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Hi folks Here's a song that has been sitting dormant for some time and I recently 'finished' (are they ever?) Nits and crits welcome (lyrics below link). Overpromised Written and performed by Staypress V1 I didn't mean to disappoint you But it's not easy being perfect no, no It's hard to keep promises you didn't mean to make Guess my armour ain't shining no more Ch You said that this is my very last chance I am trying to be the king of romance You whispered those words in my ear and I shivered I over promised and under delivered V2 I didn't want to be your hero Didn't want that on my shoulders no, no It's hard to be faultless for you for heaven's sake Guess I'm not who you imagined me to be Ch Outro I didn't mean to disappoint you but it's not easy being perfect no, no

Most come with 2 seats. Thus you authorize one to a dongle, then the other can be authorized to your main computer. Or the other way around. Main computer gets the dongle and and you move the "other seat around" as needed. With 2 seats if your computer crashes or the dongle breaks/goes bad you will be without your software until the manufacture decides to help you out and give you a re-authorization. This can be days or longer. If you have two seats, you at least have the option to move one around to the machine you are working on, as it is unlikely for someone to have 2 flat out failures at the same time. USB ports can be scarce especially on a mobile rig.

With Arturia stuff It really doesn't make much difference who you buy it from. Because once you activate it on the Arturia site, it is always available in your account through Arturia Software Center. The advantage with a 3rd party reseller like PB is that you can use any available Virtual Cash to extend your discount.

What I do like in the Nembrini, and seem to plague many other amp sims, is no low end muddiness or brittle mids with distortion. That puts me off quickly with many amp sims. This one is very smooth, as I am sure others are, but I found one to my taste. This one makes me feel like going in my studio, pick up a guitar and play non stop like never before. That's a very good quality for an amp sim as far as I am concerned.

I would love a change in the size of the console faders for the next version. We need bigger faders like other Daw's like Cubase, Sequoia, Fl Studio etc. It would be a very positive development in the workflow and the visual interface. Another important improvement is the ease of working directly with Side Chain from the plugins inserted in the channel, as Sequoia does for example. At Cakewalk finding the Sidechain is not in sight as it should be. This is something that colleagues working on other Daws have criticized. Thank you, Cakewalk is my Daw for more of 10 years.

Two words: David Gilmour.

I have seen a number of excellent tributes, on this forum, to individuals that have recently passed on. This is my tribute to a person that I admire -- U. S. House of Representative John Lewis. From all accounts he was a very kind, compassionate, moral, and dedicated man. The story (in this song) of the relationship between Elwin Wilson and Rep. Lewis is a powerful one that took courage from both men and demonstrated the behaviour that most religions encourage. I posted the song on this forum a few years ago (it is somewhere down the list on my SoundClick site) and this version has the video attached. I hope that you enjoy it. Thanks We All Live in the Same House https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWzFouJgsig

If it was the full version, the installer may be in your Cakewalk account. I am not familiar with how the synth was delivered for that promo.

Not if you incidentally already own k12

I'm confused by what you mean when you say the console faders are too small. I've attached a screenshot showing the FL Studio, Cakewalk, and Cubase faders side by side. They all look about the same to me. Do you mean how long the throw is? If that's the case... I don't entirely agree. Fader accuracy when using the mouse is defined entirely by how far you have to move the mouse itself, not by the graphic on the screen. I can move even the tiny Track View faders with just as much accuracy as any 100mm fader (and with even more precision while holding shift). I'd rather not see faders taking up more precious screen space if there is no real-world benefit. That said... I'd be all for the fader throw being adjustable. Could you describe what Sequoia does differently in regards to sidechains?

that's true, but the price difference is more than remarkable.

Yes there are, better sounding ones as well 😇

Noise Gate section plus a Cleaner circuit to reduce rumbling and harsh is included.

