Best Audio (vocal) recording sound card?

[PacMan]

Hi everyone. I’m looking for a sound card to record clean sounding voice recordings. I have a very decent Mic. Any recommendations? No musical instruments or anything, just want the voice recording to sound crystal clear.

How is this?:
M-Audio Audiophile 192 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829121125&CMP=OTC-pr1c3watch&ATT=29-121-125)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829121125&CMP=OTC-pr1c3watch&ATT=29-121-125

My Mic has 1/4 output.. I can't tell (from the picture) if this one is 1/4 input.. Any recomendations on any other sound cards? Again, just need clean voice recording.

Thanks!!

[Platypus]

The Audiophile is a good card, analog input is on 1/4" jacks but at line level, so you'll need a mic pre-amp. The inputs are balanced, so you can use a pre-amp or mixer with balanced output, or just ignore the second connection in the socket and use unbalanced.

I'm using an E-mu 0404 card, which claims similar performance specs to cards like the Audiophile, but is a budget card with more basic features. It's good for the money, but E-mu is owned by Creative, which some people don't like...

[geoscomp]

If you have that good a mic, buy a balanced xlr cable for it and use something like the Audiophile 2496..available from Sweetwater.com or any professional music/production dealer..You will have much better results with anything from an SM58 on up if you use a balanced XLR cable..here is an explanation of balanced vs unbalanced:
http://www.sweetwater.com/shop/cables/cables_buying-guide.php
If it is a good mic, the cable is able to be changed
even though it is recommended to use balanced cables for only long cable runs, a computer can put out a fairly large amount of noise that can be picked up be even a short unbalanced cable.

[PacMan]

Thanks for the replies,

Actually, I do have an Shure SM58. The computer, I have it water-cooled and the power supply, I have dual fans which the speed is regulated at a very slow speed to where there is absolutely no sound. I currently use an ART StudioV3 Voiced Valve Preamplifier w/Output Protection Limiting.

But my sound card, it’s an On Board AC6 on the Asus K8V-X. I have the 1/4 coming out of the preamp to a 1/4 to stereo converter and into the PC. The card actually records pretty well. But I know there has to be sounds cards designed for what I am doing. Currently, I get some “hiss” sound, but very light. I use a program to clean up the hiss sound, but still there is some left.. I am trying to simply eliminate this hiss sound.

I never knew about the balanced an unbalanced XLR.. A bit confusing, but it seems the balanced is the better route.. I just looked at my 1/4 and it is TRS. Is that balanced or no? I’m actually confused at this balanced and unbalanced. But I think (i hope) I have a balanced.. cause I knwo I have a TRS for sure. I bought an E-MU before.. it was only good with 98 and I could never find a driver, plus it was an ISA card.. I paid $100 for it, never got it working.. I rather pay and get a good one.. I'm thinking I'll just get the Audiophile 192 ...?

Thanks

[geoscomp]

Yep..a tip/ring/sleeve (TRS) connector is balanced..as long as it's connected to a TRS input and not just a standard 1/4 inch jack. The key is the shielding and the out of phase cancellation that is provided by a ground not carrying a signal as in a standard ts (tip/sleeve) connector. The SM58 is a good mike..we use them for live sound..especially vocals..because of the pattern and impedance they have..if you are looking to mic up an instrument, an SM57 is probably a bit better..but you can use either..the frequency response of the 57 is not as good for full range voice response.
Pretty much any Audiophile sound card should work much better than the setup you have..just make sure it has a balanced TRS input.

[Platypus]

Some of the hiss you're getting will be sourced from the pre-amp circuitry, some will be the noise floor of the onboard sound in the computer. You can get an idea of which is dominant by recording "silence" with and without the pre-amp connected to the computer. Ideally (but maybe not so easy for you to arrange) each input should be shorted, but you could still compare. Record a little with levels as you would typically use, but with no input to the soundcard, then connect the pre-amp with typical gain setting but nothing connected to its input. The hiss level in the first section can be reduced with a better specified soundcard, any higher hiss level in the second section contributed by the pre-amp won't be reduced, but the perceived effect would be reduced as it won't be added to by the later noise.

I'd also re-emphasise geoscomp's advice re using an XLR cable on your mic. Even though the tip-ring-sleeve connection on the 1/4" input is a balanced connection (minimises hum/electrical interference pickup), the SM58 is a low-impedance mic, and the 1/4" TRS input on your StudioV3 is high impedance. If you run the mic through the XLR input, you'll get better results - the frequency response of the mic will be truer and noise performance should be better.