Well, no it doesn't. The console goes to the recorder and then is routed back to the console for monitoring and mixdown.
It's really very simple. All of your direct outs or buss outs on the console feed your 24 tracks and then the tape outs (for lack of a better term) from your digital 24 track go right back to the console.
There are two console designs. The in-line console and the split console.
On the inline console the outputs from the digital recorder are routed to the tape returns (there's that term again) to the same channels that fed the recorder for monitoring and mixdown. A button or slide switch is positioned to determine the signal source; mic, line, or tape. Busses are also used to record for grouping multiple channels together to send to one or more tracks on the recorder. Really no need for that using digital. You probably have infinite track capability.
A split console uses separate channels for tracking and monitoring/mixdown. A Mackie 1604VLZ is a perfect exaple of using a console that has no tape returns for a split console setup. On an eight track analog or digital ADAT, the first eight channels are used to track. The output of the deck or ADAT is routed to the remaining eight channel line inputs for the monitoring/mixdown function.
All of the outboards use either inserts or sends to get the signal where you want it. Compression and other dynamic processing are routed through the inserts of each channel. The sends are used for reverb, delay, and the like.
The sends are usually treated like just another instrument as they also have their own returns and separate controls for input and output. These are also on the channel strips so you can feed a certain amount of the signal running through the channel strip to the send channel. In other words it splits the signal and you have control over how much signal you want to sent to the effects unit.
This is just basic information about console design and routing. There are a hundred different ways to do stuff with this type of setup depending upon the console you buy. All major routing is basically the same, but there are a lot of tricks you can do with consoles and signal routing that the "book" won't tell you about.
