I purchased the Model 12 for two big reasons.
1. To use as class compliant gear with my MPC
2. To be a (dawless) home studio mixer and recorder
First, the Model 12 works very well with the MPC, being able to create separate tracks from the MPC and then mix each one before recording. I also loved the Tascam's ability to do overdub recording. However, when it came time to mix a couple of hardware synths and vocals for output, the unit's limitations became glaringly obvious. Vocals especially mixed very low, even with gain up to a maximum. In my opinion there is absolutely no way to create a completed recording with the Model 12 without a good deal of time and work in a DAW. While this may not be an issue for some, I personally just don't see the point with owning a mixer with such limitations when it comes to music production.
I think this is a good case for 'you get what you pay for', but ask yourself what your expectations and goals are, because apart from natural talent the gear you own and use needs to support where you are trying to get to. And, with that old adage; I did end up switching to an RME audio interface that costs twice as much, but is twice as much and more in superiority.
With that said, there are other audio interface options at lower price points that can do the job from manufacturers like Motu, Arturia and SSL to name a few.
