Tested Sound Cards

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Below is list of tested sound cards and notes on setting up each sound card. This is not complete list of sound cards that will work with the RoMac 10 Band Equalizer, many other sound cards may work and give excellent results.

Most sound card problems that we have seen to date are usually a noisy microphone input. Sometimes checking both the +20 dB and adjusting the DSP Attn slider in the sound card level dialog box will help solve this problem. This may seem counter intuitive, but the +20 dB controls the hardware on the sound card, where as the DSP Attn is implemented in the equalizer software.

NEW I have discovered an inexpensive way to solve the problem of noisy microphone input on a sound card. It is to use either a separate USB microphone, or use a USB converter to use your present microphone on a USB port, while using your present sound card for output to the radio.

A good example of this issue is with one of my own computers. It has a built in sound card based on the Sound Max AC97 chipset. I never could get decent results using the built in Microphone Input. When I use the Icicle USB converter, and still use the Sound Max for "Line In" and output, I get excellent results. Although I have not tested them, Shure and Marshall also manufactures a microphone to USB converter. See below for information on another inexpensive USB device made by StarTech.

UPDATE 08/02/09: I have not found a sound card that doesn't have excellent results with these two USB converters I have tried them on various computers, Windows 2000, XP, Vista, and Windows 7. Every one worked perfectly!

A dynamic microphone (-55 dBm) has been used for all the tests.

Windows 2000 & XP have an option to use the "Line In" as the audio source when the equalizer is in a transmit mode. This will usually require some kind of microphone preamp in order to drive the sound cards "Line In" with a Microphone. Windows Vista & Windows 7 , has this capability built as part of the it's operating system.

Sound cards are rated 1 to 5 with an asterisk

As we test more sound cards in the future the results will be posted here. Last update here...

Sound Card	Special Settings	Mic Preamp Required	Remarks

M-Audio Delta 44 *****	Windows 2000 & XP 1. Use option for different line in device. 2. Make sure under "Hardware Settings" in the M-Audio control panel "Independent" is selected under Multi Track Devices. 3. Adjust Line In levels with M-Audio control Panel. (-10 dB on microphone input) Windows Vista & Windows 7 Run Microphone level wide open and adjust Mic input with preamp. Vista Driver 5.10.0.5069 may not require a microphone preamp with a dynamic microphone. (On the M-Audio control panel, select -10db on the inputs used for the microphone)	Depending on Microphone used this card may require a Microphone preamp. Most dynamic microphones should drive the sound card, if the minus 10db is checked on the respective inputs in the M-audio control panel. This is the sound card I normally use.	Excellent sound.
Turtle Beach Santa Cruz *****	Use Line out always muted option	No	Excellent sound. Nice quiet microphone input. See FAQ #20 for Vista. Discontinued but readily available on EBay for less than $30.00
Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS ******** (PCI card)	"No Mon" checked. During receive, the Line In on Play side need to be adjusted. Do not use Line out always muted.	No	Good sound. Cards audio is slow to reach full volume going from transmit to receive. Discontinued but readily available on EBay.
Rode Podcaster USB microphone.***** Added 7/29/09	Windows 2000 and Windows XP will need to use "Different Line In" device in the Sound Card select dialog		Excellent sound. Note: Only tested with Window Vista.
Icicle Microphone to USB Converter ***** Added 07/29/09	Converter has very high audio levels with a dynamic microphone. Run gain on USB convertor unit at minimum. Although Icicle doesn't say, the unit worked fine on my Windows 2000 computer. Windows Update supplied the proper driver. Windows 2000 & XP have no native Windows level control. You will have to adjust the "DSP Attn" control in the sound card level dialog. Windows Vista & Windows 7 - Run sound card level fairly low in tandem with the "DSP Attn" control around -10 to -15 dB. Windows 2000 and XP will need to use "Different Line In Device" option in the Sound Card select dialog.	No	Excellent sound. I could detect no difference between my Heil PR 20 using this device and using the PR 20 into a M-Audio Delta 44 card. Converts XLR Dynamic or Condenser (has phantom power available) Microphone to USB. Although the converter has a XLR connector, there would be no reason you couldn't make up a small adapter for a regular unbalanced dynamic microphone. Pin 1 & 3 - Mic minus , Pin 2 - Mic positive) Great for the new Icom 7200 & 7600 radios. Perfect for sound cards that have only one input, especially laptops with only one input on their sound card.
StarTech USB to Audio Adapter. ***** Tiger Direct Web Page Updated 04/03/2010	Run DSP attenuation -15 to -20 db, with microphone level control about 1/3. This unit also has a microphone input and a speaker output. Windows 2000 and XP will need to use "Different Line In Device" option in sound card select dialog. Use an input on another sound card for Line In and/or Speakers. Windows Vista & Windows 7. Install USB PnP driver from C-Media from Windows Update, to ensure the Microphone Boost is recognized by the equalizer software, otherwise disable AGC in the Windows mixer, for the microphone recording. Windows 2000 & XP. Driver provided by Windows is prone audio glitches, install this driver for better performance. Use update driver in the Device Manager, Use "Have Disk" selection. Browse to where you unzipped the files, navigate to "Driver" folder and select the CmHid.inf file.		This little unit has very good to excellent audio! For $15.00 you can't beat this unit. Don't let the cheap price scare you away. Perfect for laptops or sound cards that either lack a microphone input, or has a microphone input that is noisy. This little unit has to be the best performance vs. price, we have run across.
Diamond Xtreme Sound 7.1 DDL *******	Windows Vista 1. May have to check both +20 dB and adjust the DSP Attn slider on sound card levels dialog box to quiet the hiss on the card. 2. Use driver from website, not windows update. Windows 2000 & XP 1. Use Line out always muted option.	No	Good sound. Vista Mic is a bit noisy, but using the +20 dB and adjusting the DSP Attn settings together will quiet it down. With a Mic preamp adjust the DSP Attn setting with the level wide open, and adjust the microphone preamp for proper levels. Microphone seems very quiet under Windows 2000 & XP
Turtle Beach Riviera *	Windows Vista 1. May have to check both the +20 dB and adjust the DSP Attn on sound card level box to quiet the microphone input. Windows 2000 & XP 1. May have to check both the +20 dB and adjust the DSP Attn level on sound card level dialog to quiet the microphone input. Depending on the OS ( XP or 2000), the +20 dB may not be enabled in the equalizer software and may have to be accessed via the Riviera Control panel. 2. May have some audio dropouts at a sampling rate of 22050 and small buffers. Either use a sampling rate of 16000 or increase buffer size to "Standard" All Operating Systems Select 2 channel operation in order to enable the Line In. Turn off internal equalizer. (Riviera control panel)	No	Noisy microphone sound. The Diamond card is a better bet **** Microphone input needs audio on the tip and ring for some reason with a dynamic microphone ******** Use driver from website or CD that comes with the card. DO NOT use the Windows update drivers. Run Mic Level on the Set Audio Levels as low as possible.
Turtle Beach Montego DDL	Not recommended.	See Remarks	Not recommended. Very noisy Microphone input. May be used for transmit only modes, if "Line In" is used for Microphone with a preamp. Windows 2000 & XP users will have to use the reverse inputs on sound card select dialog box, to utilize the Line In for the Microphone.
M-Audio Revolution 5.1 and 7.1	Not compatible		Not compatible.