RE: [linux-audio-user] how to build a studio?

Sounds like a good start... Yes, this would be good... ;-) You've gotten some other good answers, so I'll only add a couple of specific ideas: 1) Don't get speakers with built in D/A's. They usually make compromises that aren't sonically the best. Consider a good quality stereo D/A for your main outs, and then go from there to your amps and speakers. Active monitors (I.e. - the power amp built into the speaker cabinet) are OK if you like the sound, but make sure you can bypass that amp. What you like today might not be what you like in the future. 2) Don't forget your headphone paths - mixing & driving to musicians is pretty important too. Drummers need different mixes than singers, etc. (Well, drummers are just different from most people...) ;-) 3) You WILL get as many recommendations for studio monitors as you talk to people. It's the nature of ears and humans. Currently I'm using a fairly nice set of NHT A10-Pro's that I got really cheap. ($300 for the pair including the power amp, cables, etc.) They're pretty nice when I turn them up a bit. A compatriot absolutely loves the Adam S3, but at $3K/speaker they're a bit beyond my means right now... 4) Continue to buy equipment that supports word clock like your (and my) RME cards do. Down the road this can yield a big improvement when you start using it, and it can simplify overall clocking anyway. That's the ticket...