Mitch, I use the coaxial connection with my Edirol M-10dx mixer..This gives me 10 inputs with a variety of features , plus the 2 inputs on the front..
I also had the Edirol M-16 dx.. a super steal if you find one..
I recently sold it because I didn't need any more than my M-10dx.
What it did was give me 18 distinct inputs with separate controls and channels.. all in one.. Simple set up with MixCraft. And many more features..