EMU (Creative) 0404 Soundcard Reviews 3

- I've been using it for three years. - Unstable drivers: the Patchmix loading time is very long - I didn't try out many other products... It's my first DAW sound card! It's an interesting product for beginners since it forces the user to check the RAM consumption, to make the best out of the software, etc. And it works! - Good valu... [read more on Audiofanzine]

Audiofanzine FR rated this unit 3 on 2010-12-16.

Its about £70 or less if you buy on line and its a relatively new product from the house that has given us many old favourites.. I got mine at GAK in Brighton UK.. those guys are cheap..

OK.. It looks the part - the marketing guys have had a bit of a field day on this one.. Its got inputs alright.. everything is catered for.. midi and 2 X 2 analogue (unbalanced).. plus a breakout box that lets you connect your mini-disk.. walkman.. whatever - its got it all.. The instalation was a breeze.. plus you get disk welder and Cubase VSX as ad-ons (if you fancy them).. (which I didnt).. Its all nicely packaged and yea.. you start installing and your thinking.. I'm gonna be George Martin but with 128 track digital.. then .. as your toasting your success and great choice with the band.. and hooking the baby up.. you open the patchmix.. and unless rocket science is your bag you start thinking.. hold on a sec

so yea.. after the hold on a sec.. comes the "I wonder why the patch mix screen doesnt entirely fit on the screen" section.. you shrug and carry on.. But you see.. thats the things with this one.. the more you look and use - the less you like it.. The patchmix is terrible.. The card is great - but whoever is writing the software for this card is stoned. its complicated beyond complicated (for those of you reading this and saying - this guys stupid! - think again.. I'm actually a pretty bright can o' worms but my problems were this.. Litlle tiny adjusting icons that were too responsive to my twiddling.. overly complicated channel assignment and panning controls.. and we are just getting started.. If you dont use Cubase (forgive me but I just dont get along with it - its OK for multi-tracking but I'm just a guitar player at the end of the day.. and want amazing signal in and amazing signal out - does that ring a bell guys?).. its like the holy grail or something.. and we are all looking for it..Anyway where was I .. oh yea.. Its taken me about three weeks with a tec to get this baby at max performance.. the included pre-sets were all based in Cubase VSX and useless to me.. and the customer service team had LESS OF A CLUE than I did.. My MP3's dragged and MY CD's played in both drives had random gaps in them.. and yes .. I took my time with thsi and even had a tec around to the studio...but alas.. no joy (and joy really is important)

All construction of the card was to high standard - components were well thought out and the connections left every possiblity covered

In 1 years time when they have had a word with the software guys this card will probably be the home studion standard.. but until then folks I would avoid it like the plague and stick your true fave's like the audiophile 24/96.. why mess with something that just works.. you dig??

Jimbob Jones rated this unit 2 on 2004-07-24.

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