Should I buy a 7.1 PCI Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro or a Presonu Audiobox USB?

[iredge]

Hi,

I am going tio build a new PC from ground up soon that I want to use to record my singing and Mixes.

I used to have a Audigy platinum aeges ago and I have desperately been trying to find the 7.1 PCI Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro for sale in my country and found it.

What bugs me is that I already own a fatality pro gamer extreme but not the i/o console which I can't find anywere and that I need so much.

My question is should I go and buy the full package Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro
or do you think the Presonu audiobox USB will do the trick with my creative card.

Please advise

 

[raybay]

There will always be drivers available for the 7.1 PCI Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro. Only if you know precisely why you want the Presonu Audiobox USB, would I get it... but it appears you have a good reason.
In which country do you live?

 

[Ruben]

usb and pci sound cards are two alternative devices, you won't be able to really use them together i.e. take advantage of I/0 on one card and processing on another. For what you need I would get a small firewire mixer from mackie

 

[iredge]

Great...Thanks very much for your advise guys. I think i that I am gonna go for the Elite pro. Shame for my other sound card that I barely used and that is rendered obsolete by Creative for not selling the I/O external console anymore.
In the end, if I can only use one card at the time and not the Presonu Audiobox USB on top of the creative card and it's effect. It is useless.
The firewire mixer sounds great. Will it work on top of my sound card or is it a sound card as well?
I live in Spain ;-)

 

[Ruben]

The firewire mixer sounds great. Will it work on top of my sound card or is it a sound card as well?

Nope, sorry.

For budget uses x-fi platinum would be a decent choice though. X-Fi strenght is at gaming but it does not make it terribly bad for music production. I actually used my X-Fi for simple mixes before getting the mackie desk and my friend still uses it with good results.

 

[iredge]

Thanks for the reply Ruben. I think that at my level the X-fi is the weapon of choice.
Can you tell me more about the Mackie desk? Does it behave as an external sound card? If I have an sound card installed on my pc is there any compatibility issues?
regads,