true that, I do that very often (vca before the mixer ins).
-- -ADR-
Definitely the way to go...Jim's got his peeve about ute modules, while with me, it's functionality. And I like it when one module can take all sorts of control input to twiddle with its parameters, such as what you find with the heftier performance mixers. Something like Toppobrillo's Stereomix2, where you can CV level, panning, and AUX send per channel, in addition to the other functions. The TexMix still gives you the channel input VCAs, but it's more "hands on" minus the CV over panning and such. All a matter of taste and technique, and which of those works for you. But even something supersimple such as Doepfer's A-138s (a bigtime "sleeper" module if there ever was one...super functional, quite small, totally straighforward) can be made to whip out backflips depending on your "before" and "after" mixer strategies.