Hi there. I hope this isn't a pedantic question, but I've been sort of out of the technical side of music for some time and I'm happy to admit I'm not the most gear-focused person on the best of days. I'm looking for an audio/midi interface for my laptop (USB or Firewire). I need at least 4 (non-digital) outputs, preferably 6 or 8. I'm not as concerned about inputs (I don't really need to get more than one signal in at a time) and I don't care at all about onboard effects, or having a really good pre-amp, or any of the bells and whistles that audio interfaces seem to have. My needs are really basic and I'd rather not pay through the nose for a bunch of features that I don't need and will never use: I need multiple outputs and I need to be able to haul this thing around to live shows.Can anyone point me towards something reasonably priced that does this?

I can say with absolute confidence that there is no reason to consider anything other than the Universal Audio Apollo at $2k, unless you are looking to spend well over twice that.-A

i've used a pair of RME fireface 800s for years. i love them, and RME/total mix shit in general.

I use a Apogee Duet 2 (they may just call it the duet now). It has excellent pre's and from what I can tell, very nice converters. The "2" (there was an earlier model) now has 4 outputs- or really 2 separate stereo outs. I love mine for the fact that it runs on bus power from the usb, and sounds fantastic. I love its small profile, and have used it for recording as well as playback in live situations. It features a very clean and very usable "soft limit" feature on the input stage that really does help with transients and seems undetectable. Its also small, and "attractive" as my wife has pointed out...Its a bit more costly than similar units, there are cheaper interfaces, but I can't say enough about the quality of the signal- its head and shoulders above my motu interface. I have noticed that since I got it I have been using it more than my motu- even for drums, which has lead me down the path of experimenting with tracking drums in stereo right from my mixer, and forgoing most of the multitracking I used to do. Oh, I should mention that it is a MAC only device, so there is that to consider. If you are looking to go cheaper, I recall there are numerous usb/firewire multi-channel devices by mackie (the blackjack) and some prbably very reliable and decent motu units.Here is a cheaper alternative:http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MicroBook2/Good luck!

Thanks for the recommendation! I am using a Mac, so that's not a concern at all.At this point, I'm really just trying to get the most outputs for the money. I'm not doing a lot of recording at this point, but I'll be using this interface for a ton of live stuff.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm looking into them as we speak.

alex maiolo wrote:I can say with absolute confidence that there is no reason to consider anything other than the Universal Audio Apollo at $2k, unless you are looking to spend well over twice that.-AI agree. That I/O has changed the game a little. If yo want to spend less and get less, that Echo Audio Fire thing looks good.

madlee wrote:or the motuI have an 896 that does me just fine. 8 in, 8 out. Phantom on each channel. Would prefer a newer model with latency free monitoring though. Maybe these are cheaper now? No idea...

I think one of those rack mount interfaces like the presonus is going to be the only type with that many inputs and outputs:http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AudioBox1818/or the motuhttp://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/UltraLite3Hy/