There are many young guitar player on YT aso which are technical /shredding guitar master, playing very fast complicated stuff . To have an own guitar tone takes many years , to get your own feel,stroke idea , vibe, scales and at last the skillls to express your own character . There are not many young guitar player out there who are not trying to play everything fast . ,To many young guitar acrobats.with no character in sound out there. To play slow seems to be a forgotten art and is a chance to create an own style , specially for 50 plus aged gents. Just my 2 cents.🤣

Two things Practice something I'm not good at 30 minutes a day One the day I'm going to record something don't touch a guitar before I hit the record button note : first take is the best take for me

2020.07 Early Access installer now available! We're pleased to announce Early Access for 2020.07! This release introduces support for multiple Arranger tracks, Arranger section types, Arranger templates, MIDI automation on Instrument tracks, Workspace enhancements, Classic Creative Suite and Channel Tools plug-ins, new FX Chain presets, export directly to Standard MIDI File, optimizations, and much more, including over 60 bug fixes. We'd love for you to check it out before we drop the official public version. This time we're also providing an easy rollback installer should you need to quickly revert to the last public release for any reason. Please note that Early Access installers are update installers, which only update from a specific version. To install the 2020.07 Early Access build, you must be on the latest public release of 2020.05. Download Cakewalk 2020.07 EA installer Should you need to revert to the 2020.05 release, you can download the Cakewalk 2020.05 Rollback installer. If you haven't already done so, please read about the Early Access Program before participating. Thanks again for your participation! The Bakers 2020.07 Highlights For detailed info, see the attached PDF. New Features in Cakewalk 2020.07.pdf New features Multiple Arranger tracks A project can contain multiple Arranger tracks, with each track containing its own set of sections. Multiple Arranger tracks provides many benefits, including: Simultaneously declare multiple sections intersecting within a given range of time. Define and organize sub-sections within a larger section. For example, if you have a live recording of multiple songs, you can use one Arranger track to mark out each song, and another to mark out the verses and choruses within each song. Use multiple sections for generic annotation within a project. Multiple Arranger Tracks.mp4 Arranger section types Arranger sections can be assigned to an optional section type attribute, such as Verse, Chorus, Bridge, etc. Cakewalk includes many common section types, and you can create your own custom section type presets. Section types provide the following benefits: By tagging sections with type attributes, you can use Arranger templates to instantly create new arrangements from your existing sections. Quickly assign consistent names and colors to sections that serve specific musical functions in a song. Directly insert new sections that automatically use appropriate names and colors. Arranger Section Types.mp4 Arranger templates Arranger templates are pre-defined song forms that store the order in which sections are arranged. You can think of an Arranger template as a map of an entire song. Arranger templates are global and can be used in several ways: Create a new Arranger track from a template. The template is applied to the Arranger track, which creates new sections. This is useful when starting a new song and you want to quickly create all Arranger sections for a typical song form that you can fill in with music. Insert sections in an existing Arranger track. Drag Arranger templates from the Media Browser and drop them in existing Arranger tracks. Sections in the template are inserted into the target track. Create a new arrangement. If your project already contains existing sections, you can use Arranger templates to create new arrangements from the existing sections. This allows you to preview your existing sections with different song forms. Sections that exist in the template but not in the project can be optionally created at the end of the project in the active Arranger track. Arranger Templates.mp4 Show and edit MIDI automation on Instrument tracks Instrument tracks can now show and edit MIDI automation. Previously, Instrument tracks only showed the automation available for the audio output section of the track. Now both MIDI and audio automation parameters can be set from the track’s Edit Filter. Classic Creative Suite audio effects The Classic Creative Suite is made up of powerful and easy to use Cakewalk effects including Alias Factor, Classic Phaser, Compressor/Gate, HF Exciter, Modfilter, Multivoice Chorus/Flanger, Para-Q, and Tempo Delay. Channel Tools plug-in The Channel Tools plug-in provides easy and powerful channel processing for gain, Mid-Side decoding, delay and stereo panning. Channel Tools is ideal for enhancing and adjusting stereo separation for stereo tracks and full mixes. New FX Chain presets Cakewalk includes many new FX Chain presets that use the new Classic Creative Suite and Channel Tools audio effects. Export to Standard MIDI File The File > Export > Standard MIDI File command lets you directly export the current project’s MIDI data to a Standard MIDI File. Enhancements Enhanced ‘Instrument Track Per Audio Output’ When inserting a multi-timbral soft synth, you can use the Instrument Track Per Output option in the Add Track menu and Insert Soft Synth Options dialog box to specify how many Instrument tracks to create. This allows you to have multiple Instrument tracks for a single instance of a synth. However, if you specify more output tracks than the synth supports, Cakewalk will now create additional synth instances as required. For example, adding 16 TTS-1 tracks will create 4 TTS-1 instances as the TTS-1 supports 4 audio outs per instance. Workspace enhancements ‘Apply Workspace on Project Load’ option When using a workspace, you can now specify if the active workspace should be automatically applied when loading projects. This is specified with the Apply Workspace on Project Load option in the Workspaces menu. The Apply Workspace on Project Load option is disabled by default. When enabled, the active workspace is always applied to an opened project. When disabled, projects load with their saved window layout, even when a workspace is active. To apply the active workspace, re-select the workspace form the Workspaces menu. Track view View and Options menu settings are not saved in workspaces The Track view View and Options menu settings are global, and no longer saved in screensets or workspaces. This change prevents global settings from being overwritten when applying a workspace. Ripple Edit affects Arranger section move/copy operations The Ripple Edit setting is respected when moving and copying Arranger sections. Auto Crossfades is applied to Section Split/Arrangement Commit Section operations now respect the Auto Crossfade enable in the Track view. Section Split and Commit Arrangement operations will now have crossfades applied when enabled. Option to center Now Time when zooming with the keyboard The Track view Options menu has a new Center on Now Time with Keyboard Zoom option that centers the Now Time when zooming with keyboard shortcuts (CTRL+LEFT ARROW and CTRL+RIGHT ARROW). Key binding to open soft synth on current track A new key binding named Open Soft Synth on Current Track allows you to open the soft synth UI on the focused Instrument track. You can assign the key binding in Edit > Preferences > Customization - Keyboard Shortcuts (under Area: Global Bindings). Improved loading of synth data Loading