Re: Sound Card Comparison, WT: SCSI card

[spec@vax2.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector)]

In article jap5r@watt.seas.Virginia.EDU (Joseph Arthur Pellettiere) writes...

>	Could someone point out the differences/advantages of one or the
>other of the following cards.  The first is a stereo sound card called
>Super Sonic from Mididesign, 

    That's MDIdeas actually (not really important since they went out
of business years ago, but it shouldn't be confused with a MIDI sound
card, which it isn't of course). :)

>it has stereo output and an add on connector, I also have the the 
>expansion card which also allows stereo input.  The second card is from 
>Applied Engineering and is stereo I/O. Is one of these better than the 
>other?  I don't need both and would only like to keep one.

    If the Applied Engineering board is an "Audio Animator" it is the
better of the two, hands down. However, if it is an AE "Sonic Blaster"
card, then I would say the MDIdeas card is better overall (no serious
problems with shielding, volume at high levels and other flakiness).

    For stereo output the MDIdeas is superior, though when it comes to
digitizing sound it falls behind the Sonic Blaster (which can record 
true two-channel stereo, the MDIdeas card only captures in mono). The
Sonic Blaster is also nice in that it is in one piece, rather than a
card with a piggyback daugtherboard. I guess it comes to down which
you prefer: If you want good sound OUTPUT go with the MDIdeas card.
If you want good sound INPUT, go with the Sonic Blaster.

>	On another note, I would like to get a cheap HD system and would
>like to get a SCSI card, a RAMfast or Apple High speed.  I would be
>willing to trade one of the above cards for it, right now I'm leaning
>towards keeping the AE card.  BTW, this is for a ROM 1 IIgs with a TWGS
>card (currently unmodified)

    The RamFAST is the better of the two cards, though you may have to
disable DMA with a TransWarp GS in the system.

Mitchell Spector
spec@vax2.concordia.ca