Ab Work Outs: M-Audio Audiophile 2496 MIDI Digital Recording Interface Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought my 2496 last week from a reputable mail order vendor.Installation was cumbersome. The "Driver CD" contained no 2496 drivers at all, for Windows or Mac!The manual still refers to a Macintosh installation where you "drag extensions" to the "extentions folder in the system folder."No mention is made of OSX X!Let's see, that would make the manual about 3 years old or more. Indeed, the modification date on the pdf version of the user Manual is November, 2001, yet M-Audio continues to ship this driverless Driver CD and outdated Manual with every 2496. They don't even include a slip of paper directing the purchaser to their Web site for the missing drivers.

I went to M-Audio's web site and was able to find and easily download the OSX driver (2.04) which was updated in August, 2005.After restarting I was able to get it running, however the standard Apple output volume control is not supported by the 2496 on a Mac.Actually you have NO global output volume control.Volume output is solely via application volume controls, such as the control within iTunes, or via your mixer knobs. This makes it difficult to use as a general purpose sound card.

After about two hours, the driver lost the ability to correctly play back music from iTunes, in mid song.It developed a bad stutter, apparently no longer using the correct bit/sample rate.

Technical support took 4 days, and a phone call from my vendor, to get a respones.The suggestion was to re-download the driver and reinstall it.This worked.But I found that whatever bit/sample rate I would record with in one application would become locked in for all other playback applications.For instance, if I recorded in 24/96 in Amadeus II it would later try to play back Garage Band or iTunes at 24/96 despite many attempts to reset it's control panel to 16/44.1.The only work around was to relaunch Amadeus, start a new recording at 16/44.1, quit, then relaunch Garage Band or iTunes.

On my Mac I found I also had to unplug an audio output cable from the mini-phone jack on the back of my computer to prevent a nasty electrical static that started whenever I activated the 2496.When it works, the sound it great!A vast improvement over the built in sound.But it gets a 3 because of poor driver reliability, out of date manual, and Driver CD that contains no 2496 drivers.

It's going back to the store.

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Product Description:
The Audiophile 2496 embodies a quantum leap in computer audio fidelity and performance unequaled by other audio cards in its price range. This critically acclaimed PCI card features premium digital audio converters, elegant board design, and ultra-stable drivers just like the rest of the Delta line, but with a simpler I/O configuration. As a member of the Delta family, the Audiophile 2496 supports all computer platforms and major software programs, ensuring seamless integration and rock-solid performance. See why the Audiophile 2496 is one of the best-selling digital audio cards in the industry.

One of the best-selling digital audio cards in the industry. Click to enlarge.
Includes Ableton Live Lite music production software, so you can make music right away. Click to enlarge.
Break-out cable with S/PDIF audio and MIDI.
36-bit Embedded DSP
All Delta cards contain a 36-bit embedded DSP enabling a software-driven patchbay/router for all analog and digital I/O--all with extremely fast throughput for low-latency software monitoring. A single unified control panel provides settings for clock and sample rates, buffer sizes, individual signal levels for every input and output, adjustable +4dBu/-10dBV pad controls and digital I/O control on up to four installed Delta cards. All controls are also easily accessible through most professional audio software applications for seamless integration and operation.
2 x 2 Analog I/O
Accepts common unbalanced audio on gold-plated RCA jacks.
24-bit/96kHz Fidelity
The 2496 features 24-bit/96kHz converters with a 100dB dynamic range.
S/PDIF Digital I/O with 2-channel PCM
Get CD-quality sound from devices with S/PDIF outputs.
SCMS copy protection control
Allows a recording device to successfully record the audio data.
AC-3 and DTS Pass-Through
The S/PDIF digital I/O supports surround-encoded audio, for sending surround sound to your home theater.
1 x 1 MIDI I/O
The 2496's break-out cable features 1 x 1 (16-channel) MIDI operation.
Zero-Latency Monitoring
Monitor your audio signals without delay.
Ableton Live Lite Included
Ableton Live Lite delivers much of the functionality of Ableton Live--the revolutionary, multi-award winning music production solution that allows you to spontaneously compose, record, remix, improvise and edit your musical ideas in a seamless audio/MIDI environment. Live brings your acoustic, electronic and virtual instruments--as well as your digital audio recordings and MIDI sequences--together in a single interface with unparalleled ease of use.
What's in the Box
Audiophile 2496 PCI adapter card, Break-out cable for S/PDIF and MIDI connections, Software CD, User's Manual