Successful Build But Audio Quality iffy :(

[vaK]

hey guys!!
i have successfully built my first ever hackintosh! I am running Mac OS X Snow Leopard with the latest Update 10.6.8 below is all my hardware.
by following the tonymacx86 guide to installing snow leopard step by step
everything works except the audio seems really bad quality.
it's very noticeable and i have built this Hackintosh so i can be able to produce music in Logic and Ableton but is there anyone who can tell me how to get updated sound drivers? i would greatly appreciate it!


CPU - Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz
MB - GIGABYTE GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 LGA 1155
RAM - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM
HD - Crucial M4 CT064M4SSD2 2.5" 64GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Video - SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16
CD Drive - Sony Optiarc CD/DVD Burner 24X DVD+R
PSU - COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power Plus RS700-PCAAE3-US 700W ATX 12V v2.3
Case - XCLIO Color I Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

 

[powerpcg5]

So you "own" a $495 Ableton software, and a $200-$300 Logic Pro software but you don't even own even a cheap external Audio Interface?

Only using the motherboard soundcard to "produce" your music.... and you wonder why audio quality is bad?

... does not compute.

 

[vaK]

So you "own" a $495 Ableton software, and a $200-$300 Logic Pro software but you don't even own even a cheap external Audio Interface?

Only using the motherboard soundcard to "produce" your music.... and you wonder why audio quality is bad?

... does not compute.

correct.
what do i need to buy or do??

 

[vaK]

and also the audio quality in playback is bad. not only for the production, what are my solutions? :\

 

[powerpcg5]

what do i need to buy or do??

You need to buy LEGAL copies of your music software, then an audio interface.

I'm a mod at a music forum and I can tell you have all the tell tale signs.
a) using decent/nice/high-end computer hardware
b) using redundant or expensive/high-end music software, sequencer, plugins, synths, etc.
c) but using cheap audio interface or none. using on-board sound, or SoundBlaster
d) asking very basic questions re: audio

take a look around here
http://www.zzounds.com/cat--Software--2436
then here
http://www.zzounds.com/cat--USB-Audio-Interfaces--2424

 

[vaK]

what do i need to buy or do??

You need to buy LEGAL copies of your music software, then an audio interface.

I'm a mod at a music forum and I can tell you have all the tell tale signs.
a) using decent/nice/high-end computer hardware
b) using redundant or expensive/high-end music software, sequencer, plugins, synths, etc.
c) but using cheap audio interface or none. using on-board sound, or SoundBlaster
d) asking very basic questions re: audio

take a look around here
http://www.zzounds.com/cat--Software--2436
then here
http://www.zzounds.com/cat--USB-Audio-Interfaces--2424

I already own a macbook pro which i produce on i built the hackitosh
for home production.
and i have purchased all my software, i have the boxes and manuals everything.
i also use a midi controller the M-audio keyrig 49

so all im missing is a USB audio interface?

 

[powerpcg5]

Then I apologize.

What's your budget? You can spend anywhere from $150 to $1000+ for an audio interface.

Also better audio interface have lower latencies, helps when you're using softsynths/midis as there is almost no lag time.

I'm partial to MOTU because Macs and MOTUs have always worked hand-in-hand without any problems. They're also very quick in releasing driver updates, sometimes the same day when Apple releases their new versions.

 

[idd]

hey guys!!
i have successfully built my first ever hackintosh! I am running Mac OS X Snow Leopard with the latest Update 10.6.8 below is all my hardware.
by following the tonymacx86 guide to installing snow leopard step by step
everything works except the audio seems really bad quality.
it's very noticeable and i have built this Hackintosh so i can be able to produce music in Logic and Ableton but is there anyone who can tell me how to get updated sound drivers? i would greatly appreciate it!


CPU - Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz
MB - GIGABYTE GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 LGA 1155
RAM - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM
HD - Crucial M4 CT064M4SSD2 2.5" 64GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Video - SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16
CD Drive - Sony Optiarc CD/DVD Burner 24X DVD+R
PSU - COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power Plus RS700-PCAAE3-US 700W ATX 12V v2.3
Case - XCLIO Color I Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

try this
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=26486

 

[vaK]

Then I apologize.

What's your budget? You can spend anywhere from $150 to $1000+ for an audio interface.

Also better audio interface have lower latencies, helps when you're using softsynths/midis as there is almost no lag time.

I'm partial to MOTU because Macs and MOTUs have always worked hand-in-hand without any problems. They're also very quick in releasing driver updates, sometimes the same day when Apple releases their new versions.

Accepted.
and thank you for all the inputs sorry i never owned an audio interface what do they do? and does it change the fact that im using onboard sound?
please explain a bit more so i can get an idea.
and my budget is around $500 i want something good that will last i just need to get my audio working good.
thank you!

 

[powerpcg5]

Nice budget. Your choices will be more plenty at that budget.

i never owned an audio interface what do they do?

Think of them as sound card on steroids. Usually multiple inputs, multiple outputs, on-board MIDI, Word-clock, ADAT, SPDIF, Guitar DI input, etc.... lots of input/output choices.... to interface with whatever you'll be plugging in.... microphones, keyboard, guitar, mixer, mic level signal, line level signal, etc.

They also have very low latencies, so when you press your midi keyboard, running through a soft synth or sampler, you get the sound immediately in a few milliseconds. Consumer sound card usually fall on their faces on these kind of tests. This is what separate a good AI from the consumer sound card.

and does it change the fact that im using onboard sound?

You can disable that if you want, or just leave it unused.

If you want to learn more about recording/production, check out this site.
http://www.tweakheadz.com/guide.htm
Tweak/Rich passed away several years ago but his resource is still online. It will help you understand everything... well, almost everything.

As for brand recommendation, I am partial to MOTU because it will always work with OSX... even their very old interfaces are still supported and can work with the latest OSX versions. You can't say that for other companies. I'm using an AI model back from 2005, but using fresh Lion drivers dated 1/13/12. And even older MOTU models dating back to 2000 is still supported by that very same 10.7 Lion drivers.

MOTU is pretty "respectable"... not too low end, not too high end and expensive. It's good bang for the buck. Here are some products.
http://www.motu.com/products

Fair Warning. Home Recording Studio is a pretty *expensive* hobby... pretty EXPENSIVE... go back turn around while you still can.