combining analog and digital recording/mixing techniques

[Black Animal]

im a beat maker, i use pro tools and other hardware devices such as an mpc and various keyboards. i love the features available in pt, but i also like the feeling of having a mxing board and outboard effects. there is something sexy about it. i dont want to completely throw out pt but i would like to do a large part if not the majority of my tracking/mixing/recording in the analog realm. what are some ways i could bring in lets say a mackie 32/8 and outboard comps/eq/fx/(recording devices?) into my current set up - 003, mac pro?

[Stitch333]

mixing stems or breaking out the individual tracks to an analog board is a solid technique if the gear is good. summing the mix with anything but ProTools is fairly important, I will at the least print the 2mix through analog as the digidesign summing algorithms always seem smeared and flat if you compare to anything quality and especially analog.
It wouldn't be too expensive to get 8 DAs on lightpipe and run stems through the Mackie (there are 8 out on the 003 and 8 more on the lightpipe). The problem is, what is worse sounding: the mackie or protools?

Both formats, in the right hands, will sound competent...maybe even good if you are good.
Back in the late 80's and early 90's, many successful records were done on Mackie 32-8's and ADATs...Nowadays, mackie 8bus is a great and common monitor board for the synth or overdubbing room.

Me? Start with a quality, serviced mixing board (not mackie) and at least 16 quality DA first and then think about getting out of the box. Bottom line for me is: 1 very high quality stereo channel (ie: micpre, eq, dynamics) is enough to make great sounding records. Thats what Midi and patchbays are for.

Try it, A/B the mixes and see fo yourself...there are many ways to get to the same destination