Don't get overly concerned about it.
I've used many interfaces. All were consumer grade so I can't compair to a 2g preamp and separate a/d converter etc.etc. I can tell you that I am very happy with my purchase of the "one", which is rumored to be inferior to the duet. Here's the problem: it's a signal chain. So you have many factors from sound in to sound out that affect the quality, the most important being your mixing and eq ing abilities. The "extra" goodies you get with any device usually come with a cost...lower sound quality. But don't be too quick to judge that harshly. If you're just starting out, more options may be better from a learning standpoint than audiophile quality. Oh, and all amp models are absolute crap. Crapiest crap of crap. Anyone who says differently is compairing amp models to other amp models, NOT actuall amps. Or they're completely deaf. So, I don't recommend using amp models or effects as part of the decision making process. Inputs is an entirely different story. If you need 'em you need 'em. Effects and amp models you most certainly do not. To the dj with the connectivity question. You have to install Maestro. Then simply tell GarageBand you want to use the "duet". If apogee duet is not an option in the input source drop down list in the lower right corner, you either have not selected an audio track or you need o make sure Maestro is installed correctly. In logic it's in the audio drop down menu.
