[SOLVED] Is it Worth Installing "old" Audigy Sound Blaster into a new Computer?

dugan · 07-15-2023, 10:25 AM

My experiences with Audigy cards were awful. They crackled. I took my last one out when I realized that it was audibly inferior to the motherboard's chipset audio.

Quote:

Originally Posted by whizje

The benefit of the soundblaster is that it contains a hardware mixer. That's a big plus.

How is that a plus? ALSA has had OOTB mixing for a decade now.

EDIT: Just saw the timestamps on the post. Oh yeah...

Arnulf · 07-15-2023, 04:13 PM

Currently there may be one reason for use of an ancient sound card in a modern computer. These ancient sound cards provides native MIDI-Port and Gameport. Both are supported by the Linux kernel. If you want to use musicial instruments equipped with MIDI or ancient devices that must be connected to a Gameport an ancient PCI sound card is a better solution than crappy USB-to-MIDI or USB-to-Gameport adapters. Use of an ancient sound card isn't possible in all cases. These ancient sound cards require a PCI slot but modern mainboards doesn't provide any PCI slot. Therefore a PCIe-to-PCI adapter must be used and this requires additional place in your computer case. If you insert a µATX mainboard into an ATX case you have this required place. If you insert an ATX mainboard in an ATX case you normally haven't this required place.

Rumen · 04-24-2025, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by husarz

We have 2023 and cards like Live! of various versions and Adigy works well! I had to use PCI-to-PCIe adapter board but no problems with Fedora 38. Hardware mixer does the job! I have CT4830, SB0220 and friends - all works out ouf the box. The sound quality is outstanding way better than on-board chips. Then yes, if you can you definitely should use those great sound cards!

If you can tell me how you install that card I will highly appreciate! I bought Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE because I integrated audio card burned by some reason on my DELL T5400, but I see the card and no output sound. All profiles seems OK, from Alsamixer I setup the sound card. INdicator shows some sound in the audio control panel, but there is no any sound on my speakers. I have old small USB card and there is sound. The integrated card in turned off from BIOS.

Code:

aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: CA0106 [CA0106], device 0: ca0106 [CA0106]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: CA0106 [CA0106], device 1: ca0106 [CA0106]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: CA0106 [CA0106], device 2: ca0106 [CA0106]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: CA0106 [CA0106], device 3: ca0106 [CA0106]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 7: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 8: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 9: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 3: Device [USB Audio Device], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
  Subdevices: 0/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

wpeckham · 04-24-2025, 10:50 AM

I have some hardware that was cutting edge in the 1990s, and it outperforms anything made today that I can afford. Old is not a reason not ot use it. Faulty and incompatible are good reasons, but not simple age.