Keni
Since the OP already has a Studiolive, I wonder why not simply run this? Transportation issues?

Yes.  Plus I already have a solution that works extremely well for the StudioLive.  It is the ICE16.  I plug in 2 DB25 connectors and I am ready to start recording.  Literally takes under a minute and has no risk of complications.  I know whatever comes in over the preamp trim will end up on the ICE16.  It is limited to 44.1 recording if you want to record 16 tracks though.
 
Scook, thanks for the caution about the ASIO limitations.  So I will probably limit my ambition to the Surface plus one 1818VSL for now and hope that Presonus either improves the driver or comes out with a 16-channel interface in a single device.  That may be wishful thinking on my part, but I have seen cases where people are using the 1818VSL as a conventional mixer.  It does most of what a StudioLive can do at less than half the cost, assuming you have a computer available to handle the UI.  A 16-channel product might make sense, but it would cut unto the full mixing board sales a little

Hi cparmerlee

Nice rig with the Studiolive...

I enjoy the 1818 as well... If any of your other converters offer ADAT you can run it via the 1818 to get 16 tracks... That's what I'm doing here right now...

Though I only tinkered with it, the 1818 will do 96k while the original Studiolive line only does 44/48...

Keni
If any of your other converters offer ADAT you can run it via the 1818 to get 16 tracks... That's what I'm doing here right now...

Very interesting.  I have never used ADAT.  But I see that the 1818VSL supports ADAT in and out.  So does that mean if I had two 1818VSL units, I could patch the ADAT out from the secondary one into the ADAT in of the primary one, and then 16 channels would come across the USB interface from the primary 1818VSL?  And the DAW would see 16 independent tracks on the ASIO driver?

No, I don't think you could do this... But it might be possible... I have an older Soundscape converter that supports ADAT...

As to buying things.. If you want a Presonus rack mount interface larger than the 1818 you might look at the Studiolive RM which comes in two sizes... 32 being the larger. I don't recall if the smaller is 16 or 24..,

It's a rackmount of xlr plugs and all control is via iPad... Studiolive...

Keni
If you want a Presonus rack mount interface larger than the 1818 you might look at the Studiolive RM which comes in two sizes... 32 being the larger. I don't recall if the smaller is 16 or 24..,

Thanks for that reference.  I wasn't aware of the RM series.  For anyone who is interested:
http://www.presonus.com/products/StudioLive-RM-Series/media
 
So that tells me 8 channels is probably as far as they will go with the "audio interface" product line now, as the RM series takes over at 16 and 32 channels.
 
I know this is the direction of the future, but I have a huge fear of things going wrong on a live show.  So I will probably stick with my full SytudioLive console for now and get more experience on the 1818VSL connected to my Surface.
 
In a couple of years, maybe I will have the courage to sell the StudioLive board and ICE16 recorder and run completely from something like the RM32IA. 

I'm glad I could help...

I've been thinking about the RM32 for a year now and see that a few months ago Mackie released a similar package...

Talk about easy transport... A rack on stage and an iPad to wander with... They also have a motorized fader hardware interface available for it... ...and individuals on stage can adjust their own monitor mixes with their' iPhones!

Historically Presonus has been very Apple-oriented and had only minimal support for Windows or Android products.  It appears they are starting to take a broader view now (or have more resources now to cover broader platforms.
 
I think the Mackie product you refer to is the DR32R
http://dl32r.mackie.com/
That is iPad only at this stage.  Personally I have had a lot of problems with Mackie products over the years.  I know many people who have been happy with them, but I have had several mixer hardware failures.  For awhile I had a Mackie Onyx 12-channel mixer that I tried to get working with Sonar 7 over Firewire.  I had nothing but problems with that.  I could never get a reliable setup.  It was maddening.  If you didn't plug everything in in exactly the right sequence and say an incantation to the recording gods, it would be all messed up and even when it worked, dropouts were the rule rather than the exception.  I an not saying it was the fault of the Mackie products necessarily.  The Firewire hardware and drivers could have been a factor too.
 
But since everything supports USB pretty well, I think that will be a more reliable way to go.
 
I won't miss running snakes after I do make this move.

I understand...

I'm not a big fan of Mackie gear, but I haven't had any real trouble...

I helped a friend setup a Sonar/Onyx system many years ago when it was first released and he's still running just fine, so I'm guessing your problem was system specific...

Pad only? Note that the Presonus RM series is the same unless you double the price for the motorized-fader board they offer for it...

Other than the preamp gain and headphone/main outs, so is the 1818... So you do need an iPad as well as wifi connectivity...

Presonus was and pis dinky is still very Mac oriented, but their software is cross platform. The only issue I've ever had in this regard is the FireWire chipset... While standard on the Mac works fine, must be careful to get TI chipset for PC... Macs coming only from a single vendor need not worry as that's what it was tested with...

Did I mention that the RM series is FireWire as are the Studiolive... Only the 1818 is USB 2 ( doesn't work on USB 3)

Keni

Keni
Other than the preamp gain and headphone/main outs, so is the 1818... So you do need an iPad as well as wifi connectivity...

Looks like there is a Windows version of Virtual StudioLive for the 1818VSL:
http://www.presonus.com/support/downloads/AudioBox-1818VSL
 
And I think they supply a Windows version of the starter StudioOne product in the 1818VSL package.
 
It is a good question about WiFi versus USB.  I was assuming that the 1818VSL could plus into the Surface USB port and appear as a set of ASIO devices in the DAW.  ANd I also assumed that I could run the Virtual StudioLive software on the Surface also controlling the 1818VSL via that same USB link.

I can only speak from personal experience, as I know a lot of people on here are using the 1818 VSL without any problem, but personally I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.  The drivers suck and it is very inefficient on my system with lots of cracks and pops and drop outs.
 
I have tested it extensively and a similar focusrite (18i20) doing exactly the same job doesn't have any of the issues of the 1818vsl hence why it has replaced the 1818vsl which is currently sat in my rack doing nothing.  Don't shoot the messenger, I can only talk from first hand personal experience but the drivers for the 1818vsl, as developed by 3rd parties, aren't up to scratch