If you intend to ever go mobile, make sure you research the laptop's ability to support FW.  (USB of course is a no brainer)
 
Desktops are not an issue for FW as PCIe slots are common, but newer laptops (not custom built by DAW experts) will not likely have FW built in and you will need to make sure you have an PCMCIA (or newer expansion slot cabability) slot to take an add on FW.
 
I currently use an Octa capture USB on my laptop, but forgot my KRK Ergo is FW.  I only need FW to tune the room with the Ergo, and I have an older desktop I can use, but it was a major oversight on my part when I bought the laptop.

I also have presonus FP10 - It had issues, I sent it to factory, they repaired for $80.00 and it has been great for about 5 years now.  Passable sounding preamps, 8 channels.  I actually use a Mackie mixer for more inputs (1640) 16 channels at once via firewire...
 
 

Focusrite fan since I started using the Saffire Pro 40 (and an old Alesis AI3). I'm really happy with that setup. I'm not worried about firewire being abandoned, in worst case the pro40 has standalone mode so it can be used as a mic preamp (never tried, but should work).
Focusrite will be on my shortlist when and if I need to replace interface, firewire probably won't.

Sanderxpander
I find it amazing how much Apple (?) has apparently managed to convince people that Firewire is somehow better/more stable for audio recording. Yes, in the beginning days there were more serious interfaces on Firewire, but I have never actually seen anyone have problems with the bandwidth or their USB device, where it recorded or played back fewer channels than quoted. Driver problems and stability, yes, but those exist on both sides and Firewire seems to actually be more particular about the surrounding hardware. 

A lot of the negative sentiment surrounding USB-2 audio interfaces hearkens back to early USB-1.1 units... which were flaky (performance/driver) and offered limited I/O.  Those unit's were hindered by limited bandwidth (especially for multi-I/O at higher resolution).
 
When USB-2 audio interfaces came out, I was skeptical (till I actually saw/experienced the performance of the better units).

Firewire is slowly on the decline... but it's not going away in the immediate future.
USB-2 offers more universal compatibility (much larger target market)... and it's cheaper to manufacture.
 

Anyone know what the limitations of the Orion is with USB?
 
When I see folks explain that the UFX is 30 channels I think they should point out it is 30 channels at 24/48... and scales upwards as you use less channels.
 
The Orion says it can run 32 channels of 118dB range at 192kHz on USB.
 
Is that 24 bits?
 
What's the round trip latency with the Orion running at 24/48? How about 24/96?

mike_mccue
Anyone know what the limitations of the Orion is with USB?
 
When I see folks explain that the UFX is 30 channels I think they should point out it is 30 channels at 24/48... and scales upwards as you use less channels.
 
The Orion says it can run 32 channels of 118dB range at 192kHz on USB.
 
Is that 24 bits?
 
What's the round trip latency with the Orion running at 24/48? How about 24/96?

The Lightpipe ports on the UFX (and all audio interfaces that offer Lightpipe) uses SMUX (cuts channels in half) when running at sample-rates above 48k.  This is due to bandwidth limitations of Lightpipe (not USB-2 related).
 
Haven't used the Orion, but it has to be 24Bit audio path.
Can't answer on round-trip latency...

Just want to say that I'm a very happy RME fireface UFX user. Haven't tried it with firewire because it performs so good with USB. But If I ever get any problems with the USB connection, I have the possibility to use firewire.
So as I see it, it's a very versatile unit. I can even use it with an iPad if I need to record outside my homestudio.
Another bonus is the ability to record directly to a USB memorystick.

I hear what you are saying Jim, The ADAT connections are ideal for devices that haven't been made for a couple of decades but using them as extra analog inputs comes with some gotchas that may not be obvious unless you have used them.
 
32 actual analog input channels on one integrated clock gets my blood pumping.
 
It seems to make all the gotchas go away.
 
The idea that it might work great on USB seems awesome.
 
Plus the Orion has the extra 16 channels of Lightpipe if you want to go down that path, or really need to transfer from an ADAT.
 
I'd love to learn if Antelope's USB drivers have low latency and how they compare to the MADI implementation.
 
 
:-)
 
 

Jim Roseberry

Sanderxpander
I find it amazing how much Apple (?) has apparently managed to convince people that Firewire is somehow better/more stable for audio recording. Yes, in the beginning days there were more serious interfaces on Firewire, but I have never actually seen anyone have problems with the bandwidth or their USB device, where it recorded or played back fewer channels than quoted. Driver problems and stability, yes, but those exist on both sides and Firewire seems to actually be more particular about the surrounding hardware. 

A lot of the negative sentiment surrounding USB-2 audio interfaces hearkens back to early USB-1.1 units... which were flaky (performance/driver) and offered limited I/O.  Those unit's were hindered by limited bandwidth (especially for multi-I/O at higher resolution).
 
When USB-2 audio interfaces came out, I was skeptical (till I actually saw/experienced the performance of the better units).

I realize this, and I agree that must be where it came from. But it's been 14 years since USB 2 was introduced. I don't know when USB 2 interfaces started to appear, but it can't have been much more than five years after that. That would make it nine years now and still there is this misconception that Firewire is better. I don't really have a point beyond being puzzled that many people still seem to believe this.