I am not sure about the sampling rate on
the Aark24. I would assume it is 96k, but maybe not, since it has been out a little longer than many of their other cards. Go to
http://www.aardvark-pro.com and email their tech support, and they will get back to you within a day.
Also ask them when the Q10 is coming out, which is supposed to be shipping in March, and it looks pretty sweet. I think it is 8 ins and outs. The 8 ins are xlr or balanced inputs, and I have heard that the Aardvark pre's they use are actually pretty decent and very usable. COnsidering where they have been pricing their other products, it may be directly aimed in the range you have been looking at.
I was going to suggest checking out what Cyan said - the 1010 with Vegas Pro package. At
http://www.bayviewproaudio.com they actually have a package with the 1010 and Vegas Audio 2.0, XFX 1,2,3 and Siren Jukebox for $599 ($612 shipped). That's a great deal, and if you don't already have a software package that's probably the best bet.
A lot of the Aardvark stuff is shipping with Cakewalk Pro 9.0 right now, so you may want to talk to Bayview about that option, too.
Good luck and let us know what you decide.
