Fair enough. I dont use an fx chain like what you described so i cant really comment.
Its also not really worth it if you're running it through a crappy amp and crappy cabinet.

Dont want to be a dick but that soundcard is really, really low end and has very.... mid level consumer conversion.. if even that....

From Wikipedia
"The audio processor on X-Fi was by far the most powerful at its time of release, offering an extremely robust sample rate conversion (SRC) engine in addition to enhanced internal sound channel routing options and greater 3D audio enhancement capabilities. A significant portion of the audio processing unit was devoted to this resampling engine. The SRC engine was far more capable than previous Creative sound card offerings, a limitation that had been a major thorn in Creative's side. Most digital audio is sampled at 44.1 kHz, a standard no doubt related to CD Digital Audio, while sound cards were often designed to process audio at 48 kHz. So, the 44.1 kHz audio must be resampled to 48 kHz (Creative's previous cards' DSPs operated at 48 kHz) for the audio DSP to be able to process and affect it. A poor resampling implementation introduces artifacts into the audio which can be heard, and measured as higher intermodulation distortion, within higher frequencies (generally 16 kHz and up) [5]. X-Fi's resampling engine produces a near-lossless-quality result, far exceeding any known audio card DSP available at the time of release. This functionality is used not only for simple audio playback, but for several other features of the card such as the "Crystalizer", a technology that claims to improve the clarity of digital music through digital analysis (supported by all X-Fi models, including the Xtreme Audio and X-Mod)."

also

"The market segment occupied by the XtremeMusic was moved downwards, with the introduction of the (cheaper) 'Xtreme Audio' and 'Xtreme Audio Notebook' products, which, despite the "X-Fi" label, are the only products in the X-Fi line not using the EMU20K1 chip (CA20K1)[3] (CA0106-WBTLF)[4] and thus lacking the hardware acceleration of 3D sound and EAX sound effects, gaming and content creation features and the I/O extensibility of all the other X-Fi models."

but better have been released, I'm well aware. At that point the only things I spent $ on were video games and audio, so I saved up and got the best I could. As a poor college student, I can say I'm still satisfied with the decision I made.

If you're happy with it, thats awesome.

Yeah, I'd say I am.

Was just trying to clarify a bit about the card's history and such, as well to say that in my personal experience the older cards are actually pretty nice.
From what I understand their reputation's gone significantly downhill since back in the day.

they have never been anywhere near professional audio tho...
all those cards are just little upgrades from built in soundcards...

Dude, no offence, but that sound card has very poor AD/DA conversion.

The fact that it's main advantage is audio streaming at 44.1 pretty much sums it up.

Check it's specs, verse, say the $200 RRP ($160 street) entry level E-mu 0404 USB:

Soundblaster:

# Signal-to-Noise ratio: 109dB
# Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise at 1kHz = 0.004%
# 16-bit to 24-bit recording sampling rates: 8, 11.025, 16, 22.05, 24, 32, 44.1, 48 and 96kHz
# Digital SPDIF interface support with 24bit/96kHz quality format

vs

E-mu:

Sample Rates:
44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192kHz from internal crystal (no sample rate conversion)*

Bit Depth: 24-bit I/O, 32-bit processing
USB 2.0 Hi-Speed

- Full 24-bit resolution at all sample rates
- 4in/4 out channels from 44.1-96kHz
- 2 in/2 out channels from 176.4-192kHz
- Zero-latency direct hardware monitoring

Type: E-MU XTC™ combo mic preamplifier and Hi-Z/line input w/ Soft Limiter
A/D converter: AK5385A
Gain Range: +60dB
Frequency Response (min gain, 20Hz-20kHz): +0.0/-0.16dB
Stereo Crosstalk (1kHz min gain, -1dBFS): < -110dB

Hi-Z Line Input:

- Input Impedance: 1Mohm
- Max Level: +12dBV (14.2dBu)
- Dynamic Range (A-weighted, 1kHz, min gain): 113dB
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-weighted, min gain): 113dB
- THD+N (1kHz at -1dBFS, min gain): -101dB (.0009%)
Microphone Preamplifier:

- Input Impedance: 1.5Kohms
- Max Level: +6dBV (+8.2dBu)
- EIN (20Hz-20kHz, 150ohm, unweighted): -127dBu
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-weighted, min gain): 112.5dB
- THD+N (1kHz at -1dBFS, min gain): -101dB (.0009%)
- Phantom Power: 48V
- Soft Limiter: 5dB max compression (software selectable)

Analog Line Outputs (2)

Type: balanced, AC-coupled, 2-pole low-pass differential filter
D/A converter: AK4396
Level (auto detect):

- Professional: +12dBV max (balanced)
- Consumer: +6dBV max (unbalanced)
Frequency Response (20Hz - 20kHz): 0.06/-.035dB
Dynamic Range (1kHz, A-weighted): 117dB
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-weighted): 117dB
THD+N (1kHz at -1dBFS): -100dB (.001%)
Stereo Crosstalk (1kHz at -1dBFS): < -114.5dB
Balanced/Unbalanced Output Impedance: 560 Ohms


No offence meant but your soundcard is blown away by the very cheap, entry level E-mu. The soundblaster is really only meant for gamers or internet users, it's definately not made for anyone creating or recording audio.

The wikipedia article must be discounting audio interfaces aimed at the proaudio market.

Thank you,
This is good to know. I've known for a long time that it was not a pro-quality card but never bothered to research exactly how it stacks up.
Curious as to a couple things-

(1) and this is for you Zarkov:
just wondering what model of the card these specs are from.
and
(2) this is for creative:
why the **** would you put midi i/o on a gaming card!
Most people I know don't try to play FPS with a (piano) keyboard.
But I guess most people don't try to DJ with converted oXbox controllers either so I'm not really one to be talking.

I've had a Firepod for a long time, however it fell into disuse as it was not compatible with the firewire card on my laptop. When I got access to my desktop again I didn't bother to check how the two stacked up either...though it looks like it's time to cross my fingers, plug it into my desktop, and hope that badboy still works.

That and start saving...
ah, the life of a starving artist/broke college student.
hahaha

Thanks everyone!
And of course no offense taken- I'd rather be wrong and learn than keep thinking I was right.

#2: so it appeals to a wider market to sell more units..

Zarkov's post says it's the E-MU 0404 USB (in an admittedly difficult-to-see place, I scoured the post for it after wondering the same thing you were).

Thats what i was thinking, so i decided to compare. I bounced one midi-line swung, and one not. I made a groove template from the swung one and flex-applied it to the unswung bounce. The difference was noticeable.

I am an eprom believer. I now have two similar basslines off the same template. They will definitely make a tidy progression and the flex-applied version will have its day in the sun, too.

If necessity is the mother of invention, then experimentation must be the father.

WIN!

I agree with Eprom's idea, for one- because warping really damages your audio... and I avoid it as much as possible.... (try listening to a song on warp, then turn off warp, if you don't hear a significant difference then you probably haven't been working on your sound quality much) so you definately want to get this set BEFORE the audio is recorded..... and i agree for two- because Eprom's music KILLS!!!! and I'd take his word for it...

Also, you always want to change things at the very bottom, and I mean this as in you want to finish the dynamics of your sound before processing it (and even though warping is essentially changing the dynamics, this is more of a processing procedure because you are actually changing an existing sound, whereas directly out of the synth you are changing what will be, and not what is)... just trying to prevent people from damaging their audio with warp... especially with bass sounds!