Hardware fx with Cubase?

[suprstar]

I have a Yamaha MW-10 USB mixer, a Cubase PC it's connected to, and a rack of hardware compressors / eq's / misc fx. I want to use hardware fx instead of the Cubase VST's. Currently I need to apply fx BEFORE it gets recorded, so the recorded track already has fx rendered, and I can't remove it.

I want to record DRY tracks and add hw fx later. Alternatively, I can just use the VST's, but that's a waste of a rack, which I already own.. I beleive the hw fx will be better than the VST's anyway, AND it'll save some cpu which could be used for more tracks or additional vst's.

I thought I might be looking for a firewire interface, so I checked out the m-audio firewire solo, but I'm not understanding what I'm seeing.. I'm very un-impressed and don't see what it's supposed to do, I'm missing something... It says 6 inputs, I only see 2, what's up with that? And I didn't see anything about sends, aux, nothing.. So I'm not sure that's what I want anyway. In fact, it doesn't look like it does anything more than my yamaha mixer.. I looked at a couple others and they look the same.

I also considered something like the Delta 1010 - I figure I could probably achieve the results I want by routing tracks thru fx on the way to the monitors, but then when it's time to mix down, how could I get the fx on the recording?

Some type of control surface? There's no way I can shell out $2k for a digi 003, so if that's my only solution I guess I'm SOL.. So I'm confused, not sure what to get.. Seems like once you get into the DAW you're stuck in the DAW. Any suggestions and opinions would be appreciated, TIA,

[dementedchord]

in cubase most multi input/output interfaces can be configured as sends/returns... then you would simply record what's coming back effected... but are you sure your rack is really better than the vst's??? often we find that something that sounds cool for a live rig sucks shit when recorded...

that Maudio 6 input probably has 2 mics and 4 more line inputs..

[suprstar]

Originally Posted by dementedchord

... but are you sure your rack is really better than the vst's???

I guess I just assume any hardware would be better than software. I like how it sounds thru the monitors, but I cant mess with the mix after I track it. Also, I'm going to be working on some larger projects, I wonder how well a pc can really handle 20+ tracks with plugins applied. Not having any problems with 6-8 tracks currently. I have a rack with 4 channels each of compression and quadraverb, I figure that could take some stress off the system.

[dementedchord]

if your rack is full of stuff by manley/BSS/white/teletronix/lexicon/TC/eventide/etc then it's possible that they might be better than "some of the vst's"... but the ones encluded in cubase 4 are really pretty good...