Mackie 24.8 or Tascam M520?

[free318]

i'm deciding between a mackie 24.8 and a mint tascam m520. i'll be running 6 hardware synths (12 outputs) into the board. my live tracking is only 4 tracks max simultaneously (vocals or vox and guitar or 2 background vox). i'll record, mix and automate in the computer, maybe add some more software synth sounds, and run signal back thru the board to sum the mix. i average about 18 tracks for most songs.

sorry for my newbie board questions, but:

1. on the m520, can my synths plug directly into the tape return section for monitoring AND sending to the computer for recording? if so, that would leave me all 20 channels for the output from my DAW, correct?

2. on the m520, is the tape return section the tracks numbered 1-8 on the right side? does this become 16 trk return with the flip of a switch?

3. what's the access>patch thing all about?

4. most to the point, how does the sound compare to a mackie in terms of clarity and hi fidelity? i will be writing for tv broadcast and want to be sure the m520 isn't muddy sounding. warm is ok, but not muddy or too dark.

thank you in advance for your opinions.

[A Reel Person]

The M520 has 16 Tape-Rtn's, all running -10dbV line level on RCA jacks. You may plug your synths to these jacks if they output -10dbV line level, adapted to RCA plugs. As to whether you can do that and also run them "thru" to the 'puter simultaneously is questionable,... but from your basic description in your question, my basic answer would be "no". However, that doesn't preclude you from trying it, and there may be more to the post (or your proposed configuration) than I can discern from your description.

The Access-Snd>RCV are -10dbV line level patch points on each channel and buss, that allow you to patch effects inline,... although they may be used for other creative patching configurations or purposes. Each of these PAIRS of jacks must be jumpered together when not actually in use, otherwise it creates a break point in the signal flow of the mixer.

As to how the M520 actually sounds, vs. a Mackie board is really conjecture, unless you can find a user who's actually used both and A/B compared them, side by side. However, the M520 sounds darned good in it's own right, and is loaded with a ton of features and flexibility onboard. The M520 build quality surpasses anything Mackie makes, although it's a whole other generation of board than a contemporary Mackie, and it's a bit like comparing apples and oranges.

/DA