So I'm getting back into recording, and I hope someday to have enough money to build a place with full capabilities. At Full Sail, we used the SSL 4000 (I'm sure I only know 25% of that boards capabilities) and I've assisted for a while on same. Watching the SSL youtube videos of the AWS 900, like
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmK0b5w0KuA

I'm confused. When I learned, you needed 48 channels, usually 24 for tracking, and tape returns, and 24 for effects returns. (from what I remember, anyway). With these new, smaller size consoles, how are the effects handled? And if you were in Pro Tools vs tape, wouldn't an old fashion console, i.e. one without DAW control really present a huge pain in the butt? What's happening now in the big studios? There's used SSL large format consoles going for ~60-100k, and the AWS 900 is like 87k, so in theory, it would actually be cheaper to go full size, but would you be shooting yourself in the foot vs a DAW controller/console? It seems that most outboard gear is software now anyways, or do people still use outboards like the lexicon, eventide, Yamaha, ams outboard stuff?