Which interface?

[lilfilboi123]

im looking to buy an interface around the 200 dollar price point, but i honestly dont know exactly what to look for in an interface, which makes it hard for me to choose.

i know people love the emu 0404 and ive been looking at the focusrite saffire 6. the reviews on both seem to be pretty good.

but what makes it stand out from the other? in your guys' opinion, which would you choose?

which one sounds better?

24 bit? 98khz? am i getting there?

 

[guitarplayr82]

Both interfaces are 24-bit, however the 0404 has 32-bit processing. I'm not sure that the Saffire has 32-bit processing. The 0404 also has higher sample rates than the Saffire, but you honestly don't need to record with anything higher than 48kHz. The two devices are physically formatted differently too: the 0404 has controls on top and the Saffire has controls on the side. This may or may not influence your decision depending on the available space you have to put the interface.

I could go as far as to compare the specifications for the preamps and converters, but that isn't necessary as the specifications are very similar and the differences are small. Focusrite has also won awards for it's preamps, but that doesn't mean Emu's preamps are just as good.

I personally chose the Saffire 6 over the Emu 0404 because Focusrite seemed to be better known for their interfaces than Emu, the orientation of the Saffire 6 fit better when integrated into my setup, the Focusrite didn't require external power (not that it would've been a problem if it did), and I liked the free software that came with the Saffire better than what comes with the 0404 (even though I rarely use any of the free software that comes with my devices).

One more thing to keep in mind: the Saffire doesn't have S/PDIF ports. If those ports are important to you, I'd go with the 0404.

 

[gehauser]

Emu has better dynamic range specs on the A/D and D/A converters than the Saffire. Emu has great quiet, soft-sounding and clear preamps. I have used the Emu but not the Saffire Pro.

 

[black puddin']

How about the Presonus audiobox? I'm currently trying to decided on that, or the focusrite - is there a big difference?