PCIe replacement for X-Fi Elite Pro?

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PCMusicGuy

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I'm going to be building a new computer early next year and I am looking for a suitable replacement for the X-Fi Elite Pro I currently use. Some of the motherboards I'm looking at do not have any PCI ports. I would also like to keep all my computer needs in one box, meaning one box for both gaming and music productivity.

So I want something that has the X-Fi audio processor and can do hardware acceleration of OpenAL and EAX. I also want something with the currently level of connectivity. The break out box has MIDI, phono input, headphone out (which plays at the same time as the analog or coaxial or optical digital outputs) as well as a couple of different line in ports. I do actually use all of these features so I am not in a hurry to give them up. I run a stage piano via MIDI and line in and a condensor mic via another line in. On occasion I will use a turntable to digitize older albums for family.

My searches have come up with nothing. If there is anything I am missing please let me know. If I have no choice, I will segregate and build a small computer for music productivity and then another for gaming.
 
-=Antimatter=- said:
Have you considered the E-MU products?
http://us.creative.com/products/welcomenew.asp?category=237
Click to expand...

I have checked into them. They are vastly superior for the music creation/productivity side of things but do not offer the gaming aspects of what an X-Fi does (read hardware accelerated audio in OpenAL/EAX). I cannot find a single PCIe based product that can completely replicate all aspects of the Elite Pro. As I said, I may have to end up breaking down and using two computers in the end.
 
There's nothing that matches the Elite Pro in terms of IO. It just didn't sell very well so they discontinued it. Your best option, when PCIe becomes required, is to get a high end PCIe X-Fi either from Creative or Auzentech and then to get a USB MIDI interface. For example the Auzen X-Fi Bravura has surround outputs, S/PDIF, and headphone. Then an M-Audio MIDISPORT 1x1 will give you MIDI IO.

Creative just isn't making any real pro cards since people don't seem to care. People either get a pro card (which their EMU division makes) or a consumer card, they don't care about both. I also owned an Elite Pro but there just aren't many people that wanted one.

Yet another option, if you've the money, is just two soundcards. Get an X-Fi that you like for output, and get a pro card for input. I'd look at Echo Audio's AudioFire line. They do analogue and MIDI IO and are quite high quality. I have an Audiofire 2 at work and it does the job nicely.

That's going to be expensive, of course, but less than two separate computers. For that matter if you want you can route the X-Fi's output internally to a pro card using Velbac. So say you got an AudioFire 8 and hook that to your amps. You then get an X-Fi and use Velbac to route the audio to the AudioFire. Windows is set to use the X-Fi so sounds are processed by it by default, the pro software uses the AudioFire directly.
 
Sycraft said:
There's nothing that matches the Elite Pro in terms of IO. It just didn't sell very well so they discontinued it. Your best option, when PCIe becomes required, is to get a high end PCIe X-Fi either from Creative or Auzentech and then to get a USB MIDI interface. For example the Auzen X-Fi Bravura has surround outputs, S/PDIF, and headphone. Then an M-Audio MIDISPORT 1x1 will give you MIDI IO.

Creative just isn't making any real pro cards since people don't seem to care. People either get a pro card (which their EMU division makes) or a consumer card, they don't care about both. I also owned an Elite Pro but there just aren't many people that wanted one.

Yet another option, if you've the money, is just two soundcards. Get an X-Fi that you like for output, and get a pro card for input. I'd look at Echo Audio's AudioFire line. They do analogue and MIDI IO and are quite high quality. I have an Audiofire 2 at work and it does the job nicely.

That's going to be expensive, of course, but less than two separate computers. For that matter if you want you can route the X-Fi's output internally to a pro card using Velbac. So say you got an AudioFire 8 and hook that to your amps. You then get an X-Fi and use Velbac to route the audio to the AudioFire. Windows is set to use the X-Fi so sounds are processed by it by default, the pro software uses the AudioFire directly.
Click to expand...

I might just do that. Money is not so much of a concern, I am just trying to save space. Thanks for the advice.

GreenGoose said:
Here you go:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...33&cm_re=x-fi_titanium-_-29-102-033-_-Product

Best sound card I have ever owned. Better than my Prelude or Forte.
Click to expand...

I'm sure it is a nice card. Is that a real X-Fi though? It doesn't look like it has the actual X-Fi processor from the specs.
 
GreenGoose said:
Yes, it is a X-Fi processor. Here is the manufacturers link.

http://us.store.creative.com/Sound-Blaster-XFi-Titanium-HD/M/B0041OUA38.htm

And [H] Review:

http://hardocp.com/article/2010/10/25/sound_blaster_xfi_titanium_hd_card_review/
Click to expand...

You're right. Thanks. They do not do very well in advertising that it uses the CA20K2. This actually gives me hope as they may end up creating an Elite Pro version based on the updated processor and sound card design. From the review it seems that they already have the connector built in.
 
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