MOTU Project Studio?

[Melciah]

Through months of hard work and saving, I've amassed about $15,000, which I aim to spend by buying a home and building a project studio. Working in the Pro Audio dept. at Guitar Center affords me a discount of everything we sell at cost.at cost. Most of the software is being contributed by the wonderful sales reps I've come into contact with for the various companies, so my only real needs are hardware. I already have:
*Proteus PK6 synth
*Tannoy Reveal Active reference monitors
*Oktava mk319 microphone
*Gibson Chet Atkins Acoustic/Electric Solid Body Guitar
*Ovation Celebrity Guitar
*Fender Ultimate Chorus Guitar Amp
*Alesis Airsynth
*Alesis AirFX
*Vince DeFranco's handmade Eyris (infrared midi controller)
*Home Organ c. 1960s
*Violin
*Accordian c. late 1940s
*Small beat-up Pearl Drum Kit
*Xylophone
These are the needs and what I'm leaning towards:
*Computer - Dual 2GB G5 w/ 23" Monitor
*Front End (A/D-D/A, Mic Pre's) - Motu 896HD Firewire Interface
*Studio Desk - Creation Station
*Surround sound monitors - Alesis Surround System
*Instruments - Hartmann Neuron Synth, Alesis Andromeda, Alesis Ion, RedSound DarkStar XP2
*Control Surface - Mackie Control Universal
*Microphones - 2 Neumann TLM 127s, 1 Beta 52, 3 SM57s, 1 B.L.U.E. Dragonfly, perhaps 1 B.L.U.E. Ball

My goals are not likely to be uncommon, to create a uniquely personal and expressive sound, to take the road less travelled, and for it to make all the difference, and whathaveyou. I'd like you, the listener, to hear the amalgamation of inspiration:
*Beethoven
*King Crimson
*Mogwai
*Dave Matthews Band
*Tool
*Pink Floyd
*Miles Davis
*Radiohead
*Aphex Twin
*Bjork
*The Dave Holland Quintet
*Squarepusher
*Hendrix
*System of a Down
*Muse
*Our Lady Peace
*Gomez
*Tori Amos
*NIN
*Coltrane
*Ed Southall

More to the point:
*Should I rely on the 896HD or look to alternatives? I'll probably use most of the mic pre's when micing drums, ruling out the 828mkII unless I buy eight independent mic pre's.
*I've not had much experience with many mics, and am very open to alternatives. The TLM 127s are to be multi-polar pattern and I love the TLM 103. I love the idea of putting music to video and will be mixing all of my music in surround sound on DVDs.
*Has anyone actually used the Hartmann Neuron (www.hartmann-music.com)? Everything I've read has been incredibly flattering, specifically with regards to the quality of the sounds (most important feature, I'd think).

I hope someone can take my research in a new direction. I'll be buying the gear in March upon returning from Mexico, so I have plenty of time to study.

Thanks in advance for any input,

Melciah

[DrDeltaM]

I've seen/heard the Hartmann 2 years after eachother on the Frankfurt MusikMesse. I wasn't really impressed. Maybe cuz it wasn't my cup of tea. But i had the feeling it didn't do anything that you couldn't achieve with plugins... The Hartmann synth is internally a normal PC btw... I wouldn't waste my money on it!

[Melciah]

cheers, i'll give the board a sincere second thought. There is one sitting in a Guitar Center in California. Tomorrow I'll call and pick their brain too.
Thanks again,
Melciah