RME babyface.

How do you guys feel about the Digi 003?  I can get a used one for under $200.  They're still writing drivers for it.

eph221
How do you guys feel about the Digi 003?  I can get a used one for under $200.  They're still writing drivers for it.

If you're willing to take a chance on $200 dollars....
 
It's sounds like a deal but I doubt you'd get much in the way of support for it from Avid, even if you were using pro tools; it's listed under legacy interfaces.
 
 

eph221
What about the babyface pro?

RME is solid. They are my third choice in interfaces, first being Antelope Audio followed by UAD. Babyface Pro would be good but it lacks those 4 outputs you want or it would have been my first suggestion.

ampfixer
Steinberg UR44. 6 in, 6 out, 2 headphone mix outs. It does have multiple speaker outs but there's no A/B switch.
 
I've tried Roland and Focusrite interfaces in the same price range and this is my favourite.

+1. 
 
I've been using two Steinberg units for the past 18 mos.  As a former Focusrite and Presonus interface user, I can say confidently that the Steinberg stuff is better all around.  I just got a used RME FF400 and it beats all the others latency-wise... though the onboard mic-pres aren't as nice sounding as the Steinberg D-Pre's.

Babyface pro is also a great choice (anything RME is excellent).
 
At the $650 mark, nothing beats the MOTU Ultralite AVB (performance, sound, flexibility).
 
As a point of reference, most audio interfaces at or below the $500 mark have an average noise-floor of -103dB.
The Ultralite AVB has an average noise-floor of -112dB.
That's not far off from the RME Fireface UFX... which is a dB or two quieter.

Jim,
 
I'm interested!  Will I ever be able to connect to the avb to an ethernet port and is that faster than usb?  Are the converters first class?

it is, at least in part, a personal choice thing, but since you asked...
 
I really like the Presonus converters, and the driver for the 1818VSL works really well for me. I haven't found a use for the included console really, but who know?

I just upgraded to an Apollo Twin USB. It does monitor switching, but it is limited to two inputs in it's basic form. You can add an additional 4 (@ 96 kHz) or 8 (@ 48 kHz) inputs via the TOSlink input. It's a reasonable compromise, but definitely pushes way beyond your price point.

That said - I'd put the converters in the Apollo up against many similarly priced interfaces (Apogee, RME, Audient, etc). And I think there is a noticeable difference between the Apollo and my Presonus and Frontier Design converters. I prefer the Apollo - you might not.

The advantage, for me, is access to the UAD plug-ins on the input side. Their "Unison" technology works much better than I expected, and I'd have been perfectly happy just to have certain plugs running at the input<G>!

Things to keep in mind should you wander down the UA path:
1) their plug-ins are not cheap, and they are good - this is a dangerous (for one's wallet) combination.
2) they have not yet announced their "aggregate" solution for Windows, and in fact only the Apollo Twin is officially supported at the moment, although many are running the Apollo 8 and Apollo 16 on Windows platforms. I have not seen reports of folks using multiple UAD2 devices on Windows however (Billy Buck might have info on this.)

Beyond that, well, I used my Frontier Design solution for as long as I've had a Windows machine, and it never got in my way. In fact I'm setting up a second machine with XP just to keep access to 32 extra inputs and 32 extra outputs because while I do think the UA Apollo sounds a bit clearer, there is nothing wrong with the Tango converters. And I've still got the Presonus 1818VSL connected, for those times when I really can't get by with just 2 inputs. (I'll resolve that dilemma soon with an S/Mux capable converter, but for now...

I've heard the Focusrite and I'd rate it about the same as the Presonus. The RME is better. The MOTU stuff is, I think, as good as the Focusrite, but I've never used them in the same room, so suffice it to say neither one disappointed.

There are a lot of really good interfaces out there in your price range, and at least one that is (I think) a bit better for not a whole lot more (until you start buying plug-ins<G>)! Wish there was an easy answer...

Good luck with your hunt!

Bill, in order to run the usb twin apollo I'd have to upgrade my computer.  But I think it might be cheaper in the long run to do that.  I can get a used i7 rig from a friend for $250.  The total, with the apollo would make it closer to $1000.  I'm torn.

eph221
I'm interested!  Will I ever be able to connect to the avb to an ethernet port and is that faster than usb?  Are the converters first class?

You'd connect the Ultralite AVB via USB2.
USB2 has plenty of bandwidth the the amount of I/O you're talking about.
ie: RME Fireface UFX is a USB2 audio interface with 30 channels of I/O at 4.3ms total round-trip latency (44.1k).
 
The MOTU AVB units can be connected to a Mac (OSX) via Ethernet port (not currently to PC).
No big loss... performance via Ethernet is similar to running Dante' (round-trip latency is ~10ms)  
 
The Converters on the AVB as the best you'll find in a unit at $650.
The noise-floor is pretty low at -112dB.  
 
World-class units have noise-floor of -117dB... or slightly lower (with the cost you'd expect).
The larger MOTU AVB units are of this caliber (1248, 8M, etc).