recommend a good external usb soundcard?

[demetri_j]

thanks bbr620. Which of the two inputs would I plug the rca outs from tmy preamp into since it has a Left & a Right input since I would be using a Y adapter. Or should I use actual RCA cables since there's a Left & Right input?

[rkay5]

With the e-mu for cables you use unbalanced 1/4" to rca cables

[weegee]

Griffin iMic, around $35, works for me. I save my vinyl rips in 20bit files. Never thought of getting anything better as the resulting files sound identical to the original vinyl.

[Dimal]

G'day "weegee"...

That's great mate. It's more of an issue though if one intends to do any processing of the captured audio afterwards.

The higher bit depth (usually "32bit floating" and sometimes even higher for most decent audio editing software) allows this to be completed to a higher degree of accuracy and where errors occur, they will hopefully fall into the regions above 24bit. Afterwards they (the errors) will be discarded when the fully processed file is re-sampled for final use and maybe even better sounding than the original record.... That's a very subjective and personal opinion of course.

That's the 'very simplified' theory anyway but there are many fellow VE-ers here who are professionals in this field and could expand on this if you wanted to know more....

All the best,
Mal.