OT: E-MU 1820M or ?

Hi,

Running XP SP2 and Sonar 6. I'm looking at buying this PCI interface... I don't have Firewire.

Are the EM-U drivers solid with this unit now?
What about its DSP.... is it usable as a total mixdown option?
Does the onboard soft limiting feature work well?

I don't believe RME offers a similar interface without the need for a mic preamp or breakout cable (an extra expense). However, I'm not ruling them out since they are considered high-end. Thanks for any help.

Jon