Emu 1212M PCI 24-Bit/192kHz Balanced Interface (Windows)

Mastering-grade 24-bit, 192kHz converters. Flexible connectivity. E-DSP 32-bit Multi-effects Processor.

Overall User Ratings (based on 154 ratings)
  • Overall:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Sound:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Features:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Ease of Use:
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Quality:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Value:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Manufacturer Support:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • The Wow Factor:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(154) (see rating details)
Submitted November 11, 2004 by a customer from yahoo.com

"Top Quality, Nice Price"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I'm really happy with where this has taken my music. The low latency has shown me the way for VSTi's (do not try it with an Audigy series card) and the sound is just unbeatable, all for a very fair price.
Sound
I recently built a home studio on a budget. I started with an M-Audio Delta 1010LT, but that didn't have balanced I/O, which meant more potential noise than I wanted to worry about. So I returned it and got the 1212M. I'm currently mixerless until I decide on the perfect one, but I'm managing fine with the PatchMix software as my mixer for now. First off, the overall quality is incredible. Everything is incredibly clear and flat coming through my Behringer Truth B2031A's... The 1212M's DSP effects are a lifesaver, especially when it comes to equalizing the signal for a "hifi home stereo speaker" sound. Mindblowing clarity.
Features
I don't see the average home recording dude needing the 0202 daughter card, but maybe I'm wrong. I wish I could have just bought the 1010 PCI card and saved some cash, but E-MU doesn't sell it by itself right now. STMPE? Word clock? Well, I guess it's better to have too much than too little. Maybe I'll have a use for them some day...
Quality
Nice, but I have to agree with the guy who said the daughter card should have just been put on an extra cable (or whatever) instead. Not a major gripe, though.
Value
This thing is just barely more than an Audigy 2 was when it orginally came out... And the difference is night and day. Awesome value for a recording-quality card with low latency, great software, DSP effects, etc.
Manufacturer Support
No idea. Why doesn't Zzounds include a "N/A" in their rating choices?
The Wow Factor
This is a great card. I wish they would have included more balanced 1/4" inputs instead of the SMTPE and word clock stuff. It would be much more useful for us average home-recording-guitarist types.

Musical Background:

Part-time pro guitarist / electronic musician semi-noob

Musical Style:

Everything from ambient to metal.
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Submitted February 27, 2006 by a customer from yahoo.com

"Cheers to Emu"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Love it, recomened it to any home studio or amateur musician.
Sound
I've never had any other expierences with soundcards but i have no problems with sound quality.
Features
perfect amount of inputs outputs for me (and for a small studio). not the best for professional hi end use. overall very good and complete features. Easy to install and a breeze to setup.
Ease of Use
The hardware is sorta confusing and so is the asio drivers and routing.
Quality
I Bought it used and it worked fine. Made like a standard pci card, no problems with it.
Value
I got it used for cheap, but even new, still worth every penny.
Manufacturer Support
Not yet have to use them yet.
The Wow Factor
Personally love it. The few sound interfaces that actually goes into your computer without all those I/O wires hanging all over the place.

Musical Background:

Hobbyist

Musical Style:

Hip Hop
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Submitted September 21, 2005 by Barrettmusicman2aol.com

"Even if working big budget, CHECK IT OUT!!!!!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I score feature films and I have to tell you that this card surpasses a lot of AI's I've come in contact with for much less of a price!
Sound
The sound is great. The low end sounds sweet as does the highs. I use a lot of strings and it gave them great stereo separation. But, this card is SOOOO sensitive that it picked up a ground loop from my keyboard that I never heard before..........upgrade??? The sound is really great though!!!!!
Features
The patchmix is pretty cool but I wish it would give you more control over the input signal. A VST patchmix would be cool so I could watch it and my music at the same time.
Quality
It's Beautiful!!! It's really a shame that you can't constantly look at the cards. The patchmix looks good too.
Value
Unbeatable. It's hard to get something so sensitive for so cheap..........be careful though, you may find noises you've never heard before. At least you know it won't be the card!
Manufacturer Support
EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!! I had an audio problem (ground loop) and they not only, efficiently, helped me figure out that it wasn't my card they also helped me narrow down where the problem was coming from, they helped me for as long as they could. Great Support!!!!!
The Wow Factor
This is something that is needed as well as something wanted.

