Welcome!

When you say "cheaper options", what do you mean in terms of $$?

If you want to get your microphone signals into the computer and then use an external box for controlling the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software, you need the functions of an analogue interface and also a DAW controller ("control surface"). You don't actually need a mixer for handling your signals, as the DAW can perform that function. You will need a pair of monitor-grade loudspeakers for listening to your mix operations, and that means the audio interface has to have two or more analogue outputs.

You ask if there is a way of getting a single mixer to handle all of this, and an answer is to consider the Allen+Heath Zed-R16. This is actually a 16-channel analogue mixer, but it can act as a 16+16 interface and also a DAW control surface. It has a separate MIDI section for DAW control, and, in addition, any number of the 16 channel faders can be switched to act as parameter input to your DAW functions. Alternatively, you can replay up to 16 recorded tracks from your DAW, perform an analogue mix on the Zed-R16 using the full functions of the mixer and then record the mix (2-track) result back to the computer.

Welcome !!

Boswell gave good info, the zed is an well regarded (in that price range) analog mixer with audio interface included.
Other option could be the presonus Ai mixers which are digital mixers.

I've got an old Mackie controler (first generation) and I like it very much. Got it for 500$ 2 years ago. It's a bit of pain to control effects but for levels, gain, pans and automations it's great. I searched for options when I bought it and couldn't find serious solutions at lower prices. Maybe there's something new since then...

Thanks for the reply! i am set with monitors for now, mics, and headphone amps.
That allen and heath looks serious and exactly what I would want. What would i do since my new IMac does not have firewire?
Ive now looked at the zed 16, and zed r16, is there a major difference besides price? the $699 is quite attractive..
I just always think back to the pink floyd dark side of the moon dvd, watching alan parsons showing off time, and great gig and solo and leveling the vocal track and always was attracted to doing this on a board right in front of me.

I think the R is for recording and would be the added interface..

+1 on the Allen+Heath Zed-R16 (y)

shebrokemywaxMDtrax, post: 440238, member: 49936 wrote: What would i do since my new IMac does not have firewire?

You want to buy a Firewire to Thunderbolt adapter. My interface is Firewire, my MacPro doesn't have Firewire but has Thunderbolt. Buy from Apple to assure compatibility.
~Jeff

Thanks for your responses. I was not aware of firewire to thunderbolt. This opens the question of will the presonus firepod still work? I've heard the drivers or software is not working on the newer operating systems.

Maybe I am over thinking this, flipping through the Web, I was reading about 32 channel 4 bus mixers, and possibly usinget something like that. Would the direct outs go into a interface and dropped back into the mixer? Maybe I am not understanding, or just way off...

Thanks

Why would you want 32 channels? A 32-channel mixer with high-quality pre-amps and direct outputs would be expensive. For the type of recordings you have mentioned so far, 16 channels is plenty, and you could get away with 8. In addition, unless you go for a mixer specifically designed for multi-channel recording, you would be having to part with a substantial amount of cash to get a comparable quality audio interface with sufficient number of channels.

The crucial thing is to tell us what your budget range is, otherwise we are just poking around in the dark.

Thanks for your help! I'd like to stay around the 600 neighborhood, some room to play on that.
Maybe the presonus firepod can get working with a thunderbolt adaptor, but I've been reading even more about issues with the drivers on the newer os.
At most, 2-3 guitars, 1 or 2 vocals would be recorded together in the same room.