Virtual Sound Card Recommendation

I have no idea about virtual cards or connecting musical instruments via any normal PC sound card. I use an "audio interface" for that, and as my default usb sound card for the PC.

I have a $50 M-Audio M-Track Solo and an older Gen 1 ~$200 Focusrite 2i4 and both work very well, though all(?) the Focusrite interfaces do some nasty popping and clicking (could damage speakers) when starting up as the USB gets turned on and off.

Quexos said:

I have no idea about virtual cards or connecting musical instruments via any normal PC sound card. I use an "audio interface" for that, and as my default usb sound card for the PC.

I have a $50 M-Audio M-Track Solo and an older Gen 1 ~$200 Focusrite 2i4 and both work very well, though all the Focusrite interfaces do some nasty popping and clicking (could damage speakers) when starting up as the USB gets turned on and off.

I was so contemplating on getting like your M-Audi M-Track Solo device, which I think should really work very well for my bass guitar; it seems to be a logical device to get. At least for now, all I need the connection for is the guitar.

Thanks for your replay.

caxtin said:

I was so contemplating on getting like your M-Audi M-Track Solo device, which I think should really work very well for my bass guitar; it seems to be a logical device to get. At least for now, all I need the connection for is the guitar.

Thanks for your replay.

That is what they are for, yup! There are many to chose from with the M-Track Solo being the cheapest "quality" unit (or ~$70 M-Track Duo for more inputs and balanced outputs). The next step up would be the Focusrite Scarlett Solo at about $100, but that and many others require 1/4" balanced inputs on your speakers/amp/monitors, so keep that in mind! Plain old RCA jacks do not work.

AVOID the cheap Behringer one (and several other knock-off-brands), it does not even have asio drivers, and therefore is high latency trash.

Here's a little thingy I did with mine. Guitars and bass recorded with it on this.
Molotov Missouri - Video - changed link to Odysee because youtube sucks with their age restricting .

caxtin said:

You familiar with Guitar Rig 7 Player?
Would a mixer hardware work with it?

Not at all, and I have no idea. By "mixer hardware" are you talking about the audio interfaces? More of a "music recording specific sound card" than a "mixer".

A quick search on Guitar Rig 7 Player, seems it is just a pack of Amp simulators (VSTs?) and probably a bit of a D.A.W. built in to make it standalone? That should work perfectly with any decent audio interface, though there are a ton of free amp VSTs that do the same thing, probably as good or better. Not to mention drums, synthesizers, pianos, reverb, echo, compression, EQ, you name it. You need a decent D.A.W to load them up in and use them though, of course.

Reaper has a pretty much infinite free trial, and is priced well anyway if you were to wind up liking it long term.
MT Power Drum Kit 2 is a very decent, freebee drum kit.

The video I linked above was done with all free VST guitar and bass amp, synth, and drum sims. I mean I play the stuff, but the amps are virtual, the keyboards are just a controller for the synth sims (a Polymoog at 3:50 and on) and/or the drums.

Yeah its a vst for kontakt the mixer will work if its plugged into your computer. its the input inside the daw that matters which will be picked up by the software, so if the mixer is plugged into the right device it will work.

the interface is also the better option you only really need a mixer if you want to control the levels going into the computer so like early gain staging or if you are tying more than one instrument together or just need more conections. There is also no reason why you cannot have both.

Mixer > to interface > to computer