Musical Background:

Film Composer

Musical Style:

anything and everything......whatever comes to mind :-)
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Submitted March 21, 2004 by a customer from aol.com

"Top of the line quality for only $200"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
I should be satisfied with this soundcard for many years since it supports DVD-Audio and DVD-Audio isn't even close to being popular yet. If I decide to make music, then I may upgrade to the 1818m since it has more inputs/outputs and mic preamps. This product is a lot better than any other soundcard I've used. For PCI-based soundcards, nothing beats it. It does have a minor glitch with my audio software, but its not a big deal. It's a 9.5 cause of the glitch but I gotta round it up to a 10.
Sound
It doesn't get any better than this, the same converters as Protools flagship soundcard. The signal to noise ratio is awesome, very clean sound and recording. 24-bit/192KHz sound and recording! Although DVD-Audio isn't mainstream yet, this soundcard will allow you to play back and record at DVD-Audio quality! Most soundcards I have seen can only record up to and play back 24-bit/96 KHz sound. I had a interface that recorded at 24-bit/96KHz, it sounded good but not as clean as this soundcard's sound. 24-bit/192KHz playback/recording is as close as you can get to live sound as far soundcards go. It sounds very good at regular 16-bit/44.1 KHz playback/recording, and sounds even better at 24-bit/192 KHz. I use this soundcard in my home studio where I have a 4-channel DJ mixer, two turntables, two CD players, and studio reference monitors. The card sounds great in my situation and allows me to playback and record cleanly and at the highest recording level possible. I had lots of trouble getting this card to work in my computer, technical support was great. I own a Dell Dimension 4300 and had to go to the site and download a BIOS update to get this sound card to work properly. You have to mess around with the settings on the program it comes with in order to find the right setting for what you want to do, otherwise you will probably get feedback when you record or it will sound real bad when you play recorded things back. I'm still learning about it.
Features
This card has all the features I needed and then a little bit more. If you need more inputs/outputs or microphone preamps, then upgrade from the 1212m to the 1820 or 1820m. For right now I only use my computer for DJing so this is all I need. If you make music and stuff on your computer with vocals then you need the 1820 or 1820m.
Quality
This soundcard is as good as any soundcard made! Since it's PCI based, it should last forever. Only gripe would be is it has a little glitch with my audio software, Vegas 4.0 by Sonic Foundry.
Value
Well worth $200. I had spent $300 for an inferior mobile soundcard and luckily returned it because it was not compatible with my audio software. Then I was shown this soundcard and the specs for it were awesome so I bought it. Unbeatable value, period! It's PCI-based so it's better than any mobile firewire or USB external soundcard.
Manufacturer Support
As noted above I had a real hard time getting the soundcard to work. Luckily on the advice of one of the technicians, I went to Dell's website to look for updates and found one that allowed the soundcard to work on my computer. But it took me a week of trying to see if anything else was wrong before I did that. I told technical support about the problem I experienced and they said they would post the information I gave them on a FAQ list, and offered to send me a free T-shirt! If you have a DELL DIMENSION 4300 computer, you need to go to Dell's website and download the CL5 BIOS update, it's under a download for Audigy soundcards.
The Wow Factor
24-bit/192 KHz recording and playback! Super clean recording! Super clean playback! PCI-based so its faster than any firewire or USB soundcard, and more reliable. No other soundcard with this quality comes close to its price. It has a little glitch with my audio software, Vegas 4.0, but its not a big deal and doesnt affect anything.

Musical Style:

House music
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Submitted December 6, 2005 by a customer from freemail.hu

"Accurate sound, stable performance"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
I'm doing composing, mixing and mastering with this card, and it absolutely fits all my needs; accurate sound, low latency, stable operation. The MIDI adaptor cable is a bit problematic - it doesn't fit completely to my MIDI cables, but it works actually. I would recommend this card to anyone who wants do do some serious audio work on a PC and doesn't want to pay too much.
Sound
It has a very clear, detailed sound with a very powerful dynamic range. You can hear the place of every single instrument, and you can really feel the dynamics put into the mix. Its detailed sound helps you to find errors immediately.
Features
A headphone connector would be useful. The software bundle is useful.
Quality
Excellent sound, strong construct.
Value
Concerning its sound quality and features, I think it would worth twice as much or so!

Musical Background:

Music composer, project engineer

Musical Style:

electronic art
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Submitted April 22, 2004 by a customer from sonic.net

Emu 1212M Interface Customer Review

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Sound
The card has an unmeasureable noise floor in my system. It sounds very clean, analog like.
Features
The mixer is very full featured, more than I need actually. It also comes with a few recording packages which are very good too.
Quality
Very good.
Value
Worth every penny, and it's cheap.
Manufacturer Support
N/A

Musical Style:

Classical music
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Submitted October 5, 2005 by a customer from yahoo.com

"Confusing Patch Mix software, stellar sound and features."

