Hi Scott,
Can you describe a bit your workflow? Do you record plenty of outboard synths/instuments?
Thanks
I go back and forth between doing everything with VSTs in Bidule to using outboard synths like my Moog or beloved JD-990s (and now-beloved iPads) with occasional guitar or doodads to build tracks. I like the flexibility of a hybrid approach and the RME gives me a lot of flex with Firewire, Light pipe, SPDIF and quality analog ins and outs.
When working with Jamie (the other half of dreamSTATE), I have 4 stereo pairs streaming to him through light pipe for live 32-bit recording (in his Bidule setup which seems to like 32-bit recording the best when recording a dozen or so stereo pairs plus playing all of Jamie's synths) from various sections of my portable rig (synth and iPad inputs, VSTs, sequences & FX) which has been great for capturing live and improv flows which can be edited later. I usually have an in/out pair going to my Kaoss Pad3. The two sets of MIDI i/o are very handy for connecting our two rigs together for sequencer syncing plus MIDI i/o to my iPad.
If I have my laptop/RME-UCX then I don't use a mixer, just the UCX as the hardware ins and outs with a very nice vst mixer Jamie assembled being controlled from my Doepfer Drehbank for spontaneous adjustments. We're very live oriented but in the studio I can plug in whatever I need quickly into the front jacks and the RME Totalmix software, while sometimes headscratchy to figure routings, is very good.
Sooo no, not a lot of recording of bowls, bells and acoustic instruments that you might be interested in my opinion about the preamps for. I can just state that the RME sounded immediately better to me than my PreSonus and that the clocking has been reliable (and switches smoothly and automatically between different master/slave configurations). It sounds good and robust with external electronic instruments and quality VSTs. I hope this is some help.