Sure. Same goal, some research done. I'd avoid USB because of latency, but FireWire is great (low latency, large throughput, works with both Apple and IBM style machines). I like the ESI Quatafire (1/3 19"). Roland Edirol has a similar device that is slightly cheaper, but offers a restriction on how many channels you can use. (1/2 19") Then there is the RME Multiface that uses either PCI or PCMCIA, and is supposed to have superior quality at a superior price. (1/2 19") Finally, for the ultra high end (my dream card), there is the Apogee Ensemble FireWire that offers the famous Apogee D/A converters and four Apogee Pre-Amps. This is my dream card. (19") It is untested with linux. To go a bit lower in price, Echo offers the Indigo DJ with two stereo outputs and no inputs as a PCMCIA card. To run firewire cards on linux you need the FreeBob package, that has a seperate backend to Jack to be used instead of ALSA. Note all of this based on my research and is untested. Carlo

On 6/23/06, Markus Herhoffer <markus(a)herhoffer.net> wrote: echo mona. 4 in 6 out with preamps and adat, 19" rack mount. Pci or pcmcia. It's discontinued but you can get them on ebay, etc. They are on the slightly more expensive end of things though. Loki

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Thanks for the recommendations! What do you think about a classical pci-card with cables and a customized break-out panel for the 19" rack? On http://www.schaeffer-apparatebau.de you can order a customized panel for less than 40?. Cinch sockets are less than 1?. Markus Markus Herhoffer wrote:

2006/6/24, Markus Herhoffer <markus(a)herhoffer.net>et>: As long as your definition of "classical pci-card" doesnt contain low-grade consumer cards. If it does, forget it. The technician will kill you for the low quality and high noise, your band and the audience will probably kill you as well for the bad sound. Most (perhaps even all) of the quality products (pci-based) already have a breakoutbox or a lot of cables. Because they aren't satisfied with stereo-mini-jacks and there isn't much space for normal-sized jacks or even XLR sockets on a pci-slot... Arnold PS: My current dream setup apart from Firewire is that RME with 3x adat-io and a cheap behringer ada800(0?) for the start (2x ~200€). Extendible andfully digital, if you have enough money, buy a second ad/da and/or throw out the behringer... -- visit http://dillenburg.dyndns.org/~arnold/ --- Wenn man mit Raubkopien Bands wie Brosis oder Britney Spears wirklich verhindern könnte, würde ich mir noch heute einen Stapel Brenner und einen Sack Rohlinge kaufen.

In theory I agree. I feel that the Unix philosophy applies in the analogue world as well as it does in digital. However, there are three reasons I chose to think Ensemble: * An Apogee Rosetta eight-channel ADA converter costs $2500, an Apogee stereo Mic Pre-Amp costs $2000, and the FireWire extension for the D/A converters costs $500 (roughly the same as something PCMCIA that supports S/PDIF). I can get an Apogee Ensemble in Switzerland for $2000, that's $4000 in savings. * I intend to use the same gear in my studio as live on stage. There is some advantage to carrying two small boxes only, notebook and breakout box. (I can't wait to proudly display my giant penguin while working the ladies' minds) * Since as an independant producer I need so many different skills already to get my music heard (Sound synthing, sequencing, composing, performing, singing, recording, equalizing, compressing, echoing, limiting, encoding, web design, content management, internet marketing, merchandising design) I decided it would be nice to save me the learning of some expertise and "let the technology be smart" as far the analogue signal chain goes. Of course, this approach might or might not work, as it is simply what looks most promising given what I know right now, which is a lot compared to last year, and very little compared to all the knowledge in the universe. Carlo Paul Davis schrieb: