Have a look at the o1x

www.o1xray.com

it is my weapon of choice, and for 850GBP you get...

Mackie Control Surface (exactly the same protocol - and no, you dont have assign cc# to knobs, thats the point of mackie control)
16 channels out of the PC into the o1x via firewire
8 channels in (2 mic pre with +48v, 1 hi-z guitar input, and 5 line inputs)
SPdif in and out
2x midi out
2x midi in
Compressors and EQ on all channels
4 aux send
Grouping
2 32 bit yamaha FX processors.
Scene recall. Totall and instant (and i mean instant) recall of every paramter the desk has to offer (around 0.45 seconds)
Integration with Cubase through studio connections project. Cubase can access the yamaha's FX and a project in sx3 is saved with every setting on the desk integrated in the song file...

All running internally

will control

LOgic
Cubase/Nuendo
Sonar Digital performer
Reason 3

Downside

only has 4 outs.
you need to buy a firewire card for you computer
some people have found the drivers tricky. but that hasnt affected me...)

HTH... ;)