From: tonyb@juliet.ll.mit.edu ( Tony Berke )
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard,rec.music.synth,rec.music.marketplace,rec.music.makers.synth
Subject: Re: Turtle Beach Multisound
Date: 15 Dec 92 19:12:14 GMT
Article-I.D.: ursula.TONYB.92Dec15111214
	<1992Dec14.174008.29516@micom.com>
Organization: M.I.T. Lincoln Lab: Group 43 (Weather, not Weapons)

In article <1992Dec14.174008.29516@micom.com> jscott@micom.com (James Scott) writes:

   In article <Bz30uz.Dv7@chinet.chi.il.us> roper@chinet.chi.il.us (Bill Roper) writes:
   >Does anyone know of a place where I can purchase a Turtle Beach
   >Multisound card at a typical PC hardware discount (say about 33%)?
   >The card had a list price of $995, but has recently been reduced
   >to $599.  I'd hope to pay around $400, but the only place I've found
   >so far is PC Zone (recommended by the manufacturer) which offered
   >the card for a (stunning!) $594.
   >Bill Roper, roper@chinet.chi.il.us


   so, can anyone ... and/or everyone ... tell me the difference between this
   piece of h/w and the Turtle Beach 56K?

   i see the 56K's used in LA for around $1K.

   james

The 56K has digital I/O only, and is bundled with software that is optimized
for studio mastering work.  It has a 56001 DSP chip for effects processing.


The Multisound has 16bit analog I/O only, and according to a couple of
people I spoke to at the company, there are no immediate plans for
adding a digital I/O daughterboard.  Other than that, it is similar to
the 56K in its signal processing capabilities, as it also includes a
56001.  I think it comes bundled with different (lighter duty?)
software.

Turtle Beach claims that the lack of digital I/O was on purpose, and
that Microsoft's spec for MPC qualification prohibits digital I/O.
Given the crazy legislative environment surrounding digital I/O of
audio program material, I can almost believe this explanation, but not
quite.  What I'm fairly convinced of is that Turtle Beach wants to
preserve the profitability of the 56K card, which aside from the
softare that it includes, is pretty much the same (or less!) gadget as
the Multisound.  Without digital I/O, however, no serious studio will
touch the Multisound, however, and thus the Multisound's lack of
professional-quality I/O will preserve the 56K's lucrative niche
market -- for a while, at least.


The $1000 price you saw for a used 56K board is a bit high, but not
crazy as long as it comes with the most recent software (or some
ability to upgrade for free).  Until rather recently the 56K sold for
$2000, but Turtle Beach dropped the price to $1300 a little while ago.
But since there is currently a 30 day wait for the things, $1000 for a
used one that you can get Right Now isn't too terrible.  If you really
want a 56K, I'll sell you a new one for $1100 (I've convinced them I'm
a wholesaler and get a small discount of the factory price).

For that matter, I just might be able to convince TB to sell me
Multisounds as well, but I'm not too sure... they seem to have totally
different distribution systems for the two products (ie the 56K is
pretty much only sold factory direct, and the Multisound is sold
pretty much only through retailers).  If anyone's interested, I could
inquire a bit more.

Have fun,

Tony Berke
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard