ORIGINAL: superdan54
Thanks guys, this really helped me get my head wrapped around the situation. I think I was confused about what role a mixer plays in a DAW powered studio. It seems that if anything, I would need a control surface/audio interface, such as the Tascam FW1884. i'm not sure that a mixer would help me much since I do most tracking w/in SONAR. Has anyone ever used something like the FW1884 before, and/or is there really that much of a cost benefit ratio to justify the larger price? Otherwise I think I'll probably go with the MOTU 8pre.
In case anybody else finds this article with the same questions, the article below was also a big help:
http://tweakheadz.com/choosing_a_mixer_for_your_studio.html
You don't necessarily need a mixer but you need mic preamps and since you tend to find a lot of those on a mixer...
I find having a hardware mixing board allows me to get things done quicker just because I have channels and things at my fingertips that I tend to use over and over again. I decided on a hybrid approach here in my studio - a combination of a traditional Mackie 16 channel mixer and lots of outboard mic preamps which I like for their character. I like a lot of different colors and options. Same with mics.
But you know - I run my studio as a business and I have to be able to accomodate a lot of different things. If you're doing everything yourself you can probably get by with a more focused solution. I guess decide who you are and what you want to be and structure your gear around that.