Terratec DMX 6fire2496 SoundSystem 6-Channel PCI Card
24-bit/96kHz AD and DA converters.
Overall User Ratings (based on 83 ratings)
Submitted February 18, 2004 by a customer from yahoo.com
"For the do it yourself musician, this is what you need....."
I've had mine for over 6 months now and I use it for between 10 and 30 hours weekly, I'm still extremely satisfied with this product and happy I made this purchase. I've recorded close to 40 songs with acoustic guitar, electric guitar and every midi instrument you can think of.
I use Sonar XL and Cool Edit Pro with an Athlon XP1800 and a WD 100gb 7200rpm hard drive and achieve latencies of 5ms or less. The WDM drivers work excellent.
It's accurate enough to record, mix and master if you have the proper monitors.
Buy it, you'll love it.
Sound
Recording......Crystal clear. Same A/D converters as M-Audio uses. Does midi, analog and Optical cable recordings very well. When recording in 24/96, you can't tell the recording from the original.... top notch.
Playback is good and the s/n ratio , THD and stereo crosstalk levels are outstanding. I do hear a little bit of electrical interference when monitoring through my headphone, but not when using my studio monitors. Could be a problem with my DAW though.....
Features
Midi in, Co-ax in, mic in, 24/96 capable. Great mixer interface. I record direct to the line in from my guitar processor and direct to midi from my midi controller.
Quality
Well made. Shipped in a nice packaging. The card and breakout box are both very attractive.
Value
I think you'd be hard pressed to find another 24/96 capable card that carries these same specs, for less than 300.00
I consider it money well spent.
Manufacturer Support
It only took about 15 hours to get a response to my email question.
The Wow Factor
It looks tempting to buy and looks even better when you install it into your DAW. You'll never go back to a consumer card again after buying one of these.
Musical Style:
psychedelic rock
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Submitted October 23, 2003 by a customer from yahoo.com
"for PC-based D.A.W. get this one!"
i'm very satisfied with this terratec the first time i heard the sound coming out from it after installation. i'd probably keep this one for quite awhile.
Sound
one of the best sounding sound card for pro-sumers! yes, i read all the problems regarding the noise and clicks. after selecting the right pci slot on the board plus some insulation on the screws and a couple of windows tweaks, the noise level was tolerable enough for home recording. Soundforge wouldn't even register the noise print; so that's good enough for me. Actually, the noise only comes from the analog output, but when you master the audio on a CD-r, it disappears.
Features
all the basic accessories are there. though at the price, i wish it included a couple of coaxial or optical cables as well.
Quality
the card looks well-made as far as i'm concerned. the breakout box as well.
Value
the price is quite expensive. but it's alright with me for now. this is the most expensive sound card i've bought so far. i only have used gears in my home studio, and i can only fit so much in my small bedroom.
Manufacturer Support
haven't tried support yet 'coz it never actaully gave me a problem, at least for now.
The Wow Factor
the audigy's may look better, but the dmx 6fire can really give some good visual enhancement on your pc with great sound, qualities and features to boot.
Musical Style:
experimental noise
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by a customer from earthlink.net
"Terratec Marvel DMX6fire 2496, Nothing better at the price"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
The Terratec DMX6fire 2496 card and internal mounted 'connector box' will meet my needs perfectly for quite some time. I assume I will not have to replace it ever! Or at least until I transfer all of my records to CD.
Sound
I purchased the DMX6fire 2496 to facilitate my recording of literally over 1500 records (including 78rpm discs). The sound quality and software included in the package got me started within 20 minutes. The sound quality of the cards phono preamp is exceptional.
Features
The system came with a CD audio connector cable and two 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch 'converter' plugs.
Quality
Quality appears to be top notch.
Value
I pondered the Creative Labs high end card for a while, but I'm not a gammer. I find that the Terratec card is of pro quality in quality and build. The price is a little steep but worth it.
