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Author Topic: USB Soundcard with XLR balanced outputs  (Read 90470 times)

Toby Mills

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USB Soundcard with XLR balanced outputs
« on: April 03, 2011, 09:09:55 PM »

I come across an increasing number of events where the audio or backing tracks come off a laptop. Despite my hatred of the headphone port on a laptop as an audio source, I've found it difficult to recommend a suitable alternative.

What I'm looking for is a USB sound card with XLR balanced outputs.
Preferably without an external power supply for convinience.

Henry engineering has a product but I'm not familiar with their products. Has anyone ever come across such a thing in their travels that is suitable for pro audio use?

Regards
Toby
www.np.co.nz
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Mac Kerr

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Re: USB Soundcard with XLR balanced outputs
« Reply #1 on: April 03, 2011, 10:16:34 PM »

What I'm looking for is a USB sound card with XLR balanced outputs.
Preferably without an external power supply for convinience.

If you only want an output from the laptop there are a couple that come to mind. The low cost leader is probably the Peavey USB-P. Labster Andy Leviss has also developed one that may be higher quality, and is smaller, but costs a little more. It is not on the website yet, but contact Duck's Echo Sound.

Mac
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Dave Jones

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Re: USB Soundcard with XLR balanced outputs
« Reply #2 on: April 03, 2011, 10:17:23 PM »

Toby,

Sound Devices USB pre 2 -

http://www.sounddevices.com/products/usbpre2.htm

They are great. Well built, metering on the output etc and you can use it for as a superb input as well.

DJ
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Mac Kerr

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Re: USB Soundcard with XLR balanced outputs
« Reply #3 on: April 03, 2011, 10:24:45 PM »

Sound Devices USB pre 2 -

http://www.sounddevices.com/products/usbpre2.htm

They are great. Well built, metering on the output etc and you can use it for as a superb input as well.

They're nice, but if all you want is outputs, you don't need to spend $600. The Peavey is list price $79, the Duck's Echo box a little more.

Mac
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Toby Mills

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Re: USB Soundcard with XLR balanced outputs
« Reply #4 on: April 03, 2011, 10:53:04 PM »

If you only want an output from the laptop there are a couple that come to mind. The low cost leader is probably the Peavey USB-P. Labster Andy Leviss has also developed one that may be higher quality, and is smaller, but costs a little more. It is not on the website yet, but contact Duck's Echo Sound.

Mac

Thanks Mac, the peavey is the perfect solution to this, i'm surprised I didn't come across it in my google searches.

Also surprised there aren't more of these output only products on the market, laptops are becoming more common as audio sources and the internal sound cards are usually ghastly and at the wrong levels.
Everyone seems obsessed with getting audio into a laptop :)

I'll order one and report back on its quality relative to a few common laptop brands outputs.

Many thanks
Toby
www.np.co.nz





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Sunil.Karanjikar

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Re: USB Soundcard with XLR balanced outputs
« Reply #5 on: April 04, 2011, 02:41:49 AM »

We've been facing something similar here and the best product I have found to be is the ARX USB DI. Straight thru USB and no more need for additional power supply or DI.
They also make an IO version with 2 In and 2 Out.

http://www.arx.com.au/International/audibox_usb_di.htm

Sunil K
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Bob Leonard

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Re: USB Soundcard with XLR balanced outputs
« Reply #6 on: April 04, 2011, 07:46:18 AM »

I come across an increasing number of events where the audio or backing tracks come off a laptop. Despite my hatred of the headphone port on a laptop as an audio source, I've found it difficult to recommend a suitable alternative.

What I'm looking for is a USB sound card with XLR balanced outputs.
Preferably without an external power supply for convinience.

Henry engineering has a product but I'm not familiar with their products. Has anyone ever come across such a thing in their travels that is suitable for pro audio use?

Regards
Toby
www.np.co.nz

 
You might look at the;
 
Roland SD-50
 
http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.php?ProductId=1090
 
MOTU Microbook
 
http://www.motu.com/products/motuaudio/microbook/summary.html
 
 
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Chris Carpenter

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Re: USB Soundcard with XLR balanced outputs
« Reply #7 on: April 04, 2011, 01:42:37 PM »

Aaaand in last place, the behrigner uca202 works just fine, at $30.
« Last Edit: April 04, 2011, 01:49:56 PM by Mac Kerr »
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Mac Kerr

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Re: USB Soundcard with XLR balanced outputs
« Reply #8 on: April 04, 2011, 02:01:14 PM »

We've been facing something similar here and the best product I have found to be is the ARX USB DI. Straight thru USB and no more need for additional power supply or DI.
You might look at the;
 
Roland SD-50
 http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.php?ProductId=1090
 
MOTU Microbook
 http://www.motu.com/products/motuaudio/microbook/summary.html
Aaaand in last place, the behrigner uca202 works just fine, at $30.

The ART USB Di is nice, but at $250 vs the same thing from Peavey for $79 I'm not sure it's a good deal. The Roland is huge, also $250, and has no balanced outs. The MOTU Microbook looks nice, it's not too big and it does have balanced out on TRS, but again, $250.  The Behringer at $30 is a deal, but no balanced out.

Maybe Andy will post some pics and prices for the Duck's Echo version. I know he wants to compare the transformer they use to the Peavey to see if there're differences there. I think they are also working on a version of theirs with ins and outs.

Mac
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Eric Simna

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Re: USB Soundcard with XLR balanced outputs
« Reply #9 on: April 05, 2011, 12:53:05 AM »

If you only want an output from the laptop there are a couple that come to mind. The low cost leader is probably the Peavey USB-P. Labster Andy Leviss has also developed one that may be higher quality, and is smaller, but costs a little more. It is not on the website yet, but contact Duck's Echo Sound.

Mac

Can you use more than one at a time on a single computer?  I have an Edirol that is what the Behringer is based off of and I don't think I can use more than 1 at a time because of the basic ASIO driver.
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ProSoundWeb Community

Re: USB Soundcard with XLR balanced outputs
« Reply #9 on: April 05, 2011, 12:53:05 AM »


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