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
EMU, make the patch mix software something that at least Einstein could figure out and you've got a winner!
Sound
Excellent sound. Wide, sweet, clear. You would be hard pressed to find a better sounding card.
Features
Tons of self powered fx. Patch mixer with a million patching options.
Quality
Solid construction.
Value
Hard to beat for the money, indeed.
Manufacturer Support
Decent website. I didn't try support.
The Wow Factor
Lots of pro features. ADAT ins and firewire port are a definite selling point.

Musical Background:

Pro Musician

Musical Style:

Classic Rock
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Submitted December 9, 2005 by a customer from blueyonder.co.uk

"E-Mu 1212M great value sound for under a tonne"

Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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I will probably use this soundcard for a while, until I get the best out of it. Probably around 2 years or so.
Sound
Good quality ADC/DAC convertors for the money.
Quality
Pretty much what you would expect for a PCI card.
Value
This is a good soundcard for the money, despite the drivers which could be better IMO, as it comes with some pretty good quality components and sound output. You could do worse the same money.
Manufacturer Support
So far I haven't used support.
The Wow Factor
Great for beginners and intermediates like myself. Experienced musicians shouuld get the 1820M edition or 1616M if they are mobile.

Musical Background:

Hobbyist

Musical Style:

Electronica
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Submitted October 3, 2011 by a customer from gmail.com

"A Versatile Tool for Serious Recording Hobbyists!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Sound
The sound of this interface is absolutely excellent. Because of the 24-bit depth, your noise floor will be almost nonexistent. The DACs are very good, I get clear sound that is also very flat EQ-wise. Works well with folk/acoustic sound. I see some people recommend not getting this if you have to record multiple sources; I plugged in my Behringer ADA8000 (via ADAT) and ran 10 channels into Cubase simultaneously. The almost-nil latency is great here, and I didn't have to worry about synchronization. The 1212m can use external clock, or an internal one. If you wanna hear a track recorded with the 1212m/ADA8000 (and mixed with the included Cubase program), listen to: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=1086789&songID=9537151 I really like the patchmix program, allows me to run multiple headphone AUXes for recording. the onboard FX are also pretty nice, and you can actually apply the hardware-based FX to tracks in Cubase. Here's a tip that saved me a bunch of grief: The hardware DSP only has enough memory for a certain number of simultaneous FX; and as these are used up in your mix you'll find that some effects in the palette become 'greyed out' as further options — the delays, reverbs and multi-effect chains are the hungriest and tend to go first! Unfortunately there's no readout for remaining DSP resources, but as a rough guide, you can only launch two Stereo Reverbs or two Stereo Delay 1500s, or one of each, before they get greyed out as further options. Saving a session, or adding or deleting a strip “defragments” the effect/DSP resources. If any effect you wish to add is unavailable(greyed-out), try deleting an unused strip to free up resources.
Features
Pretty nice! The only thing I wish the card had included is a stereo headphones/monitor out. All onboard IOs are mono TRS 1/4". Plus, of course, the optical ADAT and MIDI connectors, and Audiodock interface. Since, however, most people are using this in a semi-pro environment, it's not an issue; I simply route the aux1 bus to the ADAT 1/2 outputs, and then connect that to my HA400 headphone amp. I ended up soldering together a few common cords to use with this setup. I created a female 1/4" stereo to 2 x 1/4" TRS male splitter, so I can send my 'monitor' line to the outputs 1 and 2, and plug my stereo headphones in to them. I also wired up a 2 x XLR to 1/4" stereo male cord so I can route L/R aux bus to ADAT 1/2 outputs, and get stereo output to the headphone amp for my singers.
Ease of Use
I really like the Patchmix interface. it's pretty intuitive, and if you're not averse to reading the manual you can pick it up pretty quick. Quick tip: First thing to do when you add a channel in the interface, is add a level meter and gain control pot to the top. add your FX below that. This gives you an easy visual of where your sound is coming from, and where to place the blame for any clipping.
Quality
Fit and finish were impeccable. I would have liked to see the daughter card have a little longer (dummy)PCI interface tab; I had to really tighten the screws on it to make it secure and not wobble. But it's in and secure.
Value
For the price, I'd go with this in a heartbeat! The ADAT interface, for me, was the clincher; I didn't find any other card or interface with 24bit /192 KHz depth and ADAT for anywhere near the price; plus, most were external (USB, Firewire, etc) and I wanted the direct bus interface to keep my latencies low.
Manufacturer Support
Haven't needed any so far!

