You seem understandably focused on reliability Icontakt,  so I would consider holding off a little longer until you can buy an RME Babyface (I believe they are around $750 US street price). You won't be sorry. I have had 3 RME interfaces in my studio over the past 20 years and have had zero issues - and they all still have current drivers! On the other hand I have had many other interfaces/digital desks for live use, and they all worked. Just not as transparently as the RME's. They never get in the way of creativity, and driver support is second to none.

It may seem too "picky" to you all, but it seems to me recommending a particular audio interface without telling your specific latency setting in the ASIO pannel and average track count, and what those tracks consist of, seems pretty useless.

Audience ID22 is very nice .Had the Focusrite and presonus in the past but the ID22 is a huge improvement m Rock solid too

Did you mention how much you were willing to spend?

kitekrazy1
Did you mention how much you were willing to spend?

I think he said $500, but I'm not sure.  If that's the case like Tenfoot said above it would be worth holding off a little longer and trying to get an RME unit.

Slugbaby
I've been using a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 for the last year and a half.  I've never had a crash, or any problem that looked like it was interface-related.   I'm very happy with the product.

In the mid-range dpt Focusrite are pretty darned good. I also use a Scarlett 2i2 for my mobile needs and it's worked flawlessly. My main rig uses a Roland Octacapture which is pretty good, but I've had driver issues here and there.
 

JonD
Steinberg UR44 or UR242.  Rock solid construction and drivers (made by Yamaha).  If you need mobility, then the UR22 MkII.  (Personally, I stay away from bus-powered interfaces, but then again I don't need mobility). 
 
I've heard one well-known DAW builder say that RME and Steinberg interfaces get the least amount of reported issues at his shop.  Years of forum reports from RME users certainly bear that out, and as a longtime owner of Steinberg interfaces (I own the MR816X and UR44) I can absolutely believe it about Steinberg.

Jon and others,
Any specific issues you have experienced with bus powered USB devices?? I was considering the RME Babyface Pro, and it was bus powered...
 
Thanks, Freq
 
 

icontakt
 
So I've just searched CW forums, found and read two threads asking for audio interface recommendations, and Apollo Twin USB and RME interfaces were the most recommended. But the first one is a desktop type (which I prefer not to have) and RME ones are too expensive. What I need is a 2-in/2-out half-rack USB audio/MIDI interface of good audio quality that is *rock solid* in SONAR. As for the budget, I don't think I can pay more than $500. 

I'm in almost the same boat as you right now. My current interface (Berhinger FCA1616) has worked for me so far more or less. But its a $250 interface and lately its been starting to reveal why its a $250 interface as opposed to a $2500 interface. Lots of drop outs and latency issues. MIDI reception mysteriously stops working and requires full restarts of everything before it functions again pretty much every session.


So much like you, I'm in the market. I don't need very many inputs, one or two is fine. I don't need many outputs either. But I need to be able to handle sessions with tons of soft synths plus effects, with minimal impact on latency and rock solid stability. Also, because I tend to keep hardware for years after its obsolete, I'd like to stick to manufacturers who have a track record of writing drivers long after the hardware has ceased production. And like you, I'd like to do that for under $500.
 
And what I'm realizing is I've got three requirements (low latency, driver support, under $500) and I need to pick any two. You can find lots of solutions that will tick off two of those boxes, but none that tick all three.
 
So in my case, I've decided to let go of the under $500 requirement. And once we do that, we're left with one choice. RME. Yes they cost a fortune. But you buy it once and it'll still work great in 10 years and you'll still be able to get drivers for it. So when you think about it, you can buy three or four $500 interfaces in the course of 10 years, or you can buy the RME once.

I've decided to pull the trigger on an RME UFX and despite the price, I'm confident I will not regret the decision. 

tenfoot
You seem understandably focused on reliability Icontakt, so I would consider holding off a little longer until you can buy an RME Babyface (I believe they are around $750 US street price). You won't be sorry.

 
The thing is, one of my heavy projects now refuses to play any sound at all even when it’s the first project to open after launching SONAR (but it plays fine if I switch to the onboard soundcard). So, I won’t be able to work on this project at all if I hold off a little longer. 

tenfoot
you can buy an RME Babyface (I believe they are around $750 US street price).

JohanSebatianGremlin
I've decided to pull the trigger on an RME UFX and despite the price, I'm confident I will not regret the decision.

rickssonar
Audience ID22 is very nice .

 
Having taken a look at RME interfaces again, it seems the only model I might be able to afford is Babyface Pro. But, unfortunately, I really don’t have a space on my desk to put any “tabletop” interface (I think the term “desktop type” which I used in the OP was wrong). I can’t put it on my laptop or MIDI keyboard or one of the speakers. I only have a tiny space below my laptop for a half-rack or slightly bigger interface. The same applies to Audient ID22, unfortunately.