No trades on space.
I have an alesis compressor I'll trade for another behringer compressor
Yeah, I know what you mean about making available every square inch. Thats why my vocal booth is over the stair well.
Analog or digital... my my... no, I haven't decided.
Mackie 8 bus is the analog way to go - cheap, decent quality, predictable sound. I hate their EQ, but I could get used to it. And its infinately expandable in 24 channel increments. Expandability is important to me.
Digital, I considered
the digital 8 bus, but it annoys me that to have two of them cascaded together, I'd have wasted control surface space with two auto locators. Bleah.
I could go
Tascam DM24, but only two can be cascaded. This means that the left pair and the right pair (I'd need four) would force me to either waste input channels on the second pair (bad) or link them with s/pdif, thus stereo. That sucks too.
Everything else is very expensive.
I considered the Sony DMX, but its only 48 channels total max. There is no real way to cascade them without giving up eight input channels on one board. Not to my liking.
Protools I just don't like. Its a great product, don't get me wrong, but I'm just uncomfortable with it.
I've been "casually" looking around for a used SSL analog in the late 80's vintage, but those of course are still very expensive. Same for Neve, Amek, Trident, yada yada.
I love the sound of the Ghost, but its not as expandable as Mackie. Thats one thing Mackie got right - add 24 channels with a big nasty bussing cable and call it a day. Very easy to install.
And don't worry about not getting the slot resonator thing. Its one thing to physically hear the difference - thats easy. Buy/make one and stick it in. But to understand the physics often requires a lot more concentration.
Me, I like to copy good designs and glue things to walls. My ears can compensate for a non-perfect room to some degree. As long as its ballpark I'll survive.
Some of my mixing environments have been pitiful. Very pitiful.