If only audio engineers could make an audio interface simulator ..

I think you are on to something. Analogue gear wasn't perfect, but when it was gone, software companies started to emulate all the flaws and inconsistencies to the minutest detail. I foresee a new era, where musicians won't need to learn music or hone their skills in a traditional manner, but will just draw patterns and loops and get a song produced and mastered automatically. Oh, wait! Isn't this already happening? You are right, it's time to ask for audio interface emulation.

Or buy a Mac  :) 

Interface simulator is extremely hard to write. Even digital part of computer is not easy to simulate (check qemu for example, to have an idea how that goes... you can imagine my frustration when after simulating one ARM based device, checking that the simulator works perfectly with original linux kernel/distribution and writing my own Linux disk driver for newer kernel, I have found that real hardware is refusing to cooperate with my driver ).
 
But there are 2 tests which if implemented will almost solve the problem:
1) the tester which investigate which jitter is acceptable for an interface, with particular driver in particular mode. A kind of audio loop based (already existing) latency utility which fill WDM/ASIO/etc. buffers with jitter and put load on the system at the same time (disk + RAM + video). So people which already have the hardware can run it and publish results
2) a virtual audio interface, which measure the jitter coming from the client (DAW)
 
So, taking the result from latency real live tests (exist in the Internet for almost all interfaces), the result from (1) published the same way and the result from (2) measured on your system with your projects, it should be easy to predict what you are going to achieve with different devices.
 
Hypothetic example: let say an interface is know to produce 5ms loop time with 16bit/64 buffer size, but it tolerate less then 1ms jitter with such settings. 10ms with 16bit/128 and tolerance 2ms, and so on. You measure that Sonar with your project produce up to 1.5ms jitter. Then you know you will be unable to run at 5ms with this interface, but will be able to run with 10ms.
 

Cactus Music
Or buy a Mac  :)

Or PC made to run DAW and tested with particular interface (there are many reports in this forum that works).
Finally a PC for $1000 + RME for $1000 will work not worse then Mac for $1800 + "am interface" for $200
 

rsinger
 
 
Just because some one posts that they have an I/F that is stable and low latency doesn't mean that another person with a different system that is unstable won't have problems, but at least you know the drivers are good.

 
Exactly. Tried and true interfaces on someones elses system is meaningless if you have issues on yours.Plus, how cool would it be to see test results for all the parameters that are important in a side by side comparison of all the major makers, in YOUR system. Very cool, I'd say.

rsinger
 
 
Just because some one posts that they have an I/F that is stable and low latency doesn't mean that another person with a different system that is unstable won't have problems

Exactly. At least a test beforehand could literally show you all the parameters that tests of all makers you are considering would reveal on YOUR system.I think it's an awesome idea.

Cactus Music
Or buy a Mac  :) 

Recent Mac OSX updates haven't been exactly super smooth...   
El Capitan had some major teething issues.

Buy to try is OK..but...wouldn't it at the very least be SO cool to have test results of all the important parameters for an interface, particularly latency beforehand for comparisons sake if nothing else? Like, I'm considering the new UA Twin, the new 6/8 Presonus box, those latest Behringer interfaces (real darkhorse!) ..maybe a Focusrite box of some kind...how cool would it be to run tests on all of them to know which has the lowest latency (among other parameters)  in MY computer? Too awesome.

rsinger
... a thread about audio interfaces. It would make sense to do something similar in the top part of this forum so it would be sticky. People could post what interface they are using, if it is stable, what buffer sizes they are using for tracking/mixing and what OS they are using.
 
Just because some one posts that they have an I/F that is stable and low latency doesn't mean that another person with a different system that is unstable won't have problems, but at least you know the drivers are good.

+1 and great suggestion. Given the endless configuration variations this should be useful for many users.