Bummer... I ran into that very thing many years back when I needed to upgrade my OS for the business software on it. After the upgrade the sound card for my studio no longer worked. A call to the manufacturer later informed me that they were not providing the driver upgrade to the newest OS..... so there I was, without a functional studio. I was out of the home recording thing for a few years as a result. I did my homework the second time before I bought new gear.

So.....

The name brand doesn't matter.... that's up to you.

However, you do want to look for these features:

Connects via USB port
Has minimum of 2 inputs and 2 outputs (most do)
Has 1/4" and XLR inputs (high & low impedance inputs)
Uses NATIVE ASIO drivers (not codecs and asio wrappers)
Has phantom power for condenser mics
Has built in audio pre-amps on the inputs.

With those 6 features in your "must have" list, you can't go wrong.

Roland, Focusrite, Presonus, M-Audio and a bunch of others tend to meet those requirements. There are a number of interfaces that, while they work OK, are "less better" than others, so do your homework before you lay the money down or be sure there is at least a 30day no-fault return policy.

With the external USB interfaces, you have the option to move that interface to other computers as you upgrade the computer. My Focusrite Saffire ( firewire connected) has migrated from the laptop I started with to the custom built machine I use in my studio now.


You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.