Hi,

I'm am an ISDN newbie  ???  and find this forum to be very informative.  I'm am trying to put together a Voiceover studio at home for my wife who is a voiceover artist.  I'm thinking of using AudioTX software on our PC's as opposed to other codec boxes.

We already have the ISDN line installed.  I just recently bought a 3Com Impact External ISDN Modem for our PC's.  I can get on the internet, make calls, etc.  It works great.

I noticed from some of the posts here that most people use ISDN Adapter Cards, not an external modem.  My question is this: can I use the modem with AudioTX to communicate with my wife's clients or would an adapter card work better?  I assume they pretty much accomplish the same task.

Other questions.

  I have a Sound Blaster card.  Should I get a mic-preamp & headphone amp for VO?  This will bump up the sound I assume, but will it be overkill for the soundcard?  Is a mixer necessary?

Thanks in advance for the help and a great forum.

Mike  
:)  

Hello Mike,

I'm afraid that external ISDN modems are not suitable for audio links. They are fine for single channel and Internet access, but don't support sustained full rate two channel communication as is used by ISDN audio codecs.

On the AudioTX website there is a section that lists the tested and supported ISDN adapters - Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Using a mic pre-amp will indeed improve the quality of your audio - mainly because it will allow you to use a professional balanced mic, which is something the standard soundblaster mic input does not support.  I don't think a mixer is necessary for a voiceover setup.

You can also opt to go for a professional audio card - these are not that expensive as they used to be ten years ago! With an AudioTX Communicator system the sound quality is mainly defined by your mic and the sound card. If the budget is tight then you can of course just stick with the soundblaster for now and replace it with a professional sound card at a later date, but I would try to get it in from the start as it is an important bit in the setup.

Best regards,

Edwin.