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!