and I've owned/used a lot of audio/music gear. I own a lot of Roland stuff since I've had good luck with that brand. It's fairly roadworthy, and performs well. There are other brands that offer more features per $, but reliability is a huge criteria for me. Unfortunately, the current roland offerings are not supported by linux, and the older, supported models have too-dated specs for me to recommend them.

I've owned 2 behringer products. Both are collecting dust as they both broke. I, and a significant number of gigging musicians, find that brand to not be very roadworthy. What's more, it sounds cheap. The 2 mixers I bought had the worst noise and freq response of any gear I've owned. I don't recommend behringer.

I bought 3 mackie products -- 2 mixers and 1 speaker set. They held up longer than behringer, and sounded better, but still not roadworthy, and performance was lacking. Pity too about the speakers because although a little anemic on the high end, I think Mackie's speakers sound better than Peavey, JBL, and definitely BOSE. The JBL's I owned for a day. The midrange was so harsh and exaggerated, it gave me ear fatigue. Mackie's were so much better... if only the construction weren't so bad that the compression driver broke off and rolled around inside the cabinet... on both speakers. But I'm an Electrovoice guy. Owned 3 EV models, and loved each. Smoothest, clearest high end I've had. Currently using the tx1152. $1500 for the pair and worth it. (Psssst. EV also make some great, low cost dynamic mics. Like them better than Shures -- not that there's anything wrong with an sm57).

I swear by QSC amps. Owned 2. Both are still working and sound great. Cheaper than Crown, and just as good. Carvin not so much. Peavey's ok. Mackie/Behringer, yuck.

But you know what's one of the best bargains out there? The casio Privia EPs. Casio makes some nasty @#$#%^, but not the privia. I'm not giving up my $2000 Fatar T8 keybed, but I got a privia for backup because you can't beat the feel of that piano keyboard at that price. Internal sounds are crap, but who uses those?

What were we talking about... oh yeah, linux audio interfaces. I couldn't use the Roland Quad Capture I wanted, so I held my nose, went on Ebay, and bought a used focusrite scarlett 2i2 for $100. Figured I'd give it away if it turned out to be behringer quality. I've been gigging with it for a month now. Damned if that sucker doesn't actually sound good. Better than my MAudio 2496. Less hiss than my MOTU ultralite (although the latter does more with built-in comp/EQ/reverb). Better freq response than my emu 1616M. Much cleaner preamp than my mackie and behringer gear. Compares favorably to the apogee duet in my nephew's studio. One caveat is that the preamp/adc is really nasty when it clips. You must ensure your level doesn't ever go "into the red". Pity they don't have a model with a built-in compressor/limiter.

Get a scarlett. It's cheap, sounds better than the truly cheap stuff, and works with linux. (I use linux running my own BackupBand app on gigs).

[pizza]

Thanks a lot for the answers!

[briandc]

I had also bought an Audio-M soundcard for about 100 euros, and I've had glitch problems with it. The Behringer never did that, and the sound quality is just as good (as far as I can tell anyways).


brian

[j_e_f_f_g]

Audio-M soundcard had glitch

Was that over 2 years ago? If so, you probably were using a version of ALSA prior to 15. They fixed those terrible M-audio card glitches in 15. If you have the card, try it now.

[briandc]

Audio-M soundcard had glitch

Was that over 2 years ago? If so, you probably were using a version of ALSA prior to 15. They fixed those terrible M-audio card glitches in 15. If you have the card, try it now.

I tried it this last summer, still the same "bolt out of the blue" that makes me jump every time..!

Of course, it could be a defective device, nothing to do with M-Audio as a manufacturer. Problem is, the guarantee is past by now..


brian

[tatch]

+1 for the scarlett 2i2

[cowboystitching]

Wholeheartedly agree on the Scarlett 2i2, one of the best little units money can buy!

[GMaq]

Hi,

Another vote for the Scarlett 2i2 if you want to plug a guitar or mic in.. however I also have 2 Behringer UCA-222's and they work without issue at super low latency with regular kernels, my son has a Scarlett but it requires a Realtime kernel to get the latency anywhere close to the UCA-222. The S/N ratio of the UCA-222 is nothing special but using it with a netbook for various keyboard samples in a band it is acceptable..

