Hey Scott,
There's a bunch of options here. I can throw out a few that come to mind:
1. If you buy a separate mixer, it sounds like all you really need is a single-pair of stereo ins/outs over the USB (i.e., to connect the Fantom to Logic and Logic to your Monitors -- the mixer takes care of the Fantom-to-Monitor connections), right? If that's the case, Edirol (
www.edirol.com) makes a couple very cheap USB audio-interfaces. They have a 16-bit S/PDIF connector (which is sucky, because the FS, like most pro devices, puts out 24-bit S/PDIF) as well as a 24-bit A/D-D/A device. You should also check out the M-Audio line (e.g., MobilePre) at
www.m-audio.com. You can easily pick up a decent USB audio interface for $250 or much less, depending on what you want. For reference, check out musiciansfriend.com, audiomidi.com or risksmusic.com for pricing.
2. As to USB IF/Mixer options, I'm not sure if any of these devices can operate standalone (a lot of them get their power via the USB, so may not be standalone). You'd need more outs (and maybe ins) to combine the IF and mixer, though, and it may not be a wise investment, particularly if you are looking to pick up an 002rack later on. I would suggest picking up the mixer and a simple USB IF for now, as you will likely want the mixer even when you pick up the 002rack, as the rack does not operate stand-alone. Buying a combined USB IF/Mixer now would probably be a waste when you pick up the Digi002rack.
My two cents.
Cheers,
RW
The pic says it all. Is it dark in here or is it just me?