Musical Background:

Active musician, part time recording engineer

Musical Style:

Folk, Vocal, Gospel, light Rock
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Submitted July 6, 2006 by a customer from gmail.com

"Excellent mixing card."

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
This is an excellent card for the price. Maybe even the best. And it give you the option to grow. Need more inputs? Buy the 1820M or upgrade later with desktop box. Need more DSP and audio power? Buy more 1010's and wire them together. Only thing that will limit the upgradeability of this system is the number of free PCI slots in your computer.
Sound
Excellent quality audio at 44.1,48,96 Khz ..bit noisy at 192Khz.. but if you work with 192Khz on a regular basis, you wouldn't have bought this card in the first place. Excellent converters from Digidesign (that's what the M stands for), balanced in/ouputs really help keep the noise levels down. Just make sure you use balanced jacks, that wil give you another 6dB gain and almost no noise.
Features
PatchMix rocks..can be complicated, but so is audio routing in real life. Quite easy to drop in the E-wire VST plugin anywhere in a channel strip of your favorite audio program and then configure the patchmix to route that sound through an internal effect or (even beter) an external analogue effects bay. Works like a charm. Even better is the PowerFX vst plugin. Just drop one in your channel strip and access the DSP effects directly. This is exactly what I want from an audio card.
Ease of Use
Documentation is limited but precises. Working with the PatchMix and DSP effect does require some experience in studio mixing. But if you're ok with computers and you know how to route audio for mixing and mastering in real life.. you'll enjoy the patch and dsp capabilities of this card.
Quality
Built quality is good. Converter quality is excellent for this price and they threw on a couple of DSP's. The 0202 card can be a little flimsy, so use a mixer instead of pluggin and unpluggin cables on a minute by minute basis.
Value
Excellent value. You get balanced inputs/outputs, firewire, spdif,adat, DSP effects and one of the industry standard AD/DA converters. The basis of the 1212 is the 1010 board coupled with the 0202 breakout card. You can expand a 1010 to the 1820M by buying the external box as an option, this will give you something like 20 in/out. Best feature yet: You can stack the 1010's and interconnect them with a little cable. So you can build your own little DSP/Audio farm.
Manufacturer Support
Good support on the website and forums. Lots of users, so lots of community support. Haven't had to call 'm yet.
The Wow Factor
Bought it in about 5 minutes, while I was broke.

Musical Background:

Active Producer

Musical Style:

Rock, Pop
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Submitted December 3, 2007 by a customer from yahoo.com

"The honest unbias review of the 1212m, from an average Joe."

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Ive had the 1212m for over 2 years now, never had a problem, only "user error", I dont know if other bad reviewers didnt install it properly, I record at 5ms latency most of the time, when I start adding REwire or Several effects, I bump it up to 10ms to be safe (without crackle), and the singers can still hear accurate reverb without too much delay while recording. But overall , if I still search for a new PCI interface, I still find myself narrowing it down to the 1212m, unless youve got $800.00 to spend on a recording sound card, that you probably wont get better quality results, sounds like those unhappy with the sound may need to work on the quality of their own sound/singing/playing.
Sound
The sound that is recorded using the analog inputs of the interface is perfect. Ive got a Dell 4600 P4 basic setup. I do highly recommend using balanced inputs, it can easily turn into a jungle on the back of your pc, and could introduce noise if using standard unbalanced 1/4 inch connectors, The sound is Perfect. I dont know how else to describe the sound, but when I play back the recorded audio, it sounds identical to the monitored input (after matching the volume/gain of course).
Features
I really cant complain about features, its got firewire 400 input, smpt which ill never use, adat input/output, if you want to add an 8 channel rig, and midi, for the money I really cant say its missing anything. It probably has too much, I have limited pci space, so a single pci card wouldve been nice.
Ease of Use
I consider myself pretty electronically and computer gifted, and to be honest, its not has difficult as learning a new program (sonar, Reason), but you deffinetly have to read the manual a few times when setting up with your favorite sequencer. The patchmix software has various presets, and others can be downloaded to ease this. But all those asio channels get confusing from time to time if manually routing. LET THE PRESETS TAKE CARE OF IT FOR YOU.
Quality
I cant complain about quality at all, it has stood up to many harsh plugs and unpluggings, midi cable twistings, accidental kicks to back of pc, plenty of pc dust, and still manages to work like new. It looks beautiful also, even though nobody ever looks behind your pc.
Value
More features and inputs than other pci audio interfaces twice as much, 192khz d/a a/d converters, from the same systems as the PRO TOOLS HD, all for under $200.00, if there was an 11, I would rate it an 11 for value. I would gladly pay more than twice what they are going for.
Manufacturer Support
I have never had to call tech support or anything like that, every now and then Ill check emu/creative labs website for updates, ive always kept the hardware drivers/software up to date and never had a problem, So i cant accuratley rate support. Which may be a good thing if you never have a problem, solid hardware.
The Wow Factor
The online descriptions and reviews convinced me to buy it. And im glad I did, no real complaints, more inputs maybe, but for $150 bucks, I cant complain, I can always buy an 8 channel ADAT and plug into the back of the 1212m and add 8 more channels. No complaints. Some people feel they have to spend 500-1200 dollars on an interface, im not rich, and if I was I still might have this sound card.