[glowrak guy]

Another option for Guitar is a Fender Mustang 1 usb amp. The 24 hardware presets
can be edited/created with an app called 'plug', for accesing the modeled amps, cabs, stomp, and rack gear
in the amps firmware. Even bias and sag can be edited. Plug is in the debian repos. Used Mustangs often are
advertised for $60. there are both V1 and V2, of the Mustang 1, the latter having a few for more gear models to
choose from. You can use the other sound cards mentioned for vocals.

The Mustang will show up in qjackctl, not requiring any configuration,
beyond setting Periods/Buffer to 3, which might be needed for most usb gear anyway.
Cheers

[StanM]

I use a Behringer UCA222. It works immediately (no driver needed), I've never had problems. It costs about 30 dollars.


brian

Brian,

I just joined today and was reading this post and I think this might work for me. I am running Ubuntu Studio 14.04 and plugging directly into the sound card right now but that's mono and the effects pedal and my voice effects box have the option to output in stereo.

Correct me if I'm wrong but it appears from your post that this device works right out of the box in Linux. I presume that this device must automatically override the sound card or onboard sound in my case. Is that correct or did you have to do anything in your bios or change anything in sound settings? Another thing I noticed is that it has a headphone jack. How do head phones sound through it? That would be useful for me as well because the headphone jack on the front of my case stopped working in stereo and I don't want to go through the hassle of having to replace it.

Thanks.

Stan

[Pablo]

I presume that this device must automatically override the sound card or onboard sound in my case. Is that correct or did you have to do anything in your bios or change anything in sound settings?

It won't automatically override the onboard sound card. You will have to select it in the sound settings (for normal desktop use) or in jack configuration if/when you use jack. What's more, as you said in the other thread you record via Audacity which uses pure alsa by default, you will have to select the new interface there ( Edit, Preferences, Devices).

You can always try to disable the onboard card in the BIOS if you are not going to use it at all.

I had a UCA-202 which also works out of the box, or almost: I sometimes had to run alsamixer to rise the playback level.

Cheers! Pablo

[StanM]

I presume that this device must automatically override the sound card or onboard sound in my case. Is that correct or did you have to do anything in your bios or change anything in sound settings?

It won't automatically override the onboard sound card. You will have to select it in the sound settings (for normal desktop use) or in jack configuration if/when you use jack. What's more, as you said in the other thread you record via Audacity which uses pure alsa by default, you will have to select the new interface there ( Edit, Preferences, Devices).

You can always try to disable the onboard card in the BIOS if you are not going to use it at all.

I had a UCA-202 which also works out of the box, or almost: I sometimes had to run alsamixer to rise the playback level.

Cheers! Pablo

Thanks Pablo, I appreciate the tips. I looks like one of those situations where I will have to work through the settings and tweak it to my liking. I may take the plunge and learn how to use Jack as well when I make the purchase. I'm looking at upgrading from the mini passive mixer I'm using as well so I'll be getting the USB interface at the same time.

[briandc]

I use a Behringer UCA222. It works immediately (no driver needed), I've never had problems. It costs about 30 dollars.


brian

Brian,

I just joined today and was reading this post and I think this might work for me. I am running Ubuntu Studio 14.04 and plugging directly into the sound card right now but that's mono and the effects pedal and my voice effects box have the option to output in stereo.

Correct me if I'm wrong but it appears from your post that this device works right out of the box in Linux. I presume that this device must automatically override the sound card or onboard sound in my case. Is that correct or did you have to do anything in your bios or change anything in sound settings? Another thing I noticed is that it has a headphone jack. How do head phones sound through it? That would be useful for me as well because the headphone jack on the front of my case stopped working in stereo and I don't want to go through the hassle of having to replace it.

Thanks.

Stan

Hi Stan,
sorry for the delay in responding. Yes, the Behringer works out-of-the-box. Plug it into the PC, then start Jack. Go into the settings, and on the right side of the window you will see the "in" and "out" settings. The "out" setting should include the new audio card. Select that card, then stop and quit Jack, then restart Jack again. It should now be using your new card.
On the UCA222, there is a 1/8-inch headphone jack included, and its own volume adjuster.

brian