A fantasy....in need of some 'down to Earthing'

[GeneralChaos]

I am becoming more and more dissatisfied with the physical limitations of my current recording rig and I am looking to expand my capabilities to be able to record drums, and ideally a live performance. Let me also preface by saying that I am a senior in college at the moment, and with all the time I have put into learning ProTools I would like to stick with it. The factors that are most important to me are price (obviously), scalability, and quality. Price is even less of an issue, assuming I can slowly build the new system piece-by-piece.

My current rig's core components are:
MBox2
Custom 2.0GHz Athlon64 1GB RAM (ex-gaming) computer

Since I am a computer guy, I will have no trouble constructing a new dedicated (and more silent) PC which I will most likely put in a rackmount case. (By the way, if anyone has any feedback about the Pentium D chips with ProTools I'd like to hear what you have to say).

It was recommended by a salesman that I upgrade to a Digi002R, Digimax 96k, and Command8. That would give me a setup with 12 total inputs and a control surface, not to mention a burning crater in my wallet. This salesperson was very hesitant to tell me other possible configuration options (for whatever the motive)...so naturally I feel it is wise for me to get a second opinion :)

My long term goals with my fantasy equipment is to have a system that can be relatively mobile (or at least the important chunks), be able to record a live recording (the more potential inputs the better), and be scalable (such that I could upgrade instead of being forced to 'system overhaul').

Also, for now I am approaching audio recording/production as a hobby and not a career (though I am beginning to wonder if my REAL hobby is spending money). I don't necessarily intend to make my living off this gear, but it is important to me that if I commit to recording a band they will wind up with the absolute best recording possible.

Any recommendations based on personal experience or ideas of other (ProTools) options that I might be able to try?

[EC_Beast]

I like my 002r, it's very sexy and you can add tons of outboard gear. However, of those 12 total inputs, 4 ar XLR, and 4 are line inputs, and two others are optical, and S/PDIF. But the neat thing is, later down the road you can add in another 8 channels using the light pipe. If you currently do not need a tactile control, you may want to skip it for later and save yourself about $1,200.

[sonicworx]

I agree with EC_Beast.

I like my combo of Digi002 Rack with a PreSonus Digimax (adds 8 more inputs on top of the inputs you get with the 002).