USB In Your Face? Ohhhhhhh... USB interface!

I have agonized over the past few months on the next big purchase for my podcast studio. O.K., it's not really a studio, but in broader terms, isn't the whole world our studio?

I've decided that I need the best way possible to get the audio into the computer. I've been weighing a number of factors as I compared, namely:

• Stand alone recorder, interface, or a hybrid of the two?
• If a stand alone, how much and what type of memory?
• What type of file output? wav, mp3, or some other arcane compression?
  
• How many channels?
• What types of inputs?
  
• Built-in effects, or ports for outboard effects?
• USB or Firewire interface?
  

I have considered, looked at, and dismissed a wide variety of gadgets, including:

• M-Audio Mobile PreUSB- Portable Interface, with 3 inputs (2 microphone inputs and 1 instrument input). No onboard effects or recording capabilities.
• M-Audio Audiophile USB- 2 Microphone inputs, as well as a MIDI In and a MIDI Out. Not really what I was looking for, but I did buy 2 for my High School Music Lab.
• M-Audio Fast Track 4 x 4- 2 hybrid inputs (for mics or instruments), onboard effects, and phantom power. Very attractive, and at an attractive price too. Hmmmm...
• All of the above, in their Firewire Versions. All too expensive. Worth it, but not on my budget.
• Logitech AHS302USB Microphone- Not an interface so to speak, but with a USB audio card, which would allow for direct USB audio, eliminating the need for a microphone interface. Not really enough for me. It would help, but only in the short-term.
• Logitech Premium Notebook headset- Again, not an interface, but a cool little headset with it's own case.
• UA25 Audio Interface- Another Audio/MIDI interface. No on-board effects, but it does have Phantom Power.
• Zoom MicroBR- Not really for the voice, but a cool guitar recorder. Records to an SD card, and has a great suite of on-board features. If you are a guitarist, you need this thing. I'm a singer and a podcaster. Wrong feature set.
• Roland UA101 Audio Interface- Another awesome interface. 10 inputs. Big budget required.
• Roland UA1EX- A very portable interface, but no mic jacks.
  
• Roland UA4FX- A real multi-purpose interface, with MIDI/ Mic/ Instrument inputs. Only one mic input, and it doesn't look too sturdy.
• Tascam US122- A combination audio/MIDI interface. I didn't love the look or reviews.
• iKey Plus Audio- A portable recorder, using a flash drive for storage. A cool idea, but no XLR mic inputs, and no real display.
• Fostex MR8 mkII 8 track Digital Recorder- Not an interface, but it records to CompactFlash, which could be connected to a laptop.
• Alesis MultiMix8 USB- An 8 channel mixer with USB connections. A great idea, but the reviews rated it as somewhat noisy and unreliable. I have a mixer, so I really just need the interface.
• Yamaha MW10 with USB- Similar to the above, with the same types of reservations and reviews.
  
• Open Labs Miko- A pipe-dream, but fun to look at. $3000 is way out of my budget now, but I will get there someday...

In the end, I ordered the Zoom H-4 Handy Recorder. It appears to be palm sized (hence the 'handy' name) and got some solid, albeit quick reviews. Since it's new on the market, I may be adopting too early, but the feature set appears to be just right. It has 2 hybrid inputs, built0in effects, stereo or 4-track mode, and can function as either a portable recorder or a USB interface. It also takes up to 2BG SD cards, and runs on 2AA batteries.

I'll let you know what I think, but it will have to wait until after Christmas. You see, it's a combination 40th birthday (2005) leftover money/ Christmas gift from wife/ Christmas gift from Dad. Will I be able to leave it in the box when it arrives? I don't know...