Users' Opinion - DMAN 2044
Considering the few tests that I was able to do with the DMAN 2044 (I acquired it recently), it's a good product. The Plug'n'Play installation functionned well immediately. I don't know how far it is important, but Cubase parametric eq's are very efficient with it, the sound is nice, without any noise, and the effects are very nice too. For the moment, only positive points !
Reading 8 simultaneous audio tracks doesn't give any problem, no click, no plock, no burb. I was a bit afraid when listening to the Cubase demo song because I heard some clicks, then I realized that it was made deliberately, that it was a "crakle" track which was making an "old vynil disk" effect and which was containing only some audio crackles. Some good ol'time crackles, which warm the sound as if it has "simmered" during five hours. Well, but if you mute this "good ol'time" track, the sound is clear.
I have all of this working on a Pentium II 350 MHz, 64 MB, powered under 220 V. Ah yes, the hard disk drive : 4 GB with ultrawide card.
I've been using this card since April 1998 and I'm really pleased with it. Of course, there are some other ones much more expensive which can offer a better rendering, but I recommend it to those who wish to realize good quality recordings at a reasonnable price. Before, I had been using the Tropez card (ISA) for Midi as well as for audio. When keeping this card for the other Windows programs, I use in VST the Dman 2044 for the Wav and the Tropez for Midi.
However, because the card doesn't make it possible to determine the input level, you must use a mixer and make some tests in order to learn the maximum peak levels. I added the Midiman mixer Multimixer 10 which is very compact and noiseless. Since I've done this installation, I don't have any more difficulty about Midi/Wave synchro. My system, Pentium 166 without MMX, 96 RAM, I use VST by creating some long tracks (4 minutes long in average, 4 to 5 tracks) and by adding a few Midi tracks.
Well ! Since Yann reminded cunningly to me that I haven't still given my opinion about my little DMAN 2044 card, let's go ! So here I am, I was having a © Pouet 64 Gold which was sold to me as to be the "top number one". Uh. Computer Assisted Music was something new for me at this time, and I must admit that what I was discovering on the screen was fascinating me so much that I forgot to listen carefully to the sound of my © Pouet 64 Gold. Then, I listened and I grew up. See about this subject © Pouet 64 Gold ISers' Opinion. In short, I quickly realized that I needed a much serious stuff and not so expensive, I'm not a professional, only a keen lazy man ! The DMAN was often talked about at this time. I didn't hesitate a long time, I bought it.
Don't give up, it will become funny, you will see how I can be stupid sometimes. I'm openning the pack, rather feverish, I'm mounting the card in the system, I'm rebooting, WinTrick is asking for the drivers floppy disk, taking it, accepting it, yeepi and it's rebooting again. What a thing, the good P'n'P which functions ! I'm rushing at - well, manner of speaking - Cubase ! Yum ! In playback, no noise, it's a change, compared to the © Pouet Machin ! On the other hand, it doesn't record ! Damn shiiiiit ! You will see that I've bought the ONLY defective Dman... I'm searching, I'm going through, I'm putting off, I'm putting in, I'm saying some fairly rude words too. I'm calling Pipine who's laughing at me and who's suggesting me to verify the cables. Hey ho, Pipine, I'm stupid but not that much, I did it in first ! Well, at one o'clock in the morning, I'm going to bed almost tearful. The morning after, I'm going back to fire again as soon as I wake up, and I finding : I didn't plug the jacks deeply enough... End of this not so glorious episode !
Well, seriously ! The Dman, you plug it and it works perfectly. You just need to keep the ASIO driver which rambles somewhere here... Cubase will appreciate. So, the DMAN is 20 bits, 4 inputs and 4 outputs in analog. Hence the 2044, no ? The 20 bits, you don't know where you could find them, besides. Converters ? Internal processings ? You plug the card into a pin with the 8 6.35" jacks. The first thing which strikes at first use, it's the full silence. Sure that comparing to the © Pouet 64... But what's interesting us is its behaviour in VST, uh ? I must say that this card is made for this software. ASIO driver or not. Perfect synchro, 63 ms latency with the ASIO. Can't do some monitoring with it, but enough to hear the card reacting to any request. To be honest, I didn't test multi-recording, but I don't worry about it. There's only one really boring thing : the incapacity of the driver to indicate the peaks when recording in Cubase. You must so proceed step by step to adjust these recording levels. Never the littl'red led will light on, even if the sound distorts. What a pity...
A kind thing : in the config panel, there's a thingy named DMAN. It makes it possible to manage the monitoring. Ah ? And, yes ! It makes it possible to redirect for example the input 1 towards the output 4. Without crossing the converters. What's the use of it ? Imagine that your singer absolutely wants to have some reverb in return but that you don't want to record this reverb... You just need to send the input 1 voice towards the output 3, to activate the monitoring in the Windows mixboard and to plug the output 3 into the multi-effect, then your singer will let you in peace ! A little comfortable bonus.
And what about the sound ? What is more subjective than this judgement ? DMANs are renowned to colouring the sound. To myself, it doesn't bother me, I think that it sounds well. You can't expect a soundcard at 380 euros to have the sound quality of a 24/96 card at 1525 euros. To sumit up, if you already have a card that can manage Midi, or if you want to make only audio recordings, the DMAN is a little DTD card without any pretention which does what's promised, cleanly, which is installed easily, except if you are as stupid as me. At use, I never noticed any default. Last thing, the last ASIO driver is DirectX. That is to say that you will be able to use it with any games conceived for this standard. To myself, if I had to offer myself a little bit more expensive card , I would start by looking at Midiman since the 2044 pleased me so much ...