i dont know if this will be of any help but anyway... a mixer wih firewire would be a good way to go... in fact if you do this right you can kiss the soundblaster good bye... something you'll probably resist but do alittle more research and you may end up in agreement... first S-B's are notoriously bad for pro audio... no don t take my word for it ask around here and other sites too for that matter... you'll probably need to refine the idea of just how many ins and outs you need for instance do you really need 8 complete pre's or can they be line in type for your synth that's always patched to 7-8 for instance.... btw you didnt mention what software your useing .... it's the most important decision (you wont use it as much if it's something you cant wrap your brain around) and some of the pre's etc come with lite versions of software...

Umm, haha im really dont know much, by soundboard do you mean my pa? and if i got a firewire mixer wouldn't a good soundcard still atleast help? I use sonar 4. The reason i want eight (and although i doubt i need eight) is because its nice to have six for drums and two more for vocals and guitar while still being able to leave all the settings alone. I use sonar 4 producer edition by the way.

A FireWire empowered mixer, is a complete audio interface and recording system in a single box that interfaces to your computer. The Sound Blaster will be fine for playback purposes when your computer is not connected to the mixer. Digital to analog is easier to do than analog to digital and so, will be adequate for playback monitoring and yet another comparison to the sound quality output from the FireWire mixer, which is also likable from the software/operating system of the computer.

I really don't think you will use any of the input capabilities of the Sound Blaster card unless of course you want to get one of those computer multimedia headsets with microphone for online computer chatting, or voice-recognition if you are lazy like myself when it comes to typing? That's what it's good for. There is no quality issue when I use my Sound Blaster card since it's only listening to me talk to the software.

I could go on and on and on and on and on just because I'm a woman!
Ms. Remy Ann David

So if firewire has its own audio interface im assuming theres a bif difference in quality between cheaper and more expensive ones. What about mixers with usb connections?

Ataraxia, of course there are differences in quality amongst all manufacturers but there is a finite difference in the amount of manufacturers of the integrated circuit chips that are your analog to digital and Digital to analog converters, not to mention the integrated circuit chips and transistor combinations, used for the microphone preamps and equalizers, etc.. There are some good ones. There are some bad ones. SoundBlaster's have always been consumer oriented devices and as such were not intended for true professional applications in audio. Other manufacturers that have substantial professional audio reputations are going to be an improvement over a kiddy toy.

Where there is no difference when talking about audio quality, is whether it is FireWire or USB. That's just the pipeline. Both are similar and different. Like men and women. Bacon and eggs. Spaghetti and sauce. Sex change surgery and sushi. Some you want. Some you don't.

I want it all!
Ms. Remy Ann David

Okay thats cleard up, but could someone give me some suggestions, like what about the new alesis 16 track mixer, or mackie's equivalent. I just want to find a mixer that fits my needs.

The Mackie is a good mixer with preamps (Onyx). You may want to consider going with a mixerless firewire audio interface such as the Presonus Firepod or Motu Travler and Ultralite. I believe Makie has a version of this also. These units have good preamps and the mixing duties are handled with a software mixer/ IO control interface. What ever you decide just verify that it is compatible with your PC hardware and Sonar 4.

Best Wishes

This might sound stupid, but what are all those inputs in those audio interfaces. They kind of look like xlr but i really dont know what they are.

Many of those inputs are of a new style of connector. It is a single connector that can function as an 3 pin XLR , which also has a 1/4" hole through its center, to allow for balanced an unbalanced 1/4" connectors as well. I think they make a lot of sense and are pretty cool? They can be dual function. Quite versatile. Less clutter. Less real estate used on the back of the device. A great invention, variation on a theme.

The sky's the limit
Ms. Remy Ann David

Okay so ive been doing alot of research and I must say the firepod is catching my interest. Im really having trouble seeing the difference between a firewire interface and a firewire mixer, all i can see is that the preamps are mixed on the computer rather than on the actual unit. Can anyone tell me anything they know between the motu, alesis, presonus, and makie interfaces? Im having a hard time trying to come to a decision, they all seem really good. I also realize i should have posted this on budget gear so sorry about that.

Essentially that is the difference. Its a matter of prefference. Note that when a manufacturer offers another featre they will either charge more or sacrafice the quality of other features to maintain their target cost. Motu and Presonus already support both the Mac and PC dual core systems. Im sure the rest will follow. To settle your confusion visit the forums for these products and research how well they are doing or if there are any issues. This is what I do before I make big purchases. :D