soft synths is now a two step process: first the plug-in is loaded, then its content is loaded (samples, etc.). A new toast notification shows the loading status. Enhancements to Duplicate Selected Clip(s) command The Duplicate Selected Clip(s) command now respects the selection when duplicating instead of reverting to clip size. It also no longer sets the Now Time during playback. Toggle Clip Gain edit filter You can quickly toggle between Track Volume and the last/previously shown data type on the current track. To do so, press the = key. This only works on the current parent track, not in Automation lanes. To toggle between Clip Gain and the last/previously shown data type on the current track, press SHIFT+=. Improved handling of temporary removal of control surfaces Cakewalk now better handles the temporary removal of devices related to connected/configured control surfaces. If the MIDI input or output ports are not available, the control surface is now disabled. The control surface name will be shown in parentheses and any missing ports will be shown as -- None --. Regardless of whether MIDI ports have been remapped or not as a result of adding or removing MIDI devices, only user changes to the control surface setup will be saved. Unchanged control surfaces will retain their original settings. Therefore, if a MIDI port is unavailable and the ports are shown as -- None --, as long as this surface is left unchanged, it will automatically restore its previous settings the next time Cakewalk is restarted with the MIDI device available. ALT+drag in time ruler to select both tracks and buses By default, making a time selection by dragging in the time ruler only selects tracks. To select both tracks and buses, hold down the ALT key while dragging in the time ruler. ‘Split MIDI Notes’ and ‘Non-Destructive MIDI Editing’ options in MIDI menu The Non-Destructive MIDI Editing and Split MIDI Notes options that are found in the Edit > Preferences > Customization - Editing dialog box impact Arranger track editing, so we have made them more accessible by also adding them to the Track view MIDI menu: Non-Destructive MIDI Editing. Select this option to make all MIDI editing non-destructive. When toggled on, this option forces deleted data to be retained even though it is not visible. When you split or crop clips, the old MIDI events are still there but they're hidden. So you can extend the ends of the clips to reveal the MIDI events again. If this is turned off, you lose those events when you split. In most cases you should leave this option enabled. Split MIDI Notes. Select this option to split any underlying MIDI notes when you split clips, and insert MIDI chase events (such as continuous controllers, Pitch Wheel, and Patch Change) at the split position. The advantage of this is that you don’t get lost notes when copy/pasting or cut/pasting notes that start just before the split point. The disadvantage of this is that if you extend the clip ends, as the note has now been split, it will be retriggered at the split point. The menu commands are also available as key bindings. You can assign the key binding in Edit > Preferences > Customization - Keyboard Shortcuts (under Area: Track View). Add Track menu now supports plug-in layouts The Add Track window’s menu now supports the use of plug-in layouts. The Plug-in Browser and Add Track menu display the same layout. Copy and assign automation envelopes Copy and Assign Envelope is now available via the context menu for envelopes to facilitate copying an existing envelope and assigning it to a different parameter. Staff view respects global Snap to Grid settings The Staff view respects the global Snap to Grid settings for note positioning when drawing notes. Optimizations Improved scrolling in the Track view with Snap to Landmark Events enabled. This fixes a reported issue where Snap to Landmarks with AudioSnap transients was causing scrolling to become sluggish. Bug fixes Stability Crash attempting to rename drum map note in Piano Roll view Crash when attempting to duplicate Instrument track Crash when closing Cakewalk with Arranger context menu open Crash when re-doing a Copy after undoing a Create Section Crash when applying arrangement in project Crash importing MIDI file to project iZotope Iris crashes if the project sample rate differs from the default sample rate Automation Bus automation deleted when dragging Arranger section if no clips present Automation for multiple instances of a plug-in delete unexpectedly MIDI automation does not update slider on Instrument track lanes Custom Automation lane names are easily lost Copying clips with envelopes creates extra envelopes on Instrument tracks Ability to toggle between Clips and Clip Gain envelope on active track Bus Envelope being copied to tracks on Cut/Paste Paste from bus envelopes go to synth envelopes unexpectedly UI Ripple Edit button status incorrect when opening template Piano Roll view Snap button does not have tooltip Export as MIDI defaults to .cwp file extension Selected buses should give clearer indication of selection Scrolling in Clips pane is sluggish with Snap to Transients enabled Current tab in Multidock does not persist Allow for background colors in Synth Rack Change text for "Move Checked Devices to top" button in Preferences > MIDI - Devices to specify outputs Arranger If selection does not include audio, automation is not moved with sections Arranger Preview should not be impacted by Stop at Project End Arranger Sections not rippling properly when moving clips with Ripple Edit set to ALL Ensure only MIDI tracks are having trim applied after splitting notes in arranger commands Dragging audio to extract tempo broken by Arranger code Not possible to drag multiple sections that are lasso selected Section events do not move/copy if the selection only contains long MIDI notes outwith the selection extent Clicking on project end icon in control bar doesn't include sections Update section selection on Project Selection Extent change Creating new section should snap to nearby section or time boundary Inconsistent behavior between section selection move and single section move Disable Autosave triggering during Commit Arrangement Show onboarding text in Arrangements inspector Commit arrangement should auto-crossfade if Auto Crossfade is enabled Misc. Cropped MIDI notes chase unexpectedly Aim Assist Text status not persisting Auto Crossfade button not updating between projects Nudge in tracks fails to crossfade Unexpected results when nudging comped clips with auto crossfades Automatic Crossfades does not bind as expected in Preferences Cakewalk includes FX Chain presets that reference non-included plug-ins Autosave firing every few patch changes in VSTi Projects with Kontakt load slowly if sample rate differs from default sample rate Increase MackieControl.ini plug-in entry limit Disabling 'Recycle Plugin Windows' not working as expected Dragging plug-ins from browser stops playback CTRL dragging a plug-in should not open the plug-in UI Staff view should respect the global snap setting for note positioning when drawing notes Unable to move notes in Staff view Right-click should not clear the selection in the Piano Roll and Staff views Reduce minimum control surface timeout to 25ms Select All causes Insert > Time/Measures to only insert at beginning of project Shift + +/= should toggle clip gain for Lanes Duplicate Instrument track not working when drum maps are defined Incorrect behaviour when moving multiple clips past the end of a cropped clip Ripple Edit adds time unexpectedly when pasting controllers MIDI Ripple Edit in Lanes fails partially Show and fit selection command is not working for tracks in folders Show and Fit Selection for CLIPS in Track Folders does not work as expected Export Audio does not append chosen file extension

