the most consistent praise I hear
from Mac land collaborators is
for Presonus firepod and firebox...
many lie the Motu, but still hear
of issues from that direction...
I'm using a 410 with an AMD 64
and it is fast, quiet and solid still...

I've been using an Edirol FA-66 for laptop DJing for about a year or so. So far, it's been flawless, durable, and good sounding. It I haven't plugged any instruments into it except a cheap mic, but I have ripped high-quality samples from vinyl using an outboard phono equalizer in my studio. There are 4 TRS outputs and a TOSLink output, and 2 TRS/XLR inputs and 2 RCA inputs. It runs off Firewire power, so I leave its wall-wart in my travel bag and power it off the bus in the studio.

My only complaint might be that I wish it would automatically switch sample rates. I have not used the TOSLink inputs and outputs or the limiter function.

It works for me in two basic configurations. All 4 TRS outputs are used with 4 TS->RCA cables and input into a mixer where I'm able to cue and remix. Or, I use 2 fixed volume TRS outputs (3&4) directly into my sound gear and cue with the headphone jack (1&2) on the front of the FA-66.

tc electronic has the best interfaces at the moment.
www.tcelectronic.com/Default.asp

My konnekt 24D is great.
I have owned 10+ interfaces over the years.

I 2nd the motu ultralite. For the mac, that is. I can't vouch for its stability on pc systems because It isn't even currently supported on windows running under bootcamp.
On os x it's THE most stable, flexible, quality card that I've used.

I think I posted this here before, but my MOTU Ultralite SUCKS!

Right out of the box, it randomly dropped the audio that was playing and sent pops and crackles into the monitors. Then the LCD died. I'm guessing it was a defective unit since so many others have had good experiences. MOTU wanted more money to fix it as the warranty was up by the time the LCD died, so I said, "Screw it. I can get by without an LCD."

It does still work though and I am using it (except for the LCD). However, I wouldn't trust it in a Live show with the pop and crackle issue, and I doubt I'd buy it again.

My guess is that a good unit stays good, while a bad one just gets worse. Caveat emptor...

I use an M-Audio Ozonic and I love it. I always have to have my Midi controllers anyhow, so this was a great all-in-one option. It has 4 outputs (2 TS and 2 TRS) with a headphone cueing knob to control the headphone mix, and 4 inputs. 2 of those four are specialized...one being an XLR input w/phantom pwr available and the other being an instrument line in, and the ability to direct monitor. It's solid as a rock for me, and it has aftertouch, an assignable joystick, 20 presets available, 3 zones and 3 groups, 8 pots and 9 faders and transport controls and 9 buttons, and it has a MIDI in and out.

I heart it very much.

Only downside is my stupid PC laptop has a 4pin FW port so the damn plug comes out easily. A real pain in the ass for sure, but that's hardly the fault of the Ozonic. And my bandmate uses his with a Mac and that's what convinced me to buy one. Just an overall REALLY useful tool. =)

I'm looking at each of these firewire interfaces and have a basic question. If I want to output from the firewire interface to Eon speakers, do I just get something like a 1/4" to XLR cable to connect to the speakers? Do any of these interfaces have XLR outputs...is that something to look for?

Thanks!
Ian

I like my RME Fireface 400. It has more inputs and outputs than I'll likely ever use, the sound quality is good, and I really couldn't be happier with it. The only issue I see is that the power cable connector/jack seems delicate - the connector feels a bit loose when it's plugged in.