Are you saying that the DUOX will present itself as an audio interface via USB?–this would be nice!
Although, USB interfaces come with the normal issues: For ASIO, only one interface allowed (with JACK, not a problem); the need for a USB host and possibly drivers (if not Class Compliant), etc. … Most troublesome though, as I see it here, is the overall latency of the workstation audio system.
Meanwhile, S/PDIF (or AES, ADAT) would allow me to process audio at the latency of the DUO (6ms?–fast enough to be perceived as “realtime”). My DAW on the hand requires at least ~46-92ms for what I need. This kind of latency makes it difficult, un-enjoyable to say the least, to play guitar through, sing through, play MIDI instruments through, etc.
To me, the DUO is most valuable as a realtime FX processor. As such, a 2x2 digital I/O (or ADAT Lightpipe 8x8) would go a long way for me!
If MOD were to create a rackmount version of the “DUO”, sporting expanded I/O, greater processing power, etc., I’d buy that too! To have a nice, dedicated, realtime FX unit, with the openness and expandability that MOD has purveyed so far, would be a most attractive thing. Who else has done this, really?
EDIT: Allow me to illustrate a common scenario I have.
For recording, I plug my guitar into a high quality DI, which distributes my signal to the DAW and the DUO. I record the output of the DUO, as well as the guitar DI. I use the DUO to HEAR my performance in “realtime”. Although, if I want to reprocess my recorded DI, I am presented with a problem; two additional digital conversions.
Moreover, the wiring here is a bit convoluted and hardly convenient. What if instead, my DI goes straight into my main audio interface, at which point I use a digital I/O for the DUO as an FX loop? Then performance, recording and additional processing all happens within the digital domain–no unnecessary additional conversions. All of this would be possible with a simple S/PDIF I/O on the DUO.
Btw, an additional thought here is, what of MOD DUOs in tandem? A digital I/O would make good sense for this. Yes, you’d double your latency, although new possibilities open up. Plus, there’s other such gear which could be used this way.
