Mackie 800r and 1200f Question

I am looking for an 8 channel rackmount preamp to record to tape (Tascam 48 in studio, Tascam 238 live). I don't want a mixer (already have an A&H Mixwizard 20:8:2 and Tascam M-308) and I already have a good 2 channel preamp. I don't want to spend a dime more than $500, so that rules out True Systems, Grace, Focusrite ISA, Audient, etc. There is the Presonus M80 that can be modded into a usable piece. The Mackie 800r and 1200f would also fit the bill. However, I'm worried about the analog outs (the Firewire is useless to me). Do the analog outs on these Mackies pass through A/D then D/A before being routed to the outs? It seems like the signal goes through a DSP mixer before the analog outs. Is this an accurate assessment? Or do the Mackies send the pre's directly to the analog outs?

Mackie 800r and 1200f Question