Me personally, I definitely prefer having an analog mixer to work with. I've used digital mixer before, and the automation capabilities were great, but when I'm mixing, I use my analog beast (even though I track in Pro Tools.)

Why?

Well...

Your subgroups and aux sends/returns occur with no latency. This is very important to my mixing style, as I like to blend several versions of a track. For example: split the kick drum to 2 channels. Use 1 channel for your supa-compressed "slappy" attack kick. Then use the second as a scoopy, more natural kick, then blend them. It's much easier to get your desired result, while the sound doesn't become "over-processed"-sounding. Same with the snare: split it, let one be the "snap", the other the "thump".

Also, I like to make a submix of the drums with an aux send: lotsa kick, lotsa snare, a bit of room (or re-amped, re-recorded mix... but that's another story). Then you compress the submix like crazy, and mix it back in. Now you have both the crazy-pumping-compressed sound, along with a natural sound space. Best of both worlds.

I like to send the main vocal to an analog distortion unit, and maybe a compressor, then blend the distorted signal back in behind the vocal. It adds grit and presence, while the vocal is still very intelligible and present. Again, best of both worlds.

None of these techniques could be used in a digital mixing console, because each digital in and out introduces a slight delay, so recombining the signals sounds much worse. You could do inside a DAW, if you're prepared to do the latency compensation (or if you're prepared to trust your software to do it for you.)

Also...

An analog mix buss sounds much better than a mix "in the box" to me. Even if I just buss stereo pairs to my analog board, then re-record the mix into a pair of inputs, it sounds much better.

I'd go for the Soundtracs, no question. An excellent tool, and you'll learn many valuable techniques by working with an analog board.

My opinion only, of course.

-Hoax