How are you connecting monitors? Which HDSP card? Most of these cards do not have direct monitor outputs or you will need some sort of break out cable that ports the 9 pin serial to it's separate I/O. I don't know of any Monitors which have direct ADAT I/O so you will need something. What platform are you using? PC? Mac? Have you considered the UAD Apollo which has Thunderbolt?

Latency as far as VI are concerned is virtually unaffected by the interface. It's mostly the drivers(which is about the only connection to the interface other than your monitors) and the power of your computer. The only place where your interface really affects latency is when you are recording live instruments.

Sorry for not clarifying. I'm looking at the HDSPe AIO which does have outputs that can be run to monitors (as well as a headphone output). I'm on Mac. I took a look at the UA Apollo and it appears to be like 2.5k with the Thunderbolt option. My Mac doesn't have Thunderbolt (Mac Pro) and as you mentioned drivers, that is definitely RME's strong point. I'm just wondering if I'm overlooking something better at that price point.

[[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.amazon.c…"]Amazon.com: Universal Audio Apollo Duo Core 18 x 24 Firewire/Thunderbolt Audio Interface: Musical Instruments[/]="http://www.amazon.c…"]Amazon.com: Universal Audio Apollo Duo Core 18 x 24 Firewire/Thunderbolt Audio Interface: Musical Instruments[/] if you go w/ the duo version, you can get it for 2k. the pres are probably as good as the mico, and if you figure the duo card cost 700bucks alone, it's a decent deal into something state of the art, vs something that's similarly priced but, already a few years old, and doesn't include top of the line effects topology either.

i know it's 500 more, than your thinking, but your getting heavy duty low latency processing for your synths, which won't tax your cpu a bit, very important when your run soft synths.

if it were i, which it obviously isnt', an i was gonna drop around that much money, i'd go w/ state of the art, and not worry about if for another ten years. IMHO of course.

I'm running an Apollo Duo on quad i7 Macbook Pro via FW800 with no issues.

The latest version of the console app allows you route and track VI through UAD2 plugs, check the UA site for details.

It performs well under FW800, I will add the thunderbolt in the future but is not a big issue now.

The Gearfest puremix contest was recorded using the Apollo.

I'm curious to learn what your opinion would be on the "sound" of those tracks in comparison to how your Apollo sounds? In other words, are those tracks an accurate representation to how the Apollo converter and plug-ins sound?

You can download the tracks from [[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.puremix…"]pureMix.net | Online Video Tutorials - Mixing, Recording, Mastering and Producing Music[/]="http://www.puremix…"]pureMix.net | Online Video Tutorials - Mixing, Recording, Mastering and Producing Music[/]

Unwound, post: 404717 wrote: Sorry for not clarifying. I'm looking at the HDSPe AIO which does have outputs that can be run to monitors (as well as a headphone output). I'm on Mac. I took a look at the UA Apollo and it appears to be like 2.5k with the Thunderbolt option. My Mac doesn't have Thunderbolt (Mac Pro) and as you mentioned drivers, that is definitely RME's strong point. I'm just wondering if I'm overlooking something better at that price point.

Ok. Just checking because from everything I've seen you can only get analog I/O via an optional daughter card:
[="http://www.rme-audio.de/en_products_hdspe_aio.php"]RME: HDSPe AIO[/]="http://www.rme-audi…"]RME: HDSPe AIO[/]
[[url=http://="http://www.rme-audi…"]RME: Hammerfall DSP Optional Expansion Boards[/]="http://www.rme-audi…"]RME: Hammerfall DSP Optional Expansion Boards[/]