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Topic: Hardware Playthru versus Software Playthru Challenge (Read 1346 times) previous topic - next topic
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Hardware Playthru versus Software Playthru Challenge

Hello Forum Members,

I publish digital jukebox software and I also manufacture digital jukeboxes and karaoke machines for rental and sale. I have a big challenge in the hardware design of a karaoke machine that I just can't seem to squash.

The system must have 2 microphone pre-amps (professional grade), and must have a balanced signal out. The microphone pre-amps MUST be software controlled and/or fed through a line-in of a sound card, so that my software can control the volume of the microphone. It doesn't matter too much whether the sound card is internal or external, but it does matter to eliminate all major backgound hisses, buzzes, etc.

The realtek soundcard on the motherboard has exactly what I need. When I plug the microphone into the line-in, I can control the volume of the line-in and there is no delay in the signal. But the sound card is very noisy!

I've then tried probably a half dozen sound cards and each one has a new problem. Some of them control the line signal monitor only on the soundcard itself, so you can not control the level. Some of them allow you to control the volume in the software, but then I get a delay.

Does anyone have the perfect solution or an idea for me so that I can have a sound card that is not noisy, and allows me to control the line-in monitor volume via hardware playthru?