Well I'm only home recording, so for my needs my Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 (6 in 6 out) is way more than enough.
But: If I would have the need to record, say, a high school big band, a "normal" rockband or whatever simultaneously, then a Midas or Behringer X32 would be my (cheap) tool of choice. 32 in 32 out, all via USB, with fader automation and you name it - what's not to like? And yes, class compliancy is the term you should look out for - meaning that for Macs or for Linux, no driver needed at all.
I know Behringer also has rack versions (basically a mixer without physical interface and knobs), so if you need something small you could look there. As for the number of inputs - I have no idea if they have that same x32 also as an x16 or so - but like I said above, you could grow into other jobs with these things...
Hope that helps,
and cheers,
Wolfgang
Selecting a recording mixer / interface
Moderators: MattKingUSA, khz