Musical Style:
Classical, Jazz, Soul, R&B
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Submitted February 5, 2004 by a customer from lycos.com
"Don't buy one unless you are feeling lucky - in which case you might have a great experience"
If I could afford it I'd scrap it and get an audiophile 2496
Sound
The sound is OK, some of the levels are a bit weird e.g. digital CD much lower than conventional CD link
Features
It's a bit rich to hear that the manufacturers don' think the mic input is of real use after you bought it.
Quality
manufacturing quality seems good but the cable between the card and the breakout box is a source of problems
Value
It could be great if they sorted out the installation problems
Manufacturer Support
Ho Ho Ho
None-existant
The Wow Factor
The drive bay break-out box is a great idea and it looks great, but people who have actually been able to get it to work say it's a source of noise (interference)
Musical Style:
serious electronic - quirky pop
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Submitted October 4, 2003
"Are you a solo artist looking to record your material? Then this is the ticket for you......"
Like I said before, if your a solo musician, this is the ticket for you. You don't need 10 ins and outs if your recording your own stuff. I use it for midi, guitar and vocal and it works flawlessly. The cost is minimal for what you get, I've seen many more expensive sound cards, with many fewer options and I can't imagine they sound any better than this. It's sound is definitely reference standard. I've been a musician for 18 years and this is one of the best investments I've ever made in my equipment. Buy it, you wont be dissapointed. Do your homework and research it though, it's not a "consumer card" and the driver setup is more complicated because of this.
Sound
I have never personally heard a better card. I record and listen to music regularly in my home studio and monitor through nice equipment, that way, I know what I'm actually listening too. This fits in nicely with my other equipment as the sound it clean, clear, detailed and full ranged. I can't imagine what could sound better.
Features
It has all the features a solo musician could ask for. Every imaginable input you'll need is included. If you want to record your entire band, this isn't what you need. But for a solo artist, who inputs midi, guitar and vocals, this is perfect. It also works well for mixing and mastering.
Quality
It's actually quite attractive and extremely well made as is most German engineered and crafted product. It hasn't let me down and I wouldnt expect it to. Everything feels sturdy and high quality. All the plugs are tight as are the knobs for the Mic input and the headphone out.
Value
It's better than anything else in it's competition bracket. I'd say it's well worth the money, especially for an audiophile or musician who is seeking high quality sound.
Manufacturer Support
So far so good.
The Wow Factor
The "sex appeal" is what brought my attention to this unit in the first place. After researching it's capabilities, I was sold. The more I've used it , the more features I find that I'm using and the happier I am with the purchase. I'd buy it again in hearbeat.
Musical Style:
rock, fusion.
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Submitted September 17, 2003
"Perfect card for the intermediate musician or audiophile looking to produce or reproduce high quality recordings"
It suits all my current needs and should for a few years. Like I said, this thing sounds very very sweet. If your upgrading from off the shelf consumer cards, you'll be pleasantly shocked when you hear the quality of this unit.
Sound
Very accurate and clean sounding equipment. The quality is excellent. I used to use an Audigy 2 and thought I was making decent quality recordings, then I upgraded to this card and WOW! Very high quality recordings and top notch playback.
Features
Came with the digital cd cable, the PCI slot audio card, the 5-1/4" breakout box and the special IDE cable that is specific to this unit. Feature wise, it's loaded. You can use any combination of 6 inputs and outputs to plug your stuff in. Co-ax, spdif, analog in, midi-in and out.... and then the outputs for each of those as well, along with a headphone out with adjustable volume control, on the breakout box.
Quality
On looks alone it gets high marks, but the build quality is also superb. Can't find any fault with the unit.
Value
It's a little spendy, until you fully realize that you've bought a high quality item that borders on professional.
Manufacturer Support
I've emailed them with compatiblity questions twice and received answers within 24 hours each time...... pretty damn good if you ask me.
The Wow Factor
Not a sexier front bay breakout box on the market as far as I'm concerned.
Musical Style:
rock
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