I'm in the market for a new USB audio interface and am currently torn between the AKAI EIE Pro, Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 and the Komplete Audio 6.

They seem pretty much the same except the EIE Pro doesn't have SPDIF In/Out. How important are they to an interface? Is it silly to get one without or am I unlikely to need them?

What would I actually use them for?

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MW Media UK

Well, for example, if you have an external effects unit that has S/PDIF IO you can stay digital out and back. If you have to go analog you would be putting 4 convertors in your signal chain (DAC out, ADC in in the FX unit, DAC and ADC coming back. Doesn't matter how nice the convertors are; you are still going to get signal degradation compared to no convertors.

I happen to have such an FX unit from TC Electronics. The ADC convertors in that are really nice, so I can use it as an extra pair of inputs in a pinch.

This argument can, of course, also be used to argue you want lots more digital IO than just S/PDIF, but I doubt you can get that at the EIE price point and in any case, if you have bunches of stuff to connect you probably want to go rack mount form factor on the interface.

For me, the main disappointment on the EIE is that I can't see how to co-mount one with my laptop on a stand. If Akai came up with a mic stand mount that the EIE connected to on the bottom while your laptop mounted on the top, I would be right on it.

It's very much a matter of opinion, but personally I wouldn't entertain an audio interface without some form of digital I/O. By bypassing the interface's A-D conversion you are not subject to its limitations.

To use one example, although when recording on location I only use an old MBox2, the fact that it has digital I/O means that I can directly plumb in my SSL channel strips, or my Focusrite Liquid Channels - this is a massive advantage.

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An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

My interface has an SPDIF input/output and I use it for connecting a microphone preamplifier that only has an AES digital output (built-in A/D converter). The preamplifier is the master clock: the computer interface slaves to it via SPDIF.

SPDIF is also useful for connecting home multimedia equipment like DVD players, some powered speaker systems, hi-fi amplifiers, etc. I have no practical experience of domestic devices with SPDIF sockets. Be careful because many of these domestic devices use proprietary technologies, especially for the audio encoding (not always PCM for sure), so first check if the audio interface is compatible or you have compatible software.