Sanderxpander
For what it's worth, I would argue against jumping on USB 3 and Thunderbolt interfaces. The increased speed is entirely unnecessary for the stated purpose and neither bus type has demonstrated any staying power yet. More importantly, none of those interfaces are backwards compatible. USB 2 is still and will for a while be the safest option compatibility-wise (if that is at all a concern).

USB 3 is probably here to stay. It is well adopted. Thunderbolt is here to stay with Macs at least. I would disagree (sorry) because the speed benefits may overlap inefficiencies in device driver and protocol design whereby it becomes moot (one of those overcoming the weakest link scenarios).

What I would say about compatibility is whether the PC will be around as long as the new interface standards... It's arguable that they may be around longer. Jury is out - no idea on that one. Certainly PC's are becoming more and more irrelevant but of course still have their place (DAW environments of course is the outstanding example, but for how long who knows).

Let's just decide that we all buy what makes us happy :)








EDIT: Enjoy responsibly!

Sanderxpander
Let's just decide that we all buy what makes us happy :)

Absolutely! :)
 

Focusrite Saffire Pro 40. This interface is excellent, and the sound quality is pristine!

For anyone who's interested in interfaces, the Right Mark analyzer is a great way to dispel myths about who's telling the truth and what's really going on under the hood. It's tricky to set up, but the results are fascinating - especially with respect to crosstalk, where a lot of "pro" interfaces fall down (maybe this is why some people think digital "collapses the soundstage"). The best overall results I've tested so far were from Avid's MBox Pro 3rd generation FireWire interface. I stress overall because different interfaces have different strengths and weaknesses. I look forward to testing out the TASCAM UH-7000 because at least based on the specs, it should be the best I've tested so far.

Anderton
For anyone who's interested in interfaces, the Right Mark analyzer is a great way to dispel myths about who's telling the truth and what's really going on under the hood. It's tricky to set up, but the results are fascinating - especially with respect to crosstalk, where a lot of "pro" interfaces fall down (maybe this is why some people think digital "collapses the soundstage"). The best overall results I've tested so far were from Avid's MBox Pro 3rd generation FireWire interface. I stress overall because different interfaces have different strengths and weaknesses. I look forward to testing out the TASCAM UH-7000 because at least based on the specs, it should be the best I've tested so far.

 
Interested in your findings Craig. BTW - have you tested any of the TC interfaces?

Digidesign MBOX
RightMark Audio Analyzer test
Testing chain: External loopback (line-out - line-in)
Sampling mode: 24-bit, 44 kHz
 
 
Summary
Frequency response (from 40 Hz to 15 kHz), dB: +0.15, -0.04 Very good
Noise level, dB (A): -97.4 Excellent
Dynamic range, dB (A): 96.8 Excellent
THD, %: 0.011 Good
IMD, %: 0.0094 Very good
Stereo crosstalk, dB: -90.9 Excellent
 
General performance: Very good
 
Vs:
 
 
Creative Live! Player 5.1
RightMark Audio Analyzer test
Testing chain: External loopback (line-out - line-in)
Sampling mode: 24-bit, 44 kHz
 
 
Summary
Frequency response (from 40 Hz to 15 kHz), dB: +0.15, -0.33 Good
Noise level, dB (A): -96.0 Excellent
Dynamic range, dB (A): 92.9 Very good
THD, %: 0.0029 Excellent
IMD, %: 0.688 Poor
Stereo crosstalk, dB: -92.5 Excellent
 
General performance: Very good

Mike, I measured the Avid Mbox Pro 3rd Generation (e.g., noise level and IM distortion under -120dB), not the Digidesign Mbox...which was not every good. The mic pres in particular were, shall we say, underachievers. This is why I suggested to Avid they not use the name Mbox, but they didn't listen (yes, I've consulted to Avid).
 
Also, crosstalk specs are tricky because you get different results at different frequencies for the two channels. The only way to really compare crosstalk is to have the two graphs side by side. For example the Mbox Pro I measured had crosstalk under -96dB from 50Hz to 2kHz, but rose to -94dB at 10kHz and to -90 at 20Hz.

musicroom
 
Interested in your findings Craig. BTW - have you tested any of the TC interfaces?

I tested the first TC interface, but didn't run specs. The mic pres were very clear and the overall unit was solid, but the drivers were not ready for prime time. i would assume that was fixed quite a while ago.

Anderton

musicroom
 
Interested in your findings Craig. BTW - have you tested any of the TC interfaces?

I tested the first TC interface, but didn't run specs. The mic pres were very clear and the overall unit was solid, but the drivers were not ready for prime time. i would assume that was fixed quite a while ago.

 
Drivers are rock solid and are up to version 3.2 at this point. No issues, reliable and ready to play/record every time. No latency issues and the on board dsp effects are excellent. Their early driver issues are potentially what drove the price down, and a lot of happy users got in at the better price point, including me.