Inexpensive external sound card?

I need to pick up a small, inexpensive sound card to run SONAR through.

Due to recovering from a couple of knee surgeries, I find myself unable to get downstairs to my studio where my Mackie board and firewire card are. I use these with SONAR and they sound great. But I would like to learn SONAR 7 and need a decent sound card--as the internal card that is on my motherboard is just not very good. So I have been looking at some of the M-audio cards, and found these for starters:

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Transit.html

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/FastTrackUSB.html


I don't really need to have the ability to do any input, although I might need to record my voice once and awhile--but I have Pro Tools and an M-box 2 for that, so I could record it there and import it to SONAR. So the device in the first link would certainly work, but the second unit is only $20 more than the first...

I have just started my search for an external interface, so I am open to suggestions--but I would like to spend less than $150-200 if at all possible, as I will simply go back to the Mackie board in 2-3 months when I can get back into my studio.

Thanks guys.

TB

LOL... (not laughing at you, but rather trying to imagine what my wife would say if I asked her!)

I had that thought, but you should see the house. I already have my laptop and my new DAW near the hospital bed I have set up here in the living room. I have built this little "project studio" right here in the living room, although I hadn't intended to do this...it just sort of happened. My daughter plays volleyball, and my wife is the typical "soccer mom" and goes to every match--and now videotapes the games for the coach. So of course I offered to help by editing the footage in Sony Vegas, and then burning DVD with DVD architect. And if it just so happens that the same computer gear can be used for SONAR and Pro Tools...well, there's nothing I can do about that!

So I have a laptop for surfing the web and junk, and then my DAW (which is HUGE, thanks to the Cool Master case) for all the other work. And this stuff is all in the living room, most of it concealed behind the end table next to the hospital bed. I tell you, weekends watching football are GREAT at my house! But having her bring the Mackie upstairs might be pushing it a bit, lol. No, I'm afraid there's only so much I can pull off here Dave...

So it has to be a small unobtrusive external interface. Had I any brains whatsoever, I wouldn't have purchased an M-box 2, but rather would've gotten a larger M-audio box that would have worked with both Pro Tools and SONAR. Live and learn, I guess. But that's why I really don't need much now, other than something that will serve as a decent external sound card--and M-audio has several units for less than $200, and I found this one as well for $129...

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/MobilePreUSB.html

...so I may just buy either the one in the second link above, or this one. But I just want to find out if anyone has used either of these with SONAR, and what sort of luck they had.

But thanks for your post Dave. I wish I could do what you suggested, but I guarantee that dog won't hunt in these woods...

TB

You could look at the Line 6 usb Tone Port that comes with the GearBox Gold bundle for $99. At least with it, you get a ton of effects to use after you're done using the interface and go back to the Mackie board. It only has a 1/4" guitar input but depending on how much quality you need when recording your voice you could use a mic and a XLR->1/4" adapter.

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Line-6-GearBox-PlugIn-Gold-Bundle?sku=706521