Monitoring with two soundcards in Cubase?

Cubase
#1

Hey guys,

I’m using Cubase 6.5 with a Creative X-Fi Elite Pro as my primary audio-interface with a pair of HS80M connected. In order to improve my mixes I just ordered a pair of grot-boxes for secondary monitoring. What is the best practice to connect both pairs of monitors to my Windows 7 PC? My Asus mainboard has onboard-sound. Is it possible to connect the grot-boxes to the onboard soundcard and route the main-out of cubase to that output, too? Or are there any windows tools available to establish this kind of routing? If so, are there any drawbacks to be expected regarding latency?

I know that there are monitor-controllers available. But for now I am searching for a low-budget solution:-) Later I will invest in a firewire-interface with 8 outputs or so.

Thanks for your advice in advance!

Cheers,
distinct

#2

You would be absolutely mad to do anything except use one soundcard and a physical switch.

#3

One of these is the best budget option.

http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?q=audio+input+selector&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=17912628893965711948&sa=X&ei=zVN0UKT6Hsih0QWGvIGYDA&ved=0CEIQ8wIwAQ

You are wiring it up back to front as it’s designed as an input selector but they work fine the other way as an active monitor switcher.

#4

Interesting. Anyone using one of these care to comment on the quality? It’s cheap, is it cheerful too? Presumably it’s just a simple 3 way switch with nothing much else to get in the way.

Mike.

#5

I used a similar one (couldn’t find the exact model but looks VERY similar) for some years with a TC Konnekt before switching to the UR28M with it’s built in monitoring control options.
I found it surprisingly ok…i.e I couldn’t really hear any significant degradation in the audio.

Of course ymmv. Would be interested to hear if anyone else has tried one.

#6

You are probably better off in the long run by buying a proper audio interface. (Creative is yuk).
If you get one with 2 separate outputs you can use your speakers, and almost anything you can buy will have better drivers than a Creative XFi :wink:
Anyway, the free solution is to either switch driver in Cubase when switching monitors (having the grot boxes connected to the onboard audio, in which case you might run into latency troubles), or to install ASIO4all and rewiring your main output to the different outputs when you want to change.

#7

Thanks for your feedback so far!

I will take a look at the audio input selector gear as well as ASIO4All and see what works best. A serious audio-interface is still not off the table:-)

#8

use control room in cubase. it’s a built-in monitor switcher. very slick. but do yourself a favor and get a different sound card. there are much better options out there. steinberg ur28m would be great. presonus stuff. plenty of cheap options that have more than 2 outputs.

#9

Which also means that serious DAW software is not on the table either. Work with one soundcard as trying to reinvent the wheel simply won’t work for you. Take it easy and don’t be too ambitious.
f you get good recordings. Excellent but chances are you will not be able to do more than just the normal range of audio treatments, maybe a tiny bit of stuff like stretching audio but as soon as it starts to break up then back off and work out another way to do whatever it is you tried. Be economical with reverb as well.