Hi All,

I occasionally need to make audio voice recordings for work. The ones I 
make are generally fine, but there's a little background hiss. Using 
Goldwave to remove mild hum helps, but doing anything else with Goldwave 
just adds a robotic layer. someone suggested I get an external sound 
card to produce cleaner recordings. I don't know much about external 
sound cards. The little I've read is overwhelming and confusing, so what 
I'm asking for is basic information to help me make sense of what I'm 
reading:

* Are there accessibility concerns with external sound cards. I'm 
imagining a box with ports. Is this correct, or are there also buttons 
that may or may not be tactile? Is there software I need to deal with, 
or would I work with the external sound card via Windows and Goldwave, 
which means the sound card's software doesn't really need to be accessible?

* What are good starter brands/price ranges? The range I find is way too 
broad. some models sell for a few dollars, but when reading the customer 
reviews on Amazon, I discover I need satellite radio. Others cost 
hundreds of dollars, but turn out to include video. The frustrating 
thing is that these differences aren't often easy to identify in the 
specs list, so I feel I don't know what I need to find. What I'd like is 
something basic for voice that's easy to use and costs under $50.

* What else do I need to buy? When I buy the card, is it likely to 
include the right cables? If not, what kind of cable am I likely to 
need? I'm assuming I need an external microphone? Is the one on my 
headset likely to work, or are there certain specs I need to pay 
attention to?

I have a Windows 8.1 all-in-one (i.e., it's like a monitor with ports 
and a CD tray). It's got sound-in and -out and USB ports, so I probably 
want a USB sound card.

Any wisdom would be much appreciated.

Ciao


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