With the current release of Cinema, and the ending of the add on module structure which keeps one from building their package as finances permit, I find myself with a little disposable income. The current CG box has no audio card, as initially I was planning to do my editing on my main system, and keep the graphics separate. But that kind of fell through as a plan, as I wound up putting my CS4 adobe apps on the CG box. So I have to get a sound card. As I still plan on doing shorts and the like (just not with Cinema, ^%$%%&^%*$%%#$^#....), I'm looking at the Emu 1616M PCIe card and breakout box. Audition 3 will be the sound app of choice for foley work, as well as general mixing. Never having dealt with this particular setup before, is the Emu card an all in one package, or will it need and external amp for anything beyond headphones? Is it overkill for AV work, or just right?

I may still have to do character animation in Poser, but at least the editing end of the pipe can be more robust......  :/

 My main profession is as a sounddesigner and composer (Poser is my hobby)  For my home setup I use an m-audio Fast track ultra, USB card. The box is fairly similar to the E-Mu card you're looking at, except that you're using a PCI card instead of USB. 

For foley work, you're not going to need anything else, as far as soundcard goes. It works nice with headphones..  

What you might want are some good amplified speakers  to go with it when you're not using headphones. I find that a more practical solution than hooking up an amplifier and then speakers.

The speakers I have, so that is no issue. I've just had a couple of friends get into pro level equipment and find themselves lacking in support hardware..... ;)

Any recommendations for a good condenser mike and pop filter? 

 Also check out Presonus gear. I use the Inspire 1394.
http://www.presonus.com/

 What are you using the mic for?   Foley, voices or all around?

I just bought FL Studio 9.  So much to get caught up on since my old MIDI days and floppy disks in the 80s.

Foley and vocal. I'm not adverse to having a foley mike and a vocal mike, if that would give the better input. ATM I don't -plan- to do any outdoor based vocal (but then again, the easiest way to get the acoustics of someone whispering in the woods is having someone whisper in the woods, and adjust things in the studio), but if the capability is affordable, no sense in skimping and getting bitten later. 

 The Inspire 1394 is totally portable with a laptop providing the laptop Firewire port can supply the power (6 pin)