Hey everyone,
 
So for the LONGEST time I've been running everything through an M-Audio Ozonic, which for those that don't remember it, is a midi keyboard with 2 built in inputs and outputs. It's done great for me all these years, but I'd like to get a bigger keyboard, and as such unless I want to leave the Ozonic sitting there plugged in (which I don't) I'm gonna need a new audio interface too, so I was hoping to maybe get some suggestions.
 
I will never need more than 2 ins. A microphone and a guitar. I will also never need more than the outs for my monitors and 1 or 2 pairs of headphones. I don't record bands, I don't really play many live instruments, and I do almost everything in software. Speaking of which... I do probably 99% of everything I do in software... So I don't need any external features really at all. I don't adjust levels by hardware or anything. Basically one master volume is all I need. I'm not gonna touch a single other button for as long as I have it, I can almost with 100% certainty guarantee that.
 
SO... with that in mind, and the fact that I'm a PC guy and Sonar X3 is of course the center of everything I do... any suggestions for what would be good for me? Again I'm gonna be hooking in a midi keyboard, a guitar, and a mic, and I'm not gonna touch any hardware controls...
 
I've been doing a little of my own research too of course, but I figured it would be cool to get some suggestions from you guys too :-)
 
Thanks.

I am getting the new Steinberg UR-44 this next Tuesday.  I researched Focusrite and Presonus too.  The UR-44 has 6 in and 4 out.  The mic pres are very good.  It has 2 headphone outs that support two difference headphone mixes.  I works on PC, Macs, and iPad.  Check it out carefully against the competition.  I think this one is going to be a winner.  
 
http://www.steinberg.net/en/products/audio_interfaces/ur_series/models/ur44.html
 
Here is a fun video to watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFrYAxoy_Bw#t=15
 
 

The Steinberg is the latest hot item.  It looks really good spec wise and is actually (unless Steiny has changed things)  a Yamaha interface - good stuff.  The focusrite is popular here for SONAR.
 
A sleeper is the TC konnekt - if you can use FW.  Great sound, good drivers now (tho not the lowest latency), one preamp, one line in, 2 outs, no midi.  $200.
 
@

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I had a friend suggest Focusrite, and Steinberg is probably at the top of my list so far... I'll check out that TC Konnekt too. I do have one firewire port (which my Ozonic is currently using).
 
Any other suggestions are welcome :-)

The Steinberg listed by RimShot has Class Compliant mode which means it will also work with Linux Ubuntu Studio which can be handy.

That's pretty cool. I doubt I'll use anything like that any time soon, but I always thought it would be cool one day once Chromebooks get powerful enough to dual boot one with a form of Linux to have a little portable studio option. I love Chrome OS.

I don't dual boot. I just have a USB hard drive that I use with other computers that aren't mine. I boot them up, plug in my class compliant interface and I'm recording. It's hand to be able to bring a hard drive instead of a whole PC. It also means you don't have to buy your own laptop if you have access to other peoples laptops.
 
:-)

Very cool :-)
 
One day I'll definitely look into that, especially when I find myself doing more guitar based stuff.

the ur-44 is usb only

Yea I was originally thinking of just going USB this time around. I don't think there's anything Firewire actually does for me any differently than a USB2.0/3.0 interface would do. But really I'm open to either way, doesn't matter.