quote:

Originally posted by smaulpaul well I think I have foun the best soundcard for my laptop thanks to the guides on the front page: The M-Audio Audiophile 2496 - its cheap as cheaps.

Audiophile 2496 is a PCI card... It won't go in a laptop.

I owned an M-Audio Firewire 410, back when I was a noob and didn't know anything. Take my word on this - they are complete shit. The ADC/DAC is particularly poor for the price. Likewise... only 4 in, but 10 out? WTF? The preamps eat a dick too.

Do yourself a favour and get an Echo Audiofire.

Alternatively, if portability is important, look into getting a Novation X-Station. It's very similar to a Xiosynth, except it has a good editing interface. It has an inbuilt audio interface, which isn't the best in the world but should be fine for a beginner. The synth is the same as V-Station, but you get lots of knobs to twiddle instead of using your mouse. I think this is a good thing for beginners - you will learn synthesis alot quicker.