Musical Background:

Hobbyist / Active Musician

Musical Style:

Latin / Rock / Christian
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Submitted May 25, 2006 by a customer from yahoo.com

"Rocks"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
this is a good card. Not for morons or lazy computer users. It takes some skill and thats why the box says "proffesional" My setup is a Dual Core Athlon, EMU 1212 and its interfaced to an M-Audio Octane 8. All brought together under Sonar 4. This setup gets results.
Sound
sounds good, i wish it had surround outputs though
Features
loaded with features, so many configurations it boggles the mind
Ease of Use
this is a proffesional product, not for idiots or folks who think a good recording can be made on a sound blaster. There are many ways to configure it. Takes a little getting used too, but once your in your good to go. If your understanding of inputs and outputs is weak your in for a fight
Quality
nice construction and its blue! looks good in the case against red mother board
Value
unbeatable, the next step up in this level of card is about another 300 bucks
Manufacturer Support
instant support, even called me back the next day to make sure i was good when i was'nt sure about some settings
The Wow Factor
ya its nice, shiny and blue. Great to look at in my clear computer case, looks cooler with a blue 4 inch cold cathode running down the side of it.

Musical Background:

Active musician

Musical Style:

Rock
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Submitted March 19, 2009 by a customer from yahoo.com

"Very satisfied customer."

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
As long as it keeps working, I will keep using it.
Sound
Clear and clean - no coloration except for the included DSP effects.
Features
Great sound quality, lots of DSP effects, an amazing software/hardware mixer app.
Ease of Use
Well, the PatchDSP mixer is a bear, but this is a function of the flexibility of the unit. Once you get the hang of it, you use it constantly. It is terrific.
Quality
Have had no issues yet - have used it about 1 year.
Value
Amazing value -
Manufacturer Support
I'll give it a 7 - have not contacted support, but the manuals and drivers on the website are up-to-date.
The Wow Factor
The product has great sex appeal. I have been approached repeatedly by attractive young women since I purchased the soundcard.

Musical Background:

musician and hobbyist

Musical Style:

acoustic guitar, electronica
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Submitted January 7, 2005 by a customer from yahoo.com

"Excellent Quality...Excellent Value..."

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
With this type of quality, and features, there is nothing else in the price range that can beat the 1212m soundcard. I'll put my money on that!!
Sound
Excellent sound quality, sound quality also depends on your equipment... but I dont know what the last guy was talking about...Excellent A/D converters...
Features
It comes with effects that you can use as vst plug-ins as well...honestly it has more features than I will use.
Quality
High quality components...no complaint from me at all. Works 100% like it should.
Value
This soundcard is an absolute bargain for under $200.
Manufacturer Support
Excellent support. I emailed E-MU questions regarding their digital audio interfaces and they answered my questions fast, and friendly. Wonderful experience.
The Wow Factor
I own it...

Musical Background:

Active Musician, Producer, Recording Engineer

Musical Style:

Hip Hop, RnB, Soul, Urban
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Submitted December 27, 2004 by a customer from msn.com

"Excellent Soundcard!!! One of the best on the market."

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Top of the line sound quality. Extremely high quality analog to digital converters, high quality effects, easy to use, nice amount of inputs and outputs, great price value, what else could you really ask for?
Sound
Excellent sound quality. Very high quality analog to digital converters.
Features
Comes with more features than I seriously need. High quality effects, etc.
Quality
Excellent Quality...I have had no problems or complaints so far.
Value
The best soundcard in this price range hands down!!!!
Manufacturer Support
Excellent support. I emailed them a couple questions and received respones generally within a 24-48hr period. Very friendly and knowledgable staff.
The Wow Factor
I purchased it...Enough said.

