-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Jerry Prather" 

> 
> I've just been using CDPM.exe.  I really don't use it for
> listening much as I'm in a room with a much better audio system
> than what a computer can provide.  But I do use it from time to
> time to pick off track times.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Jerry
Hi Jerry and other audiophiles

  I couldn't help but hang on the words "can provide" in the
above quote so I thought it might be worth mentioning the following.  Back
in SB16 days and even into the firstgen pci soundcards (unless you were
Daddy Warbucks) PC sound sufferred quite badly as compared to even the more
basic but decent standalone hi-fi systems.  That seem to no longer be the
case.

  PCs have been used for quite a few years now for music recording and
editing, let alone movie work a la George Lucas et al, but the hardware
until now that permitted decent quality levels was prohibitive, at least to
my wallet.  However there are now some truly amazing sound cards available
from several sources.  Naturally Creative is a biggy and their new X-Fi
cards are quite the quantum leap, cramming an amazing number of transistors
that translate into both quality and features at consumer price levels. 
The below link is for the top of the line which is still somewhat expensive
if one is not doing mastering work, but the other models that are amateur
rather than pro oriented can be had in the low hundred dollar region and
have truly excellent specs.  Here's the monster

 http://tinyurl.com/gsxwo

  Other manufacturers less widely known like EgoSys and M-Audio have superb
cards for a large number of applications and user needs, from casual to
pro.  The M-Audio Revolution 5.1 can be had for under $100 if you search
around and is at the very least semi-pro quality.  Bottom line it sounds
amazing given decent peripherals.

  I do some mastering work in both Linux and windows (thus the OT) and am
about to make a fairly major purchase of a higher quality soundcard, though
I'm not ready to plunk down the $400-$500 for the incredible Hammerfall
cards.  Probably either an EgoSys Juli{at} or one of the new M-Audio
"Audiophile" series since they use the ICE series Envy chipsets
for which the Alsa Project has considerable support.  I don't know if this
bodes well for OS/2-eCS but iirc Alsa was involved in making SBLive drivers
available for OS/2.

  Presently I am somewhat "saddled" with an SBLive X-Gamer but I
have to tell you I have made some recordings that do not fall in the least
bit short of amazing and I am an old Vacuum Tube, Grado cartridge kinda
guy.  For example I have a live recording of my old band, made over 20
years ago on a cheapy home quality cassette deck by a friend of mine
originally for his own enjoyment, AND the feed was a line-out from the PA
Mixer, which delivered a sort of mirror image of the sound.  Not only was I
able to remove typical cheap cassette hiss and noise, but even with just a
simple stereo feed I increased instrument separation, improved clarity and
balance and produced a CD that even has impressed some moderately famous
musician friends of mine who have spent big bucks on live recordings, done
properly from beginning to end.  Bobby Radcliffe was shocked because the
quality (of the recording, certainly not the playing) was immediatley
noticeably better than his "Live at the Rynborn".

  My system is presently the aforementioned SBLive with a powered 2.1
Klipsch system, although I have had even better results with my homebuilt
speakers and a set of old Dynaco ST-80's.  They're just overkill for where
I presently live.

  I didn't really intend to ramble on so but I hope you find it enjoyable
if not informative in that it is rather easy and surprisingly inexpensive
to produce, for well under $300 US what would have cost well over $2000
just 20 years ago, just as one example.  I just had to take issue with
"*can* provide", since lately PCs can provide jaw-dropping,
creeping grin quality audiophile sound for way cheap.  It's worth checking
out and possibly even if you still multiboot instead of dedicated box,
though that is likely inviting some hair-pulling work that we all know with
OS/2 and soundcards unless you had an SB16 or a PAS16.

Jimmy


 
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