USB External Audio Adapter

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A USB Soundcard (Sound Card) is practical for the application with a portable laptop computer when high quality audio is required for DJ's and Karaoke. The onboard sound on the majority of laptop computers produces distortion or low quality sound. It may be necessary to connect an external USB sound device to produce high quality, studio grade sound.

USB sound "cards" are actually external boxes that plug into the computer via USB. They are more accurately called audio interfaces rather than sound cards.

The USB specification defines a standard interface, the USB audio device class, allowing a single driver to work with the various USB sound devices on the market.

Low End Consumer Grade

Commonly used as a substitute for the built in sound card on laptop computer, however, may provide a sound interface for any PC with a USB port. The inexpensive lower end versions are designed primarily for producing sound. Sometimes consumers seek out a surround sound USB adapter when their laptop has only stereo out capabilities.

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Creative Labs Xmod USB Sound Card

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It connects in seconds to your notebook, PC or Mac to create an Xtreme Fidelity sound system. A true plug-and-play device, there’s no software installation necessary, and you can begin enjoying the richness of X-Fi right off the bat. Even if you have a computer with a good speaker system already, the Xmod improves the sound coming out of those speakers by widening frequency response and brings back the detail lost by compression and mastering the original performance.

 

Professional / Studio Grade

For studio grade recording, digitizing music, phono to CD, microphone recording, mixing, as well as producing extremely high quality, low noise audio - these adapters are a different animal than the low end USB sound cards described above.

Creative Labs E-MU 0404 USB 2.0

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E-MU's new 0404 USB 2.0 Audio/MIDI Interface delivers an unparalleled level of audio performance to your Mac or PC with premium 24-bit/192kHz A/D and D/A converters, pristine XTC™ mic/line/hi-Z preamps, ultra-low jitter clock and rock-solid stability. From its plug-and-play functionality and hands-on ergonomic design to professional features and signal-to-noise specs that are simply unmatched by any other USB interface on the market, the 0404 USB will forever change your expectations of USB audio. The 0404 USB also ships with the E-MU Production Tools Software Bundle that includes E-MU's Proteus VX, as well as software by Cakewalk, Steinberg, Ableton, IK Multimedia, and many more - everything you need to create, record, edit and master your music.

American Audio Versaport 2 Stereo In/2 Stereo Out USB Audio Interface

A simple 2-stereo-channel audio interface for easy 16-bit/48kHz AD/DA conversion.

ESI U46 XL

U46 XL is a powerful multi-purpose 4-in 6-out multi-channel audio interface designed for various recording applications at home or on the road. The U46 XL is the successor of our famous U46DJ interface. As its predecessor, it provides 2 stereo line inputs, a microphone input with +48V phantom power and a headphone output.

Focusrite Saffire 6 USB

Two sets of stereo RCA phone outputs let you split two channels of audio out to DJ mixer inputs, or you can go with balanced 1/4″ TRS outputs for sending straight out to powered speakers. The 1/4″ headphone jack in the front is powerful enough for the club and has independent gain control and a switch for cueing between the two sets of RCA outputs. Two mic/instrument inputs provide renown Focusrite preamps with optional phantom power, and you get MIDI I/O ports as well. Even if the included Ableton Live Lite 7 is child’s play for you, the bundled Focusrite plug-in suite (compression, reverb, gate, EQ) and Novation Bass Station software synth are a nice bonus.

Native Instruments Audio 4 DJ

Audio 4 DJ includes 2 channels of stereo RCA inputs and outputs. Grounding is provided, and the inputs are switchable from phono to line. With its straightforward intentions for the Audio 4 DJ, Native Instruments has focused on simplicity and power. You get loud output from both the headphone and channel outputs, as well as commendable sound quality. Traktor LE comes bundled.

Native Instruments Audio 2 DJ

High quality, ultra-mobile audio interface for digital DJs using TRAKTOR or other DJing and performance software. Small DJ USB soundcard. Entry level solution for DJs who want ultimate portability with no compromise on audio quality. If you're a digital DJ who doesn't require audio recording or timecode control, the AUDIO 2 DJ is made for you. Connects to your computer via the USB 2.0 cable. The two 1/4 inch output channels can either be used to route stereo signals to an external mixer, or as a master out and headphone monitor for using the internal mixer of your DJ or performance software.

M-Audio Fast Track Pro

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The Fast Track Pro delivers all the mobile recording flexibility of the Fast Track USB, plus even more professional features. You get 2 front-panel mic/line inputs complete with phantom power for condenser microphones, inserts for outboard effects, balanced and unbalanced analog outputs, S/PDIF digital I/O, MIDI I/O, and more. Fast Track Pro also features near-zero latency direct hardware monitoring and low-latency ASIO software monitoring, plus an A/B source switch and dual output pairs for DJ-style cueing. Fast Track Pro is compatible with most popular PC and Mac music software.

RatocSystem RAL-2496UT1

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Features a Digital Sampling rate of 16/24bit and 44.1/48/88.2/96kHz. When this hits the U.S. market is may be one of the top cards available.

 

 

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