This looks promising.  On Kickstarter now ...
 
The balanced breakout will be 1/4" (TRS) connectors, which will be more compact then the XLR 1U rack mounts.
 
This sound card features crystal clear 8 channel output audio, with 6 channels of input audio. Unlike other multichannel solutions, this surround hat only uses the GPIO I2S bus for audio. It doesn't use USB nor does it use HDMI.
 
We bring to you the audio card (for the Raspberry Pi) which seemed impossible, but now it is done! Push your projects further into un-trodden territory - further then others have gone before.
 
Whilst this gadget works with the Raspberry Pi, it represents an innovation in the realm of embedded systems. The innovation is at a hardware level, in audio signalling, giving us the ability to retrofit these systems with more then their typically quoted two channels of audio in and out.
 
https://www.kickstarter.c...-sound-for-the-raspber

And then for two channels audio, plus MIDI, there is this ... attaches directly to the Raspberry Pi board!
 
pisound is an ultra-low latency high-quality soundcard and MIDI interface specially designed for Raspberry Pi pocket computers. Equipped with 192kHz 24-bit Stereo Input and Output driven by the legendary Burr-Brown chips, DIN-5 MIDI Input and Output ports, user-customizable button and bundled software tools, this little board will bring your audio projects to a whole new level!
 
https://ask.audio/articles/ready-to-test-this-new-raspberry-pi-lowlatency-audio-midi-interface
 
http://blokas.io/
 
Funded on INDIEGOGO here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/pisound-audio-midi-interface-for-raspberry-pi/#/

Voda La Void
Can I still get PCIe Firewire?  I'll Google and see what's out there.  I need to secure a Firewire solution before it all disappears.  I'm not prepared to trade out my Onyx mixer just yet.  But within the next year or so...it will be replaced and I will be looking at Thunderbolt then.  So, I'm just trying to plan for the next 10 years.  

Absolutely...
Numerous companies make PCIe TI chipset Firewire controllers.

I'm still rocking a 10 year old M-Audio Firewire 410 on my desktop.  My last motherboard did not include an integrated 1394 controller, so I went shopping for a PCIe controller with the TI chipset.
 
This has worked great so far.  Not bad for $28
 
Syba Low Profile PCI-Express 1394b/1394a (2B1A) Card, TI Chipset, Extra Regular Bracket SD-PEX30009
 
https://www.amazon.com/Sy...PEX30009/dp/B002S53IG8
 
I have used it on Windows 7 and 10.  Be sure to use the Windows driver.

Ironically this aging setup I have does have Firewire. TI I believe.
 

interpolated
Ironically this aging setup I have does have Firewire. TI I believe.
 

TI seems to be the only FireWire chipset that has proven to be reliable with audio interfaces.

I have used some onboard Via chipsets in the past with success