...that's still great.
Digitizing your LP collection is a bit of the rave these days. It's relatively easy and in the process, with the right software, you can clean up that 30 year old album to make it sound almost new again. Or you can just let it ride and keep all the clicks and pops of the original recording if all you want are basic .wav files of your records. I'm writing this review with the neophyte in mind. All you "pros" out there already know this stuff. And I am by no means a "pro" ...so if you see a glaring mistake be so kind as to submit your comments as to the error of my ways.
The "must have" interface between your analog turntable preamp output and the digital realm of your computer is this card. M-Audio has been making some of the best audio interfaces for quite awhile. The AP2496 has all the inputs and outputs needed to receive your analog signal and digitize it with a quality Analog-to-Digital converter. You have a stereo pair of RCA analog inputs (from your turntable preamp); a stereo pair of RCA analog outputs (to feed an external receiver or integrated amp) so you can monitor/listen to what you're working on; one each digital S/PDIF input and output (to connect an external CD recorder or other digital record/playback device); and one each MIDI input and output (which are, for the most part, used by musician-types so you really needn't worry about them). The S/PDIF and MIDI connections are on the "breakout" cable. The S/PDIF (Sony/Phillips Digital Interface) connections are the black RCA-type connectors.
**A caveat: Go to the M-Audio website and use the latest installation procedures for this card. DO NOT use the procedures in the owners manual since it covers Win95, Win98 and WinNT (gives you an idea how long this card's been around). Mac users should also go to the website. Going to the website will also get you the latest drivers and software.
**Another caveat: The AP2496 requires an open PCI socket (the big long one); it will NOT work with PCI Express sockets populating the newer computers. Make sure you have at least one PCI slot to install this card.
Once the card is installed then make sure it is selected as the default sound card. I am still using XP so it means going to the Control Panel "sound" section and selecting the AP2496 as the recording and playback card; I select it for everything where it's listed as a choice.
For the basic audiophile "hobbiest" interested in digitizing their LP collection, the standard included M-Audio mixing board/patch panel will be all you need. Depending on packaging/marketing you may get trial or basic versions of alternative sound boards as included software.
That being said, the included M-Audio Control Panel is a bit counter-intuitive; to me it's just flat confusing ...especially the Patchbay/Router panel. I think it's the terminology of the selections that ups the confusion factor. READ the manual. It helps in figuring out what to select. What's great about the Patchbay/Router panel is once you get the settings figured out for recording and playback use the "save" feature and give them names *you* can understand ....same deal with the Monitor/Mixer panel. After the learning curve rises you'll find you can get what you want from the Patchbay/Router panel fairly easily.
With the AP2496 installed and all your sound features routed to the card, you will need an external amplifier (like an old receiver or integrated amp) and a set of speakers or headphones to be able to listen to audio of any kind. There is no built-in audio amplifier on the AP2496 card. Connect the analog outputs of the card to an "Aux" or "Tape" input on the receiver/integrated amp.
With the AP2496 you'll be able to make great sounding transfers of your vinyl collection. The converters (Analog/Digital; Digtal/Analog or A/D D/A for short) are some of the better ones on the market but they are only as good as the supporting circuitry; the card is very quiet (no extraneous hum or noises introduced) and this is indicative of high end support circuitry. The price on these cards is reasonable for the quality of sound you get out of them. I have been using M-Audio cards for a number of years. Are there better audio interface cards out there? Yes, but you'll be paying quite a lot more for them for improvements you probably won't even hear.
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Top reviews from other countries
Patrick
Fini le son de m..... avec les chip intégré.
Reviewed in France on April 26, 2013
Francesco Pelizza
Ottimo prodotto e consegna in meno di 24 Ore ! :)
Reviewed in Italy on January 31, 2013
