Yes you can use 2 soundcards, and yes you can use them both at the same time - even in XP. It does depend on their abilities, suhc as ASIO and stuff, and it made easier by same branding.

But nonetheless, it is very much possible. I use 2 all the time - no switching/special config.

Thank you for the replies
slightly conflicting, but that at least gives some hope.
I think the 1st reply is what I was thinking would work.
The Aardvark needs it's own special ASIO drivers for recording through the breakout box, but once the recording is done, everything else would be a normal soundcard.
Any other possibilities or advice before I pass this along?

I often work with one audio interface doing Windows system sounds and the other running music software. It's less distracting that way with the system sounds playing back over a smaller separate speaker system. I'm not sure what the limit is, but you can use a number of separate audio interfaces at once. The most I've ever done is three (the third for Skype).

given the old soundcrad, and older(?) mb, - get something like the cheap m-audio delta audiophile 2496 - it's decent quality, low latency, happy with asio, and generally great value for money. I know you said you didn't want to pay out for anything, but something to consider -

If all you want to do is add software capability, consider using ASIO4ALL from asio4all.com. It will give you low latency ASIO with most soundcards that don't have professional drivers.

I didn't suggest asio4all since poster was stating old card and 32khz - but it might just be worth trying anyways, since it's free, and rather useful. - so yea, I'd suggest asio4all too.

Alright....activity
I'm having bad luck finding the original emails I sent to this guy. I think he is using the ASIO4ALL drivers. I know he originally couldn't get the Aardvark to work until I sent a link to some drivers. But the only reference I can find in my old email, he calls it Driver 7.03 and I know Aardvark was not available. (this is Sept 2006) It may have been just a link I found to some other updated driver for Aardvark too. But it did start working after that. ASIO4ALL sounds awfully familiar.
He says the Motherboard is made by 'Micro Star' but he didn't give me a model # for it. I've never heard of Micro Star.
This is neither here nor there anyway, as I believe he said his father was going to give him a dual core very soon. Problem is, he will probably still use the Aardvark and I'm just trying to find out if he can toggle between that and a normal sound card. I also know he has another sound card (soundblaster). (Yes I know the reputation of Audigy cards).
I've heard the 32Khz recordings he's made and they're not that bad. In fact, much better than I expected.
My thinking is ... He can use the Aardvark sound card only for recording and switch over to the soundblaster for everything EXCEPT recording.
Does this make sense?

Yes - but he will only be as good as his weakest link

Thank you,
Don't think I haven't been trying to pound that into his head. I keep telling him, just get a firewire mixer and be done with it. But he's one of those whose House payments suddenly jumped super high and he's now selling stuff to make ends meet.

By the way, I think the driver he's using came from here:
http://members.driverguide.com/driver/detail.php?driverid=325970
although this one is labeled Driver Version 7.13 (maybe an earlier version ended up working for him, I don't know)

I can't find any sign of an Aardvark soundcard that can only work at 32kHz. Exactly what model of Aardvark card is this?

All of the Aardvark cards I can find (the DirectMix USB3, the DirectPro LX6, the DirectPro Q10, the Aark24 and the DirectPro 24/96) can operate at 32kHz, 44.1kHz, or 48kHz (and the LX6 and 24/96 can do 96kHz) sampling rates (at 24-bit depth). The sampling rate in use is chosen in the software/driver that controls the cards.

There is no reason I can think of why he should not be able to use VST plugins with any of those soundcards, so long as the audio software he is using (Vegas, Sonar, etc) permits it. I suspect that if there is a problem it is one of configuration (and/or understanding) rather than anything fundamental.

There is some useful information at the Aardvark Support Group who have attempt to provide support for these cards since Aardvark went bust. Their website is here.

Mark

Thanks Mark,
I believe he told me in the past, that it was possible to get to set it ot 44.1 or 48 Khz but it never happened. And I agree, I think it's his old computer. I've seen other bizarre things happen, like he can't find the very hard drive he's just recorded to. Or even though he just captured video via FireWire, the computer won't recognize an external Hard drive using FireWire or through USB. But since I really don't know that much about computers anyway, I'm not much help
I think I'm going to wait until he gets this new computer. I don't even know if it's brand new or a hand me down. But he says it's a dual core and that should be newer
Thanks for the link, too.
EDIT: It's the Direct Pro 24/96

Well, as its name suggests, the DirectPro 24/96 can operate at variety of bitrates up to and including 96kHz. There is no reason why, assuming he has the correct drivers and other supporting software installed, and he is using an audio host that supports VST, that he should not be able to use this hardware successfully already.

Conversely, if he is unable to work out how to configure it to work on his current system, there is no guarantee that he will be able to work out how to do it on his new system either.

Mark

Well, MarkWWW, I thank you again.
After giving him the link, he installed another driver and got it working. All options available now. VSTs are working. He's pretty happy.
Thanks again. This forum is amazing. Even helping out 3rd parties with obsolete equipment.