Musical Background:

Active Musician, Producer, Recording Engineer

Musical Style:

Hip Hop, R&B, Soul, Urban
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Submitted April 21, 2005 by a customer from nyc.com

"Minor But Glaring Drawbacks"

Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
My situation is a little obscure. You should still consider it because it does sound great. I don't like the software supporting it at all.
Sound
I'm not giving it a 10 because I probably don't know what a 10 sounds like. It's a huuuuuuuuuuge step up from a gaming card. Very clear sounds--it had me listening to my favorite music all over again. Such a pleasure to listen to.
Features
I'm fine with everything except you only get 1 stereo in and 1 stereo out.
Quality
Good quality.
Value
See ease of use. I bought this card a couple months ago and I'm already seriously considering buying another. The RME's are a bit out of my price range, but I think the MAudio 44 or 66 will do. Both have more inputs and outputs and are still balanced.
Manufacturer Support
It's a loser in this category.
The Wow Factor
I would have given this a 10 right when I bought it. It's great for windows users who don't mind having PatchMix run all the time.

Musical Background:

Hobbyist

Musical Style:

Abstract, Alternative Dance <shrug> that would be one genre.
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Submitted November 27, 2004 by a customer from yahoo.com

"Warning to the professional music crowd."

Overall: 1 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
2 minutes. I have very very good ears and I hate glitches, cracles and pops in recorded material.
Sound
The sound is good but if you listen closely you will get pops from time to time. Only good this card did me washelp me to memorize my lyrics.
Features
This card has some good features in theory. If you can get it to work with programs that use the cards asio drivers. This card has a patchbay mixer that loses its input signal with cubase sx 2. Support suggested alot of bs to try. I packed it back in the box. Terratec here I come.
Quality
WDM Kernal streaming acceptable but ASIO drivers Bull. Creative Drivers are used. It's Like I bought a 200.00 SB Live.
Value
Wasted time and energy. Be Brave if you want but this company is EMU A.K.A. Creative Warning to professionals--Steer clear.
Manufacturer Support
They will suggest a bunch of newbie system tweaks that you have already done even if you tell them you have already done that. They refuse to understand the card is not compatible with certain windows versions (XP) and certain software (Cubase SX) It even has an exerpt in the installation guide about how they are trying to work closely with Stienberg to make it more compatible.
The Wow Factor
I don't even want it to play video games

Musical Background:

Artist/Producer/Engineer 15 years

Musical Style:

Hip-Hop/R&B
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Submitted February 20, 2007 by a customer from yahoo.com

"Very nice looking clean simple but rugged and practical."

Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Well if I could tell the futur I would be a verry welthy man. I hope to be able to use it for quite a while or at least till it pisses me off
Sound
Well to be honest I have one on the way -- I have the 0404 whitch is a great card if your just using analog didnt try the S/PDIF went with the optical thuogh and sadly to say it would not work with my converter since the 0404 does support optical It does not support ADAT conversion or ASIO 2.0 so I thought I would try the 1212M fro the ADAT having expeiriance with the 0404 I hope not to be dissapointed
Features
ADAT conversion is the reason Im upgrading Like I said I love the sound and Quality . I record and can still get that live rip your face off quality of analog ( IT"S NOT WHAT YOU USE -- IT"S HOW YOU USE IT )Think about it dumb arses . What do ya think we did before computers became a comodity? Least usefull feature? Patchmix!! I have no use for it and try to use only the drivers that I have to To operate the hardware buthen again Im not listening to MP3's or playing video games with it either.
Ease of Use
I didnt have to refere to the manual until I ran into the ADAT conversion problem I just instaled it set it up in my editing software and went with it..I have used my card with Sonar 4 , Adobe Audition 2.0 Reaper , Acid studio 6 , Wavelab , Cubase , Goldwave, N Track, and have no problems and great results.
Quality
No the product is made good. I havent used it yet ( The 1212 ) but I beleive I will like the Optical aspect. My 0404 verry durable I like the Idea of not haveing the cable hanging on the back. Verry sloppy IE the 0404 ) Oh Yeah wanted to ask that other guy If you wanted more analog ins & outs why did you buy a mostly digital card?
Value
Yes verry much so Like I said (It's how you use what you have ) Not saying that it's not good just that for lower priced gear it does an exceptional job
Manufacturer Support
Not satified with the support at least for the 0404 I hope if I need it for the 1212 it is better website was verry limited, EMail did not get response right away and thhey still never solved the problem the company I bought my AD/DA converter did reserch into it and verified what I concluded
The Wow Factor
Oh yeah baby I love the way you solder feels when iI rub it cross my face you so sexy HAH HAHA HAHH Very nice looking clean simple but rugged and practical.

