How about Roland vs700 AD/DA? Is it even comparable to any of those brand names you named them?

After reading this http://keyboardmag.com/gear/1183/lynx-e44-pci-express-audio-card-now-available/50938
I realized I don't know if this would work or does it require an additional "section" like the RME's that need a PCI card (DigiFace or MultiFace).? Anyone? And if it works alone, what would you use to access the digital inputs? SPDIF, I get (like an Audient Mico has SPDIF outs), but I assume my Tascam us1641's SPDIF outs are only stereo. Is that so? I suppose I could get the AD card for my ISA One.
    I've been considering a Saffire Pro 26 with a FW card for my new i7, but am waiting to see reviews of the Tascam us16X08 and the Arturia AudioFuse, as that is more my "current budget".
    RE modded stuff. I just watched an eBAY auction for a BLA modded FireFace 800 (sold for $800+ with a burned out FW400 port) and started reading up on Black Lion after that. It's amazing how I can look in certain areas and then suddenly "discover" these other ones, like Black Lion Audio. Oh well, that is a boon from this forum.
    RE the $2500 budget. No one mentioned the Antelope Zen Studio. I would expect great things from them after loving my Aardvark Q10.
Michael
 
 
 
Michael
 

Return of the living dead thread!  Two years later my stereo choices would be:
 
Used UA 2496 or whatever the # is.  $1800 plus a digital in/out.  A great converter using transformers for a big sound.
 
UA Apollo if you want effects - various prices.
 
Lynx Hilo - sub $2500.
 
Tascam UH-7000.  $400.  Plus you could get a Lynx pic-e AES card and run multiple units for a killer clean 8 X 8 system for about $2500.  Warning, I have discovered that running the TASCAM unit via digital results in some glitches when recording (even tho I'm not doing glitch).  Gotta fix that w/ my TC Konnekt 48 since I have a drummer coming over.
 
@

I have been very satisfied with my RME FireFace UFX. But you have plenty of good suggestions here.
 
One thing that slightly annoys me is this attitude that the "big boys" or "pros" only use Pro Tools on a Mac. Well, the last time I checked, the definition or "pro" (short for professional" is that you are getting paid for your service or skill. I get paid for recording and mixing bands, artists, authors, comedians, short films, etc... In fact, my family depends on the income that I bring in from my audio work. By definition that would qualify me as a pro. And guess what? I use SONAR on a Windows PC. Shocking, I know. How can this be? 
 
What makes Pro Tools in a "league above" SONAR? If you truly seek an answer to this, you will find the answer is "nothing". It is all just advertising hype being force-fed to consumers. 
 
More importantly, if you are seeking to be a pro or a "big boy", you would be much better served by investing in a treated room, mics, pres, knowledge and experience. Don't waste time worry about not having Pro Tools on a Mac. If you can't get acceptable results with SONAR, getting Pro Tools is not going to help. Delving into the areas mentioned above will yield much better results. Getting a nice interface, like the OP is asking about is way more important then what DAW you use; even Pro Tools that any respectable big name studio must have to be a big name studio. I hope my sarcasm is received in good spirit. 

Ditto to Sylvan! When I ran my home studio and earned a third of my income from it (along with lessons and gigging 5-7 nights a week), I felt like a pro. I got my clients mostly from them hearing something I did. Word of mouth always worked great for me.
   Some of my favorite "pros" use "other than PT" DAWs. It is sort of like Neumann's vs ________ (pick your fave), It does come down to knowing how to get great results with what you have.
Michael

Dude Ivey
I'm wanting to get an audio interface so im looking for opinions on the best ones. i dont need a million in's and out's but i want a reasonable amount. In a big name studio what brands do they use? i want the best quality i can possibly get. It has to work with a PC. Suggestions would be great.

what's your budget? for cheap and nice, I rec the focusrite 8i6, used. the 8i6 was the only interface in scarlett range that had a virtual loopback built into the driver. it was AWESOME for routing audio between applications.
 
otherwise, I now use an octacapture. the Auto-Gain functionality is so nice. set-in-and-forget-it style.
 
EDIT: derp. how do these old threads get moved back up the list?

RE the Focusrite 8i6, I found a very thorough review by Mike Rivers comparing it to the 18i6
https://mikeriversaudio.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/focusrite-scarlett-8i6-and-18i6-review.pdf
 
for anyone considering either.
Michael

Yeah, John, I had complete faith in my Aardvark Q10. Like you, I got a Tascam us 1641, but feel OK about it, but not much more. I'd like to love the next one!
Michael
ps even though River's review is old, I thought it might prove interesting here.

I appreciate flexibility and that's why I've recently sold my 2 x RME Ff800s and bought an RME UFX.

It's a full 30 x 30 mixer with onboard fx and dynamics control inside the unit. It's class compliant and can record direct to USB 2. I can even connect it to an iPad if I want to run the TotalMix software that controls the mixer.

I don't need any of that because I can set up the unit entirely via the front panel and run it standalone. That sort flexibility is worth a lot. To cap it off its backed by RME which is every bit as good saying that Sonar is backed by Cakewalk

AT
As to the question of the VS 700 - great controller (on older SONARs - don't know about new versions), good converters and preamps.  Certainly good enough to do pro work.  I didn't like the digital track effects - or maybe I never set them right.  But the analog in is very clean and good gain. [...]
 

 
totally agree and would like to add that it's interaction with X3/platinum is good: I'm only aware of one feature from the 8.5 days / official manual which is no longer working and that is locking individual channels on the VC-700C but apart form that integration is sweet ...
 
as regards the digital track effects (i reckon you talk about compressor built into the audio interface as there isn't anything else in the vs-700) ... i don't use that, either ... i generally don't fancy digital compression on the way in, my approach is either analog when recording or applied afterwards ... but pls feel free to educate me on the benefits of using the digital compressor from the audio interface [ that's the great thing about this forum :-) ]
 

AT
That is one reason why the Sound on Sound preamp shoot-out showed the lower cost units performing so well.  They used a disk-player piano for perfect replication.  They did not have a punk band in the studio for the first time cranking up the amps after setting levels or a singer finally hitting her groove and belting out instead of whispering the lines.  Good hardware can save your hinny then.  That is one reason studios spend what would otherwise be stupid money on the front end - it makes you seem a much better engineer than you are rather than sounding 10 times better on a well-controller signal.

funny ... but i wonder what those guys with the expensive toys would reply ...