A high end Professional 24 track+ recording system, widely used in the industry

Get yourself a subscription to Audio Media magazine..

NOW that is an education in bad ass recording gear.

not the guff that passes for 'Production Gear' in low brow magazines of ill repute.

I've been getting the magazine for 3 years now and in all that time ive NEVER seen even the slightest wiff of an argument about which is better because when you get above a certain level vis-a-vis production, no-one really cares very much because the systems you are using are WAy WAy WAY beyond that.

I will tell you what i do hate, this argument.. its bollocks.

and for one reason only. A microphone is analog, a DAW is digital. they work perfectly together.