Song written by my band "Dee St. James" tributing the band Deep purple. Features Marco Lord Cossu on keys, who plays with Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice.

This is very cool male vocal texture library for Kontakt. I usually only like female vocals, but this is right up my alley. https://ink-audio.com/products/ink-vocal Requires Full Kontakt. 2.69 gb. For full version of Kontakt 5.8 and above. UI controls include envelope, filter, stereo and reverb Kontakt Instruments for 12 vocal sounds and 23 time synced rhythmic patches for each vowel. Ah Ooh Short, Ah Ooh, Ah, Huh Short, Huh, Mmh Short, Mmh, Oh Ooh short, Oh Short, Oh, Ooh, Woah

$4.99 until Sept 1st at Plugin Boutique https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/1-Instruments/64-Virtual-Instrument/1683-Mini-Grand

I installed a Sonivox bundle and used software iLok. First install of iLok and Sonivox on win 8.1 went ok. Second install of iLok and Sonivox on win 7 also went ok. iLok was aware of the the first install and activation. It gave the option to activate a second time. Then grayed out the activations indicating there was no more activation possible. I have different plugins on the two and can switch between win 7 and 8.1 or have CbB active at the same time in both. But they are not synced or anything i use the mobility of my chair to place myself in front of the one i fancy to jam with.

