USB bus powered audio IO

[kensuguro]

I forgot my stupid wallwart for my audio IO for my last gig, and I thought, "well, why don't I just go bus powered". I looked around, and all I could find was the presonus one. btw I currently use a cheapie m-audio usb audiophile (old, old model) which gets the job done. I mean, I even go straight from the laptop sometimes when the thing is acting up, so I really just need something that outputs audio without exploding.
http://www.presonus.com/products/Detail ... oductId=53

Are there any better ones? There's so much crap out there right now that's like half DSP, half IO. I'm not sure if I trust any of the DSP effects that seem more or less "bundled" for added value. Exception being Duende, which is all about the DSP effects. Anyway, I don't need any DSP effects, I already have all the effects I want. I just need 100% modular audio IO that can be replaced at a later date with crippling my projects. I think that's the beauty of native.. your projects a more or less 100% portable given that you retain all your plugins. So, it's easy to move projects from machine to machine if you've licensed plugs for both of them. Scope is cool, but not portable at all, so it's good for stationary projects.

So anyway, what's a good mid range audio IO that's USB bus powered, has MIDI, and minimal numbers of channels? I saw a lots of them that was purely audio, and had no MIDI.

M-audio's Fast track pro looks nice:
http://www.samash.com/webapp/wcs/stores ... rySA182541

Here's an off beat one, Line 6's "37 key keyboard and audio IO in one" considering I gig with a 37 key Alesis Micron
http://www.samash.com/webapp/wcs/stores ... rySA182541

Lexicon is cool, not too many channels, MIDI, okay price range. I'm just not sure if I want their plugins since if I use it, the project becomes tied to their stuff. If it breaks and I need to swap it out last moment before the gig, then the project is screwed. Besides, I think they just stuck it in there as a "product differentiator", as a marketing maneuver. I think convolution verbs can easily beat their algo if lexicon just half axxed it.
http://www.samash.com/webapp/wcs/stores ... rySA182541

NI has something similar too. I think these are somewhat similar to Apple's iPod. They're produced at a so-so price, but sold at a very cheap (low margin) price, as an "entry" to a company's product line. Getting the lurkers when they're still beginners so that branding can be instituted. It's not a bad strategy. Just don't think I need any of that nonsense.
http://www.samash.com/webapp/wcs/stores ... rySA182541

Edirol's mid range... judging from it's $500 price tag, it's supposed to be mid range, or towards the upper end of the spectrum in terms of "mini" io boxes. I guess it's expensive because it's 10 in 10 out. (too many for me) 40-bit internal processing, built in limiter (should I care?)... If it had built in tube saturation that'll be awesome. I guess the converters are supposed to be good, but "quality" doesn't really spring to mind when I think of Edirol, but I might be wrong. It's compact, so if it rocks, $500 isn't too bad. UA-25, the smaller version might not be so bad either. But still.. Edirol? really?
http://www.samash.com/webapp/wcs/stores ... rySA182541

[garyb]

Edirol is Roland. it's pretty competent as Roland usually is. it's not spectacular, but it's worth $500 for 10 i/o. i wouldn't want to use firewire or usb for anything mission critical anyway. computers have a bad habit of losing track of usb and firewire devices in use and since there's power in those cables, so close to data terminals, well...

if you only need stereo i/o even Hosa sells one...