-If your going for quality and timing.. RME wins. (Lowest latency card there is) However if you have some nice external synths and do allot of recording, the (hardly talked about) Lynxx Two card has the best converters hands down. Compared by many to equal the industry benchmark external AD/DA Apogee converters. The lynx is only 4 in 4 out though..

-I always though I needed 8 ins and 8 outs (or even more).. but once I got to working I ended up doing all my work in the computer. All I needed is one high end stereo record channel and one good efx loop (computer-to ext efx- to computer)

-8 outs is good if you are mixing down externally.

-Who the hell really uses 8 ins?

-While M-Audio is not a first choise... its not a bad option if cash is an issue. (good timing.. clean (but thin) recording)