Hi all,

I am currently looking for an audio interface to record my music. After extensive research, I really like the Fireface 800 for my needs. I was hoping to get some opinions from the community here on whether I am on the right track with my reasoning. I've researched these questions I'm asking and have seen some opinions that address some of the questions I have but feel that I need a bit more feedback, so if anything I'm asking about seems basic, it's not because I haven't looked already. Rather, I'd just like more opinions. Basically, I am apprehensive to purchase such an expensive piece of equipment given all the compatibility and other technical issues I have read about on forums, especially since I am quite new to the world of recording and the technology that comes along with it. Here are my main concerns and questions:

1. I am a big proponent of used gear, and am very much considering purchasing a used Fireface, that is in perfect working order, especially because of the high price point on these interfaces. As I already mentioned though, I am worried about encountering technical difficulties while trying to integrate the interface with the rest of my system. How much of a concern is it that I have fairly minimal knowledge of the technical integration aspects of these interfaces and that I wouldn't have technical support from the manufacturer?

2. Do you have any tips about what type of pci/e card I should get in order to be perfectly compatible with the Fireface 800 and my system?

3. Is it relatively painless, in theory, to upgrade to a set-up with more preamps by connecting the Fireface 800 with an RME preamp unit like the octamic? The whole reason for my looking at such high-quality gear is so that I won't need to purchase another unit later, so it would be essential to be able to upgrade this aspect of my set-up.

If it helps, I am planning on using a new Dell PC with 8 GB or RAM and an i5 processor that runs Windows 7. I would be more than happy to share more information about the computer or other things if it helps. Thank you in advance for your help!