2496 or 2496

I have the Edirol DA-2496 and am quite pleased with the results. The soft mixer is a litle clunky but it is an M-Audio driver and probably is exactly the same one that the M-Audio uses.

The DA-2496 has been extremely stable on my XP system and as far as I can tell the converters are as good or better as the ones in my Focusrite Trakmaster A-D card.

I use outboard preamps into the DA-2496 (ART Pro MPA with ART Pro VLA) plus the Focusrite and they are slightly better than the preamps and Hi-Z input in the DA-2496. The DA-2496 makes a nice "converter central" that you can use to plug in a whole mess of stuff and it works.

Now as to whether Edirol will continue to produce drivers for it or not, that's another question.

Sorry, I forgot to answer one of your questions. I still use a Yamaha MG 12/4 mixing board for monitoring and premix of line level synths before they go into the DA-2496.

However, I find that my other outboard preamps sound better than the ones in the mixer so they go direc to the DA-2496.

I'm not familiar with the board you're talking about, but I would not necessarily get rid of it yet. You will have a lot of flexibility at your disposal if you keep your analog board.

the audiophile 2496, goes for about 60 GBP (british pounds that is.) for that kinda money the card is absolut unbeatable superb!! absolut nothing around a 100 to 120 GBP even touches this stunning little card.

Thanks Hawkeye, axel, you've both given me some things to think about.

Cheers.