Internal sound card change to external?

[EmergencyDpt]

Is it feasable or at all easy to change an internal sound card to an external sound card like you can put an internal hdd into a housing and make it an external one?

I only ask because I want to use my computer as an oscilloscope and as a sound field analyzer to test my speakers when I make changes to them.
Thanks,
spencer

 

[Iain McNeill]

I don't think it's easy - you'd need a PCI to USB or somesuch that could connect as a sound device. Don't think that this exists. Probably cheaper to buy a USB or firewire soundcard.

But why do you have to make the soundcard external to use it as scope/spectrum analyzer?

 

[EmergencyDpt]

Thanks for your answer.
I have a laptop and I've been told the soundcards in laptops aren't as good as full size

 

[Iain McNeill]

Ahh, yes, this is true.

The bad news is you'll have to buy a new soundcard.
The good news is there's lots of info on this forum already. I use an EMU 1616 with PCMCIA card but thats $400. I'm thinking of getting the Prosonus firewire next which would need a PCMCIA firewire card.

There's lot's of lower priced laptop solutions which are still good performance. Research the threads here.

Good luck.

P.S. try your existing laptop soundcard first with something like Virtual Analyser http://www.sillanumsoft.org/
you may get quite acceptable results for zero outlay!

 

[EmergencyDpt]

Thanks for the link. I'll try it!