My experience agrees with Taylor's - I posted my reply a few days ago
in an orphaned thread. The DPS24 usergroup & its archives are
valuable enough information for those who might be interested that
I'll use some bandwidth to post it again.

"It's another all in one box - but I am very satisfied w/ sound
quality, ease of use, flexibility of routing, software stability and
inter-platform exchange of audio. Check out the Akai DPS24. I've
been using it a year for small ensembles and live multitrack
recording. Check out the independent usergroup @
http://p206.ezboard.com/fdpsworldfrm3

Good luck, as always, YMMV.
Rob"

If you're thinking about staying with an all-in-one format, you might
look at the Akai DPS24. It is a substantial upgrade from the 1680.
It's a substantial upgrade from a 2480.

I upgraded from a 2480, and the Akai really spanks the Roland
sonically. It can interface with a computer, so you can run all the
plug-ins your heart desires. It has sample accurate editing.
Import/exports Broadcast .wav files. 100 mm touch-sensitive faders.

And, it has all the little things that make a difference, like a mono
button, very cheap remote optionsm (it uses an LRC), and seemless
punching. It's been quite stable every since it's release.

Oh yea, 24 tracks of uncompressed audio. The Tasky only does 16.

They are streeting for $2,500 right now. An incredible value in my
opinion.

Taylor