My highly subjective take is that the world of amp sims has matured enough that we are looking, by now, for both quality AND character, to make us happy about a new amp sim. And in truth, I’m sort of on the fence about Nembrini in this regard, even though I have several of his plugins and I generally like them. That’s why I was writing earlier that I thought this should be a free upgrade. The quality is there, his plugins are transparent, responsive, cleans are solid, saturation is ok. I’m not quite sold on the character though. I was testing his plugins for a solo; preamp section only, clean/crunch, with custom IR’s, a nice compressor and spring reverb, etc. They all sound good. But I found that PA’s Chandler has a lot more character and just sounds better in the mix in this scenario. Even IK’s Orange will get your more interesting sounds, although it’s not superior in quality. And for creamy cleans, S-Gear’s Wayfarer still rules the roost. Quality is the new standard; character should already be an explicit goal for new amp sims, IMHO. Maybe Nembrini should steal a few pages from Neural DSP’s book.

Why is a hurricane like your wife? When they arrive they're wet and wild and when they're gone so is your house and car.

It was really cool to be able to ask him questions. He is using an Apollo x8p I think it was and said they were great! He says the conversion is fhe biggest problem and staying in the box prevents the double degradation you get going out and back in. It makes sense and the guy has really done his homework. I made a copy of my current mux and set up his 2bus and bypassed my analog chain. I had to tweak a few things but wow was it better. I figure if it is good enough for him and Brauer than having less variables to deal with is good for me. I've enjoyed the summing experience and playing with some really good gear. But havi g to constantly check gain staging is a pain. Andrew also said everyone you have to adjust your gain out fir summing you are effecting your mix because you hit the analog slightly differently. The science makes sense to me. Now, what to buy with the money I get from selling gear? Maybe a sitar?

Friend, in the picture it is more than evident that cakewalk has the smallest faders graphically. This for users of other Daw is especially annoying since they are used to visualize their fader with more precision because it is larger. Although the precision is the same it is graphically uncomfortable. Most Daw have that going for them and you've seen this review on various cakewalk forums. About the Side Chain I mean the ease of linking plugin from its interface to sidechain mode. In Cakewalk it is more difficult because it is not in sight. Then I send a screenshot for you to watch.

I'll have to ask Kenneth about that.

Manic was my first "big" purchase years ago. A no-brainer at this price for sure!

The Insert Soft Synth Options dialog is available in the synth rack view "E" in the image below

Definitely!

It’s like AMPLIFIKATION 360 now in that you can mix and match the “legacy” products like a vintage amp room, metal amp room, new Marshall amps, effects, and build rigs

I also said this when it first came out...as did Bitflipper...slap in the drum bus, dial it in, and smile from ear to ear!

Your Drum Bus will thank you

As long as you're excluding your audio data, indexing should not have any noticeable impact on performance.

Kuassa Summer Sale. All Plugins 50% Off. Save more, get more, and grow more! A set of award-winning plugins to grow yourself during this Summer. Get ready to arm yourself with our collection of amps, effects, and studio processors, all for 50% off! Deal valid until August 31, 2020. http://kuassa.com/shop

https://www.audiodeluxe.com/brand/kuassa You'll get a small discount. This is a good one. https://www.audiodeluxe.com/products/audio-plugins/kuassa-amplifikation-caliburn

Depends on how much time I have, and how much UTube is buffering on my slow Internet connection. I've discovered a lot of music I never would have given a try before, some of it very good and delightful, some of it not my proverbial cup of tea, some in-between, but always interesting. Often what I list I'm listening at home on my stereo (I have over 6,000 CDs and hundreds of LPs) and sometimes the post is a different version. Again, it depends on how my DSL is acting or acting up today. Right now I'm listening to the guy I consider the world's all-time greatest jazz singer, Mark Murphy and an album from the 1970s that doesn't have a bad or even mediocre cut on it. Everything is superb.

"Transuranic heavy elements may not be used. " That Control Bar looks crisp. I like it.

The steering on my vehicles are all different, some oversteer more, tire size is different, and speed variation is unique to each. Ironically, I adapt and drive them all without issues. Not much different for most things in life... if you can achieve the end goal/product with the tools you have available, you win (best to leave it there, since that is what matters most). Digital analysis (i.e., computers) is an Achilles's heel in some respects... thinking more and doing less is not always the best trade-off. "Analysis paralysis" is a proven method to keep competition at bay.