Musical Background:

I started music when I was around 4 or 5 Harmonica Went to Violin And Coronet through school around 11 Started playing guitar

Musical Style:

Metal , Rock , Thrash , Punk, Mainstream
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Submitted December 4, 2006 by a customer from neobee.net

"Analog outputs fail on many of these, be warned"

Overall: 1 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
I've got it, wish I got something else.
Sound
well, it would sound good if it wasn't broken
Features
good features
Ease of Use
easy enough
Quality
well, it's very cheap, and many users soon find out why. Mine never worked properly, I have it for 4 days and it's analog output level is very very low. It's about the same as my old SBLive at 50%. Turning it up of course produces more hiss and noise, and thus defies the purpose of having a quality card in the first place. I have found many other users reporting the same issue. Some had the card working fine for few weeks or months before one or both analog outputs lost volume. Some just completely failed.
Value
well, it's cheap, would be good, if it actually worked. Obviously some do work, if you are lucky you might not have problems. You can use the warranty to replace it once it fails.
Manufacturer Support
Currently waiting for response from EMU support.

Musical Background:

Hobbyist

Musical Style:

Rock & Blues
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Submitted March 28, 2008

"Emu Its Clever Mark"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
I used from 2 years and I love it...just Out Put Problem
Sound
with update to windows viesta is very well I use rode nT200 and mackie onyx and emu 1212m ...I thing convertor have a low level in input...and I compare with another like RME fire face 800 .... the big problem is in output Quality sound...I can't listening the good output .... then I change my sound card to lynx aurora
Features
This mark have a good idea . not very huge in very profesional sound convertor system....but it is AKM convertor and its good
Ease of Use
in windows viesta it s good...but in Xp have a some eror problem...and i was angry
Quality
I have a problem to the output ....on of them have a problem and I have to adabt hlf of cable
Value
in compare of price its Very well than ESI and M audio and more than same price mark
Manufacturer Support
the software is very well.... It is small protools ,,, with DSP card... and Gate comp and Pci dsp effect.... in viesta is good good good.... like Smal HD card
The Wow Factor
I want it becauce have a good DSP card

Musical Background:

sound engeenring

Musical Style:

Folk Pop Rock R&B
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Submitted February 26, 2008

"Yeah its great."

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Sound
the sound is out of competition in that league and even a few above. had an m-audio f-410 before and the difference is like heaven and hell. no need to describe, just usual quality attributes (details, clarity, dynamic range). there is no pops or glitches as other customers wanna make you believe, as long as you set it up the right way (latency etc).
Features
very good for the price. a lot of semi-pro standards as adat/spdif/aes-ebu digital i/o, balanced analog i/o, selected industry-standard converters. what i do miss is a seperate headphone jack for monitoring. the patchmix is a great tool for routing all tha stuff, though it needed me sometime to get the concepts in detail. the dsp fx and the whole software package is out of my interest, and sometimes i thought it would have been a better idea to leave it out... for making the device more the quality product that is sound-wise.
Ease of Use
installing the card is easy as can be, drivers too. but the usage of the patchmix cold have benefited from a clearer and maybe more professional, structured gui.
Quality
all in all its good for that price, despite the fx crap (though these aren't worse than most freeware vst).
Value
for doible that price you won't get anything comparable.
Manufacturer Support
its good support, had 2 questions way back and they answered after a few days. what needs a bit time is getting an rma (had that since i broke the pcmcia card for my 1616m), but yeah, they're kind and reliable.
The Wow Factor
something like that.

Musical Style:

folk, electronic, experimental
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Submitted November 7, 2005

"Good Card"

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
I wxpect to have this card for at least another few years until I am ready to upgrade to something of a higher calibur like the RME line..which costs around 5x as much....
Sound
Sound quality is excellent for a card in this price range..nice converters ans signal to noise ratio is 120db!!! I like the fact I can record with only monotiring the fx and then add them later as a plugin or I can record the fx directly to Sonar..The reverbs don't sound so hot..but there is some really nice vocal enhancers that work quite nice...
Features
This card has a whole lot of features..especially when it comes to routing....I mean WOW....hook up an ADAT with 8 ins and outs and you can have some sick routing to and from your outboard gear!!! And eventhough the onboard fx are not the best, there are many useful tools in there.....
Quality
Not the highest quality...but not the lowest!!!
Value
Can't be beat
Manufacturer Support
I was having trouble using the emu fx plugin in Ableton...and the support team was very good...quick response and they spent alot of time on the phone with me....
The Wow Factor
Not the sexiest of cards.....
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Submitted August 8, 2005

"It's the sh*t man!"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Sound
this thing is awesome... i lost the disc though... and it took me hell to contact the company to get a new one.... you can download the drivers from the site... i mean... the intall for the soundcard itself... kinda sucks in that way, but the sound of it is awesome.
Quality
Top quality, but there are better soundcards out there. this card is awesome nonetheless
Manufacturer Support
Damn hard to reach the company to get a new install disc. The website has no install, it just has patches and updates.... but they were easy to say yeah, we'll send you a new disc
The Wow Factor
awesome card, like i said....
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Submitted April 5, 2005

"24b/192k....If it's too good to be true, it probably is....DO NOT BUY UNLESS YOU KNOW HOW TO RE-PROGRAM THE SOFTWARE'S DRIVERS.."

