Which HD rig is best for me??

[NativeLuv17]

So I am making the uprgrade from pt le to HD within the next few months. I am going with an hd2 system (pci) running on a beefy Dell precision 690 quad processors, with 10g of ram, (waiting for that w7 64 bit). Now I know I need an interface and I have been doing my research but everyone has so many opinions on what works and what doesn't. Currently I have 3 preamps - a focusrite 428isa, a presonus digimax 96k, and an 2 channel art pro digital tube. I am also looking to couple the isa with another 4 channel with the adat option, so with that it looks like I'm running 16 channels of adat. I also have and continue to buy and use other outboard gear such as comps, reverbs, eqs, etc.. My monitoring will be done with the central station. I have looked into some options and it seems as if everyone is loving the aurora 16, yet for me that will put a large dent into my wallet. I'm not trying to find a permanately cheap route but i am looking for something a little lighter on the wallet to get me going, and then eventually I will make the move. Can anyone reccomend me some other HD setups/ interfaces that might be relevant for my scenario without me having to break the bank at this moment? Thanks, N8V

[albee1952]

A 96IO is the cheapest route, but the sound quality will not be much better than an 003(but it would get you up and running on a budget). The 192IO is a major step up(look for a deal as there are plenty of used ones around). The Aurora is a great unit if you can afford it. Someone correct me if this is wrong, but I believe the 96 and 192IO's will only offer 8 channels via lightpipe(but 8 more via analog so you can still get 16 inputs).

[formfunction]

Originally Posted by albee1952

but I believe the 96 and 192IO's will only offer 8 channels via lightpipe(but 8 more via analog so you can still get 16 inputs).

That is correct, although the 192 has more expansion options.