After Market Audio Interface

B

broken flyer

New Member
Hi, everybody. I'v got some audio questions so i figured id ask them here. Well i recently built a computer and after using it awhile iv decided id like to upgrade/change the audio set up a bit. My main issue/concern is that the case i have, "raidmax skyline" has some really really crappy useless 1/8th stereo jacks on the front of it. The is a mic in and a line out but both are so cheap/make a bad connection so not really useful. The integrated audio on the motherboard is great and that's what iv been using but it is very big inconvenience to pull my computer out from the wall every time i need to plug or unplug something which is getting to be more and more as im started to experiment with recording music. What i would like is a better audio interface on the front of my computer. Possibly something that fits in one of the cd drive bays as i have 4 not being used. I think i would like multiple 1/8th jacks "6 would be good" and if possible maybe some rca jacks or even a few 1/4th stereo/mono jacks as well. Im not sure whats available for front mounted aftermarket audio interfaces so i thought id check. So far the closest thing to what i want that i found was this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820162031
I would just get a discrete audio card but i really really want the jacks to be on the front of the computer vs. the back. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks...
 
What you found is about all I have ever seen. The problem is the type setup you want has no real way to be hooked up to the motherboard, since motherboards only have a somewhat limited audio Pinout Header.
 
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Ya i do have an accessible pci slot so i was thinking i might get a discrete audio card then make my own jacks/interface on the front of the computer. First i was thinking of taking the wires off the 1/8ths i already have in front and getting some better jacks and solder those onto those and those will connect to the header on the mother board then i might be able to take a discrete audio card and remove the jacks that are on it, attach some leads and run them up to the front of the computer then ill mount all these jacks into one of the panels that covers a cd drive bay. That should give me at least 8 front mounted high quality jacks and then if i need different types of jacks i could run splinters on each lead to either 1/4th or rca jacks. Then i could use either i think as long as i dont plug into both at the same time or i could rig up some switches to select what jack i want to use so i dont have to worry bout plugging something wrong in. I might even be able to a small mixer type deal with some slide potimeters for volume on each channel.
 
I built out of some Radio Shack Parts, a Box that sits on the top of my desk. It has Separate rotary Volume control, and rotary switch to select the Jacks.

The Box has cables that come out the Back of it to hook to the rear Sound Card jacks. Made it about 10 years ago when the Computer Case I had, had no front ports, and love the flexibility it gives.
 
Ya, i just might have to do something like that. Can a discrete audio card run at the same time as the integrated audio on a computer? Because iv got 6 rear audio jacks that are integrated into the mobo and then if i added a discrete audio card and routed them to the front along with the 2 ports i could wire off the header on the mobo id have 8 i could use at a time in front as well so that would give me 14 total at a time if both the integrated audio and the card could run at the same time.
 
Windows won't use 2 audio sources at a time. You have to select in the Sound Control panel which card to use each time you want to change audio source from the motherboards to the PCI card.

You might look at m-audio cards they make four or five cards for the audiophile types.

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Consult your mother board manual as to what pin lay out you have for the audio interface you found on the nee egg site.....
Most modern motherboards will accommodate these set ups.
 
I'm an audio engineer, and I don't think you would be happy with anything that fits in your case. I'd look at firewire or USB audio interfaces with mic preamps in them...they really don't cost more than those ones anyway...

You just have to factor in connectivity...because they are meant for use with studio monitors and not 1/8" stereo jacks...

Hell...i don't know.
 
maybe just add your own quality mic/headphone jacks on the front of computer and wire them to the wires that go to the board.

and you can use adapters
 
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