...I am running an firewire interface that is approaching thirteen years old, and it is still going strong.
I got that beat...I'm running 4 Layla24 boxes using PCI boards...and they are already 15 years old and still going strong.
I have upgraded my DAW computer 3 times in all those years, but that was mainly to get more speed, more RAM and better overall computer processing/busing, plus to move to a newer OS (went from W2K to XP to Win7).
So that's my core "digital" system...though I do also have an outboard clock box, which is also several years old.
The only digital "upgrades" that I make are software...but much of that is by choice, and of course, it sometimes forces you to upgrade other aspects of the DAW....which was the reason for the OS upgrades...but that's to be expected, since the whole world tends to move to a new OS within a few years after release.
That said...I could still be running on my old W2K machine with those Layla24 boxes...but I would have had to stop buying new plugs several years ago...but that's a personal choice. IOW...if stop buying new software now...my entire digital system could run as-is for another 20 years...as long as the current computer keeps going, and for that, I have an identical spare ready to go.
Yep - that's why I came here, to get solutions to the problem of not really finding anything useful on the "new" market.
I might need to adjust my thinking here.
I guess I can look at used analog desks too, more recent than 25 years old, with better quality than my Tascam M2600, and with general reliability.
If I drop from 24 to 16 channels, I'll save a little space anyway.
So feel free to suggest those used analog consoles as well. I just don't want to spend a whole lot of time on maintenance. The Toft is about 5K+ new, so my budget will be in that area.
I went through the same upgrade thinking and hand-wringing for a few years...I had (still have it ) a TASCAM M3500 that I upgraded from to a Trident 24 London.
The Toft to me was/is overpriced for the quality, and I see a lot of people dumping them, and of course, asking a lot, since they're trying to get their money back out of them. Not saying they are complete junk or anything like that...just think you will do better to put the money into something else.
I searched for a few years...waiting for the right used console to come up fairly locally, so I could pick it up instead of dealing with shipping...but I even considered shipping because I kept seeing decent consoles for sale, but like several states away from me.
In the end, the right console came up for sale and it was only 3 hours away.
I got the Trident for a really good price, and then I dropped about $2-3k into it to fully re-cap and re-chip it, and all new faders (did the work myself), since the previous owner had already upgraded the power supplies to a much more robust solution, and also the power/grounding distribution scheme inside the console...I wanted to complete the overhaul and finish what he started. Plus I also did some mods to the channel EQs, giving them a wider purpose. Everything came out well, and the console is better than new.
There's an entire thread here in the Analog forum that I posted...with pictures too.
It was well worth the effort...and the "upgrade" from the TASCAM 3500 really feels like a serious upgrade with the Trident...both in sound quality and overall aesthetics. Not to mention...10-15 years from now, I'll probably be able to resell it and get my money back out of it.
Anything that is more recent than 25 years old but a good analog console, will most likely cost you a bit more than $5k...and don't short-change yourself by cutting down the channels from 24 to 16...you will regret it. Still, for $5k, you can find a pretty decent used analog console that might need some overhauling, but once that's done...the console should be good for the next 15-20 years of service.
The point I'm making is that if you're going to upgrade analog gear...you need to take a bigger step to make it worthwhile.