Don't know about the Echo, Edirol does the job, quality (sound and physical construction/design) isn't as good as MOTU or the preference of mine you left out:
the Mackie Onyx 400F.
Picked mine up brand new a couple years ago for under 500$. Firewire. 10 in and out. 4 solid nice sounding preamps with volume knobs. Inserts, phantom power and more. Rack card. Physically solid, driver is solid, never has crashed or fucked up on me at all. Also works as a normal mixer (although you have to do your routing via the software mixer, then it saves the last setting when you disconnect it, internally of course so that it can function without being hooked up to a computer).
I'm always curious why I don't hear folks talking about this piece of gear on this list, as I've never had any problem with it (it did have driver issues after first coming out that resulted in a lot of complaints, but Mackie fixed those long before I got mine, and folks aren't complaining any more!)
-nn
happyhumans.orgOn Mon, Mar 9, 2009 at 2:30 AM, L.Angulo
<labaloops@yahoo.com> wrote:
Hi gang,
I need your advice on this one my Firebox has crapped out and is going to thake a while to get repaired since i have to send it to the states.
So i am on the hunt for another more reliable one,between the 300 to 600 price range which one would you choose between these? it needs to be bus powered,ins and outs should be assignable,drivers should be stable,good sounding preamps and most of all reliable.Please tell me your experiences with them!
EDIROL FA-66
MOTU Ultralite MK 3
ECHO AUDIOFIRE 4
thanx for your advice
Luis
www.myspace.com/luisangulocom