Lowest latency 2 or 4 channel USB I/O that I can recommend to my nephew?

...besides the RME UCX or UFX (cause I'm afraid his dad will get mad at me) :-)
 
My young nephew is an ace guitar rocker but he hasn't done any project recording. He owns some nice amps but he's become enamored with guitar modeling and the fantasy of having dozens of amps in a one stop interface. He's going to spend a day in the studio with me tomorrow and I'd like to help him set a goal for saving up and buying a low latency usb I/O box, a starter DAW, and an amp sim so he can get started with learning about recording.
 
It seems to me that the best way to start is with a small and low priced usb rig that has a great driver, but I haven't been paying much attention to what's best these days.
 
Thanks.
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRpCXWSC8TE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwBR1OfHRtM

Awesome for a zero latency experience and fantastic for guitars and microphones. Probably available around $250.

Hi Robert,
 Thanks for the news about the Akai. I had helped a local with one of these a year or so back and remember the older drivers. That's some good news you have to share.
 
 Hi Lava,
  The KB37 format seems like it could be a great way for him to get started fast. Thanks for the idea.
 
 Hi Cactus,
   I'm a big fan of DAW bench, as it seems to focus on the more fully functional gear, but sometimes I think it seems both dated and incomplete. I've been thinking of "down grading" to a MOTU PCI-e 24 I/O and the chart reminded me why. :-)
 
 Thanks everyone.
 
 I thought I recalled there were a few cheap USB rigs that really outperformed the others for latency. The Roland boxes and the M-audio Ultras come to mind. Yes? No? Have the drivers for many of these devices achieved parity?
 

Thanks Jimmy!

Thanks very much Clint.
 
That is exactly the info I am looking for and it is also the info that seems so hard to find.
 
The 44VSL was one unit I had eyeballed before posting the OP.
 
I have also been looking at the M-audio M-Track Quad and that is because I think I recall the M-Audio ultra at having ultra quick drivers.
 
May I ask; are you using a 128 sample buffer? If so, is there a 64 sample option?
 
Thanks!

I believe that would be via the ASIO Panel in Sonar.
I know you could get to the M-Audio2496 that way, and my EMU-0404 and the Akai work the same way.
The EMU had Patchmix to control routing, which was separate, but latency was controlled from within Sonar.
Here's what I see with the Akai:

I haven't pushed the 64 sample setting yet, because 128 is actually pretty comfortable, and feels a lot tighter than the numbers seem to indicate. I might check it out this weekend, because this newer machine is considerably more capable than anything I have had previously.

I can get about 15ms round trip at 128K with the UR44 without audio glitches or dropouts. 
Doesn't the speed of our PC's effect this round trip results?  I don't have the fastest PC that's for sure.
 

The 44VSL @ 44.1 supports 64 sample buffer, X3 reports 4.9ms RTL
                        

The Presonus AudioBox VSL units are exactly what you're looking for, Mike.

• 4.9ms round-trip latency at a 64-sample ASIO buffer size/44.1k
• Solid drivers
• Pretty good sound
• Affordable

Well Mike, don't recommend the Tascam UH-7000.  I have an 8 core computer (with a lot of dongles and such, although I haven't usb tuned it) and I get 10 ms roundtrip.  Superior sound but a tad expensive, so that knocks it out too.  But it is a great bit of kit.
 
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