Overall: 1 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
I am trying to sell it and look for its replacement.....
Sound
After spending countless hours researching, studying, and experimenting with the patchmix, I have found that once I was able to record a signal, it (the signal) was good. However, patchmix and the internal routing is unstable. I have to let it go as soon as possible!!! Anyone want a 24-bit/192k pci interface cheap?
Features
There was a manual that explains how a 4 year old could install the cards...
Quality
The hardware probably is very good....on the software and engineering side of things....that's a whole different story. Don't let the full sail interns do the programming too.
Value
if it's too good to be true....it probably is!
Manufacturer Support
no comment
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Submitted September 20, 2004

"Clean."

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
I shouldnt need to buy another soundcard for ridiculous recording quality. it samples at 24 bit/192khz!!!!!!!!!
Sound
when the mic is on, the monitors do not show any noise at all. tons of headroom. 120 dB snr.
Features
for recording one or 2 sources, its ok.
Quality
this thing is worth all the money.
Value
if i had tons of money to spend, i would have bought an expanded version of this card.
Manufacturer Support
dont know
The Wow Factor
If this one catches fire, or somebody steps on it...i will go right back and buy another one
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Submitted April 16, 2004

Emu 1212M Interface Customer Review

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
It's upgradable, so if I ever feel like chucking my external mixing rig I can get the box. I'd buy it again if it was stolen, there just isn't anything with this kind of audio quality at anywhere near this price. For what I bought it for, good AD and ADAT, it's pretty much perfect and the FX are turning out to be more interesting then I ever expeced, I just hope they make more FX for it. The ones that come with it are OK for the basics but could use more and make them VST compatible. That would put it totally off the chart. BTW some of the other reviewers are freaking dorks, what idiot would think they could get 12 PT grade analogs for 199. Read before you buy beatch. I figure if you can't read the box or the website, the manual and the mixer are way too much for you too.
Sound
Super quiet, clear and crisp. Great stereo separation.
Features
ADAT, SPDIF, PT level converters, DSP FX, MIDI, the control panel, decent software bundle, upgradable. For 200 bux it's ludicris.
Quality
It's a card so not much to review. It looks good and feels solid. Sure has a hell of a lot more stuff packed on it compared to my old M-Audio which doesn't look near as manly. It looks like it can do a lot.
Value
If this thing had a 11 i'd give it that.
Manufacturer Support
Haven't had to use it yet so I guess that's a good thing. What's cool is that there are already a bunch of user groups and bulletin boards. Just gots to hang out there to soak up the knowledge.
The Wow Factor
I got it and am telling everyone about it. When people start figuring out what this thing is capable of emu are going to sell of shitload of these things.

Musical Style:

Funk, Reggae, Rock.
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Submitted April 14, 2004 by a customer from wave.net

"Judged by the cover, returned for another"

Overall: 0.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Like I said, unless I can find an Adat-to-analog converter for under 50 bux this thing is going back to the shelf where it came from. Funny but I can really tell that Creative bought EMU. This card Looks like it would clean out the shed with its specs, but sadly its just another tool in it. Not really a functional tool, just a shiney one
Sound
Sound is great! What more can one say? I had the echo Mia before this card, 1212 takes the mia down!
Features
Man the soft/hard mixer for this card is a beast! I'd say its good- You like options? Its got more than a Caddy!
Quality
could be good/ could be bad
Value
NO.
Manufacturer Support
we'll see how they are tomorrow, but for lack of an 800 number it means I'm paying more! -4 for that! :(
The Wow Factor
the specs made it look great but I'm probably going to be sending this one back to the shelf. the fact that its only got 2 1/4 ins and outs and 2 spdif i/o's but that does not make it worth the money. sure ya have the adat's 8/8 channels, but thats not really made clear on the box, they make sure you see the 12/12 though. guess I'm mad and my eyes hurt too from reading all that freakin pdf txt :(

Musical Style:

techno
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