Re: [linux-audio-user] Looking for an external sound card for 'nix -- recommendations?

you can use a PCMCIA->PCI adaptor card to use an Echo Indigo in a desktop now..and notebook tomorrow. i seriously considered firewire, before going with the echo PCI solution again (theres been one in my desktop since i first switched to PC from Mac in 2001). basically the problems with firewire 1) shoddy driver support - Ardour runs on linux, so DigidesignAVID doesnt want their hardware to work on a platform where thered be no incentive to buy ProTools. thus, good luck getting their stuff working. MOTU/DP being a similar case. you could buy something on the freebob 'recommended' list, but youd be seriously limiting your options. 2) only can use the hardware with JACK apps, since freebob isnt ALSa. i guess you could rig up the alsa PCM bridge, but that doesnt always work even with a stable PCI setup 3) most notebooks are 4 pin, this means , you need a power brick in addition to the audio card itself hanging off your notebook. only certain notebooks like the macbook pro have a 6 pin firewire port. compare this with the half-cm slice of space occupied on the outside of your notebook for the Indigo, and no power bricks, no cables, and no external boxes.. 4) speed - PCI is still lower latency since theres less indirection, and lower CPU too. these values both might be fairly trivial, but i can dig up some posts from people more knowledgable than me explaining them.. 5) price. the market has moved towards firewire since it suits the 'plug'n'play' mentality of mac/pc users. so theres pcmcia stuff just sitting on ebay..besides the indigo, theres the vxpocket, and various RME stuff.. for starters