Thank you my friend!

sent

Cool song and I liked the mix - that snare on the drum track sounded just right. Nice job on the lead vocal.

I'll bring it up with the *****ing management.

This all looks amazing! Can't wait to try out the new arranger stuff especially when I get a break next.

I used to teach guitar and (easily) the most frustrating thing I experienced with my students was exactly this attitude. “I’ve been practicing hard for weeks/months/years now, and I feel I’m nowhere nearer to be able to play like you / How many hours/weeks/months do I need to practice to play that particular song the way you do? /I know I’ve made significant progress, but it all seems so little compared to others” To me, this is getting it all wrong. Music is supposed to make you happy, it’s not a damn chore. If you can’t find the joy in playing the guitar (or any other instrument, for that matter), whatever your level and your audience, you need a full reset and a new approach. Or a different hobby. Life is too short to be chasing rankings, unless your explicit goal in playing the guitar is to win silly shredding competitions.

Agree, uniqueness and songs win.

VST3 64-bit: I have the plugins in the standard folder, but I made subfolders for plugin type (Dynamics, EQ, ...) for better overview and for Samplitude X3 that does not have a plugin manager but displays the names of the subdirectories. VST2: I have 2 main folders a FX and an Instrument folder and under them I have the same subfolders as above. The advantage of separating FX and instruments is that I define both in DAWs, but only the FX folder in Editors (Sound Forge, RX-7, Audacity, SpectraLayers, ...; also for MixBus that I only use for mixing). This reduces the scanning time for the latter. Actually this is not the whole truth! Physically I store the VST2 plugins in a 64-bit and a 32-bit folder with underfolders naming the plugin provider such as "Nomad Factory". In the FX and Instrument folders I have only symbolic file links (mklink) to the plugins in the provider folders. The big advantage is that I can define the "general" FX, instrument folders with the plugins that I want in all DAWs/editors. For plugins that run only in a single program I create special folders (e.g. for CbB/Sonar). Also I do not have to uninstall plugins that I currently don't use, I simply remove the link! Storing all the plugins of one provider in a single subfolder has also the advantage that they normally remember that folder if you install an additional plugin of them. That it is easier to manage I have all my plugin folders out of the "Program" folders (no admin rights required), except VST3. By the way this concept runs perfectly on more than 1 computer and using the same plugin properties on each computer and CbB/Sonar Platinum/X3!

Tascam 2x2 meets my needs and i havent had any issues using it with cakewalk

Here's a document I made a few years ago, nothing much has changed. There is a lot of choices. Make a list of your requirements first.. What kind of connectivity do you require? and how many of each. These are some of the options: XLR, 1/4", Combi jacks, RCA, ¼” line level, ¼” Instrument level ,MIDI, SPDIF, ADAT,MADI How many ins and outs do you think you'll need now and in the future? Are they accessible? Front or rear panel? Are all ¼” jacks Balanced? Is there a true stereo pair? Some don’t have a matched set of inputs which sucks for stereo recording. Pre Amps will fall under the “you get what you pay for” rule, but check out the reviews anyhow. A/D convertors will also fall under the same rule and generally all are good these days. Are there peak level meters or just a little LED for each input? Are there channel Insert jacks? Are there separate controls for Monitor level and headphone level? Is there a blend control for mixing Source with Computer ( DAW) ? How many Headphone jacks? A level for each? Are the input pads or line / Instrument toggle switches on the front, back or software controlled? Is it a metal box or cheap plastic? Is it light and portable or large and bulky, Rack mountable? Does it have an on / off switch? Does it use Buss power or a power supply? Buss power can have issues with noise and Phantom power. Look for at least an optional power supply. Does it have DSP effects built in? Does it use a GUI mixer? Having a software (GUI) mixer adds more options. Can it be used as stand alone? Some interfaces are also handy as a small mixer. What are the Round Trip Latency (RTL) specs? Do you need low RTL for real time processing or are you planing on using guitar sims? Low RTL is going to be at a higher price point. A $200 interface will have hidden buffers etc. Zero Latency monitoring is not the same as RTL. All interfaces have some latency. Zero latency is just marketing hype for monitoring directly from the interface. And most important of all, Does it have top notch drivers for your OS. What is the word on support from the company? Does it come with free software, An LE version of a DAW you would like to try? Everyone will recommend the interface they have chosen, that doesn't mean it is the right one for you.