M Audio Omni Studio??

[mutt]

I'm looking into a good sound card with a break out box. So far, the M Audio Omni Studio looks like the right one for me, except, from reading the pdf manual I downloaded from the M Audio site, I don't see where the Omni has SPDIF I/O?? It comes with a Delta 66 card, which most catalogs list as having SPDIF I/O, but I thought it was strange that the manual did not mention the SPDIF.

If I can't come up with the bucks for the Omni, I was wondering if I can connect a mic thru my TubePac preamp into one of the RCA ins on the M Audio Audiophile 2496?? Or would I go into my mixer, out of the stereo line outs into the card's RCA ins?? Or should I just save up for the Omni Studio??

Any suggestions on the best bet for me as far as a sound card setup?? I currently run Cakewalk Pro 8.3 (which I hope to upgrade to Sonar soon) and most of my instruments and drums are from synths midi-ed into the PC. I sequence on Cakewalk, then mix it down to two tracks to my Tascam 564 digital 4 track, add vocals, and mix down again to two tracks. I want to eventually do it all on the PC on Sonar and mix it down there for MP3's etc. Oh yeah - as far as the SPDIF's, I want a card with SPDIF so I can send the final mixdown from Sonar to my Sony CD burner digitally.


mutt

 

[LooneyTunez]

The Omni Studio is a bundled package. It contains the Omni I/O breakout box and a Delta 66 sound card. The reason the Omni I/O manual does not talk about digi I/O is because it's handled by the Delta 66. Look at the Delta 66 manual for details/specs on SPDIF.

FWIW, I've been enjoying my Omni Studio for the last couple of months. Very flexible, a good set of mic preamps, decent headphone amps, and overall good quality. Only thing that can trip you up is all the routing capabilities...Which is a good thing, but tends to be confusing at first.

IMO, you should save up for the Omni Studio. Best price I could find for a new one was at 8th Street Music. ($389)