Creative E-MU 1212 Sound Card Review

“I have owned this card for about 2 years and have...”

Written on: 12/09/2008

Good Points
Flawless AD/DA Converter
Well Made Hardware

Bad Points
PatchMix
using PatchMix
not being able to turn PatchMix off
the word PatchMix!

General Comments
I have owned this card for about 2 years and have hardly ever ran into problems, apart from a slightly messy patch after the first install, and some small workable issues. The problem with the 1212m is not with the hardware, which is of a damn good quality for the price, but with the frankly useless application that is PatchMix. My own personal issue with it is that it can't be turned off... I use my 1212m in a studio setup routed into a 8/1 mixing board, I do not need to have a software based mixer, but i do not have a choice in this matter. If you turn it off you are effectively disabling sound routed through your computer, which is a bit of an annoyance in a studio enviroment.

The effects are, a bit dodgy to say the least, it may have been my system but everytime I used an effect within a DAW such as Cubase i experienced an intermitent clicking sound on tracks containing effects.

If anyone reading this is thinking of purchasing a 1212m I would still recomend it for anyone with a home studio with a small budget. But my new theory on Music Tech products goes thus: "If ye can afford better, ye should purchase better".