Question about sound cards

[4jax]

I'm just getting to know this software and am wondering about my sound card. I have been asked to help produce an internet radio show (a couple, actually), and Audacity was suggested as the program to use because of its simplicity and ability to use multiple tracks. I'll mainly be coming up with intro/extro music and bumpers/break music and announcements. The shows will be sent to me in segments, and I have to help put them together.

The sound card in my desktop is an Integrated Intel PCI Enhanced Audio deal (which is apparently pretty minimal) and uses Realtek. Is this going to affect my abilities and the quality of my work in any way? If yes, what are some good choices of cards out there for my uses?

[waxcylinder]

I use an external USB soundcard, the Edirol UA-1EX, mainly for LP and tape transcription and recording FM broadcasts off-air - plus the occasional spoken word microphone usage. It works very well for me in al these roles.

Stevethefiddle, a frequent contributor to the forum, uses the Behringer UCA202. The Edirol is more expensive than the Behringer, but it has more functionality.

There are other USB soundcards out there and some firewire ones too. One of the advantages of an external soundcard is that it can me moved from computer to computer very easily.

However, in my laptop I have a Realtek soundcard and I use this to record streaming audio off t'interweb - and this also produces good results - so I would suggest that you experiment with you current soundcard first and test the quality ...

WC

[4jax]

OK, thanks!