Well, the Focusrite has much better preamps and converters so...stick with the Focusrite but....not the USB 6. Get the Focusrite 8i6 or 2i2.

The preamps on the Focusrite Saffire 6 are not all that spectacular. The Presonus Audiobox is equal or even edges them out slightly IMO. If you don't use onboard preamps then what you really need to search for is an interface whose line inputs do NOT go through the onboard preamp module. Most decent companies will print a spec sheet with this info/wiring diagram. I'm still not a fan of USB interfaces but there you go.

We did a shoot out of the AudioBox and Saffire 6. We can say that with all the mics me used, the Saffire 6 had clearer and more natural sounding production. Which saddens me because i am loyal to Presonus.

On the Focusrite Saffire 6 USB, the jack inputs are switchable for line or instrument input levels. The Presonus AudioBox USB does not have line level inputs - only mic (on XLR) and instrument (on jacks) and with a gain range of only 35dB.

If you have to choose between the two boxes for use with an external line-level output pre-amp, I would go for the Saffire unit on the grounds that it will make a better job of accepting your pre-amp output. I doubt there's much difference between the two in audio quality.

Is this choice of interface box forced on you by budget considerations? Which other units have you ruled out?

Well, i do not specialize in the interfaces. I do not make purchases on products just because it is a "popular" buy. I research long and hard and i found so many post where the Focusrite Scarlett series had better preamps sounding/natural and converters than anything in the usb class, including other companies. Customer support said the Scarlett and Saffire have same preamps but the Scarlett is USB 2. Considering im doing 2 channel recordings at a time..max...i was not worried about usb 1 vs 2.

I correct myself and i am sorry, we actually compared the preamps from the Focusrite Saffire 56. I assume these are the same from the Saffire 6? We did not use the preamps on the Liquid side of the Focusrite.

I am confused as to why no company will make a really nice 2 preamp, interface, and A/D converter in one unit for a "professional" sound. Sure, the mic comes a big part too but i have a good selection of those. I just need a very best 2 channel interface with out worrying about buying external converters and preamps.

I am currently using a Tascam 122 and do not want to upgrade to something better below $300 if its pointless. If the Tascam only needs a external preamp, i would rather go that route.

assemblethelight, post: 378342 wrote: ....I am confused as to why no company will make a really nice 2 preamp, interface, and A/D converter in one unit for a "professional" sound. Sure, the mic comes a big part too but i have a good selection of those. I just need a very best 2 channel interface with out worrying about buying external converters and preamps.

... such as the RME BabyFace or the Sound Devices USBPre 2? Quality does not come cheap, plus there aren't many to choose from in the USB connectivity field.

There are professional grade two channel interfaces, but they aren't cheap like most USB. The RME Babyface is one example. Of course it costs more than twice as much as the Scarlett for a reason. Most "professional" grade interfaces are firewire or PCIe.

Thanks guys so much for your input. This helps me a lot. I was under the impression that PCI and Firewire had benefit in more audio stream because of multi-tracking. With only 2 channels at a time, i do not find i needed Firewire. I stand corrected i guess ha.

What are your inputs on the Apogee Duet, Motu Ultralite Hybrid, and Motu Audio Express?
[h=2][/h]Right now, i seems i am after the Babyface but i do not want to spend $200 extra on a interface not that far in audio quality at the Apogee, Motu or EMu

Also, as a musician and highly appreciating other who have the same theory: "Good" music does not make it that way in the recording industry just because it not top notch gear. As i mentioned earlier, they recording very clear and transparent audio in the earlier years with out all the nice interfaces we have now. I am going to do more research on what they used as far as interfacing into computer then.

You can stop paying me any attention once i get annoying, if i am not already there ha.

Thanks alot guys

Back in the day, engineers still used the best equipment they could buy or in many cases, create themselves. What engineers really had to work on was mic positions and mic patterns. This is where some of us with a little gray can take less than stellar gear or even a chinese hyped top end foggy woofy bass end and make a decent enough recording. If you get great sound going into the track it will mask the inefficiencies of the brittle preamps and converters most beginners cheap themselves into.

Mic position and pattern are king and queen of the prom. The interface ADC is the joker in the mix.