Love the new Saffire Firewire range from Focusrite. Saffire Pro 24, Pro 26 and Pro 40. They all have 1 MIDI in and 1 MIDI out port. Plus an SPDIF in and out and an ADAT port. This will allow a user to add an extra 8 pre-amps via an ADAT and a stereo device via the SPDIF port. The Pro 24 has 4 analogue inputs, 2 of which are mic/line xlr combos. The other 2 are quarter inch jack. It has an instrument line switch and 1 head phone output. The pro 26 is the same but, it has 2 head phone outputs rather than one, plus dsp onboard affects and the ability for the user to choose modelling for headphone mixing that makes it sound is if your mixing in Abby road. Don't really see the point to all of that DSP stuff. the Pro 40 is the same as the Pro 24 but, it has 8 analogue inputs, all with XLR/jack combos. Think it also has separate channel control for Phantom power although I must confess, haven't gotten around to opening the box properly and looking at the unit yet. That's most unlike me, grin. It has 2 headphone outputs which, like the Pro 26, work independently. All of the headphone outputs on all of the units work independently of the stereo output. You can do hardware monitoring with all of the units and set-up separate sub mixes for this and send them to separate hardware outputs on the back. You can save different mixing configurations in the software and if you upgrade the firmware then, you can run any of the above units in stand-alone mode. BTW, the firmware upgrade has to have been the easiest firmware upgrade that I have ever done in my life. All units run at bit rates of 16/24 and sample rates of 44.1 to 92. The hardware mixing control panel part is accessible, thanks to an .HSC set that Tim Burgess has put together. Have the Pro 24 and Pro 40 here. Very quiet, excellent pree-amps. Very very low latency too. Regards, Phil Muir Accessibility Training Telephone: US (615) 713-2021 UK+44-1747-821-794 Mobile: UK +44-7968-136-246 E-mail: info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx URL: www.accessibilitytraining.co.uk/ -----Original Message----- From: ddots-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ddots-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Dave Hillebrandt Sent: 11 December 2009 11:47 To: ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [ddots-l] suggestions for audio/midi interfases Hello All, Would be very interested to hear what kind of interfase everyone is using and how they like what they have. So far I haven't had too much luck with my fast track ultra and when going on the internet have seen lots of comments on users groups about a wide variety of problems with them, especially driver difficulty. It is a midrange unit for price so may end up purchasing something else with slightly better numbers for noise etc. Using windows xp 3rd edition, and computer bought by the dancing dots team. Do not thing I'll be recording many instruments at once, so something simple is best as long as its fairly quiet. The fast track ultra is a usb device and heard suggestions that something using firewire is much better. Will it make a big difference? YOur findings and what you all use would be very interesting. Using very little midi at this point and mostly interested in audio recording though am sure will get into midi eventually. Thanks for your help in advance. Dave