Had a Santa Cruz about 4-5 years ago (if I remember correctly) and bought it based recommendations for quality and price. Made a couple recordings with it using Sonic Foundry Vegas, and was pleased with the results. Upgraded from that card to a M-Audio Audiophile 24/96 and noticed a great improvement in sonic quality.
Hard to beat $13 on eBay, but I'd spend a few more $$$ and look into the entry-level (I guess you'd call it that) offerings of M-Audio, etc. You say "direct recording" but what exactly are you hoping to do with a sound card? Multitrack work? Or simply stereo 2-track recordings?