van het SOS review:
Testing the audio quality of the Hoontech, my overall impression was one of respectable, if unremarkable, audio performance. Comparisons with the Yamaha DSP Factory/AX44 breakout box combination (the latter featuring 20-bit converters) that was already in the test PC consistently showed the background noise levels of the Hoontech to be 2-3dB higher than on the Yamaha, whether using the unbalanced or the balanced analogue inputs. In addition, with the monitoring level turned up and no signal present, the analogue outputs of the Hoontech were noticeably noisier than those of the AX44. Given that the Hoontech system boasts 24-bit converters, this might seem a little disappointing, but it must be born in mind that it provides quite a lot of hardware at a pretty low price point. The best-quality analogue circuitry comes at a price and, while Hoontech's converters themselves may be well specified, it is perhaps understandable that some of the other components within the rack or the shielding on the PCI card are not off the top shelf. Given the price, this unit is clearly being targeted at the home studio user and, in that context, where the benefits of the whole package have to be considered, its audio performance is likely to be perfectly acceptable
There is no doubt that Hoontech's Soundtrack Audio DSP 24 and ADC/DAC2000 system provides a very flexible range of I/O configurations. The drivers appear to be very stable and the low latency values achievable via the ASIO 2.0 drivers make it very suitable for use with software synths and samplers. The system also appears to work quite well with a range of popular audio software. The audio quality is perhaps not exceptional but, given the range of hardware features provided at what is a modest price, this is hardly surprising. The Hoontech simply represents a different balance between quality and quantity than, for example, some of the other 24-bit/96kHz soundcards currently available, which tend to provide only stereo in/stereo out connectivity.
Hoontech would appear to be pitching this system at the home studio owner. For such a person needing to record multiple inputs (perhaps with enough basic microphones to record a full band performance) rather than just mono or stereo overdubs, achieving the highest audio quality is unlikely to be absolutely critical. Flexibility, reliable performance, low latency and low cost would therefore make the Hoontech well worth considering.
---------
en ik las wat statements op het duitse keyboards forum....mmm..lastig..voor mij telt dat externe rack bakkie toch wel erg zwaar....heb nog wat postings uit staan..dus we wachten het ff af
Olaf