I don't really care which one I use. I only need one stereo input anyway. I really just wanted to try out the USB to see if it was better or easier or anything.
I tried plugging in the USB and Sonar popped up a message saying there was a new input and asking me if I should install it. I said Yes, but in my track inputs and the Properties page, things look the same. The Windows hardware page indicates a new input, namely USB Audio CODEC, which I set as the default. But nothing in Sonar says anything about USB. The only inputs still say M-Audio Delta ASIO etc.
I was just about to unplug the RCA from the M-Audio card to see if it is maybe recording into USB anyway, but I realized there's another complication I'm confused about:
As mentioned, my sound card only has the single stereo in, which is really fine for my needs. However, it means I need to use the Effects send to record anything to the computer while still hearing everything else. So my mixer's effects send goes to the PC input on the sound card. (The sound card's output goes to the tape in on the mixer for monitor purposes.) When I want to record a vocal, or bounce down a Midi track, I just bring up the effect volume knob for that channel and make sure everything else is 0. Works fine. (If I need to record a stereo Midi track, or my digital piano, I repatch a bit to record the stereo, since the FX send is mono). So if I switch to the USB, don't I lose the ability to record into the PC on one channel and simultaneously monitor the others?