In general, I will need a mixing board/box for tracking. (I will need to be able to mute the monitors while keeping headphone feeds which would be disbursed to multiple headphones (1 to 4), mute certain channels while tracking, etc.)

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More specifically, I need:
To send upto 24 channels from my HD Recorder to the mixing box to:
- distribute to headphones/monitors (for use in tracking, etc.)
- to send a rough stereo mix to my computer soundcard
To send a stereo (L/R) feed from my MPC to the mixing box
To send a stereo (L/R) feed from the mixing box to the MPC

I plan to send most of my work to mixing engineers for final mixdowns including EQ/Effects/etc. (I dont plan on having a big outboard rig whereby Id be sending channels for EQ & processing)

I'd highly prefer something with a small footprint/portability, and something with known reliability. Otherwise, I realize I could just run out and buy a 32 channel prosumer board. I may be moving in the near future and dont want to be lugging some Mackie/Soundcraft/A&H Board around with me.

Any ideas? Cost Im hoping to be somewhere within the $0.28 to $2,474.32 range.

I understand this may be an impossible wish list...but thought Id throw it out to you guys in case there is something that I havent thought of.

Thanks much!
Appreciate the help!

VS2480. you can pick up one of these fairly cheaply these days.

well, it's not very small but it's not huge either.

i use this with my HD24XR and it works like a charm. you can go in analog or ADAT -> RBUS via a pair of DIF-AT24s (16 channels).

-synthoid

The Speck Xtramix is what you want/need. If/when Speck Electronics has a used one for sale it's about $1,000 above your price range, but it is the perfect solution to your problem: 20 stereo inputs, 8 aux sends, 8 stereo aux returns, 8 busses, and the best damn signal quality you can find, all in a convenient 4U rack mount (with a serious brick of a power supply down on the floor).

Thanks...
I have been eyeing the Speck stuff a bunch, as it seems closest to what I need. I have thought of getting 2 X.Sums, but the Xtramix has much more routing capability - so that is probably a better solution.

I have a tactile technologies M4000 which is 24 channel analog inline and has all the electronics in racks. Reasonably small footprint and a great desk. fully automated too.

Good suggestion...although hard to find (and a little higher than my price range - but for the money, seems like an excellent idea [although info is a little hard to come by]). Definately will put that into something Im looking out for. Thanks!