I just loaded VDL2 into my new notebook (Dell Inspiron).  The problem I have encountered is the quality of sound. For example, when I loaded tenor drums into the kontakt and play them, they sound very distorted.  Do I need to use a different soundcard?  Do I need to use external speakers?  BTW, I have 1 GB of RAM in my notebook, so memory shouldn't be a problem.

What are others doing to get the good quality of sound?

Thanks for anybody's help.

Dennis

Hi Dennis,

I am having pretty good luck using the Creative Labs notebook soundcard designed for the PCMCIA slot. I have seen other people recommend the USB soundcard before but They can have a tendancy to be a little unstable. Over the years, I have found that Creative Cards install well if you shut down all programs during the installation.

Creative Labs Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS (for Notebook)

http://us.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=205&product=10769

You can probably find one for around $60 if you look around.

Also do a search on the forum for Latency Issues, or Optimizing Windows for Audio Playback. I have switched from PC to Mac, but I remember that topic coming up quite a bit. You should be able to fix this issue before having to go out and buy more gear.

Also, your current soundcard may work fine depending on its settings. In the Kontakt Soundcard Setup window, what are your options. If you have ASIO compatibility, use that. Be sure sample rate is set to 44.1k.

If you're listening to your built-in laptop speakers, I wouldn't expect things to sound very good. This doesn't mean the audio is bad...it just means they're small, crappy, laptop speakers. :) Try using in headphones if you're working on the notebook.

Thanks for the information.