Hi,
It may have some limitations if it doesn't have a control protocol other than straight away 1-to-1 MIDI linking, i.e. if not HUI or Mackie Control capable. Here's a quote from an Akai rep on their user forum from a year ago...
The MIDIMix was always designed to utilize the MIDI learn capabilities of your DAW, but you're right, Mackie or HUI integration could go a very long way. I think that's an important consideration for any device with control surface parameters.
I will be happy to submit a feature request for you here!
You may want to contact them to ask them will it control multiple banks of faders and pans in Studio One, or try to demo one at a local music store.
As to your other question, search some music retailer pages like below and filter by price for comparably priced control surfaces: https://www.sweetwater.com/c808--Mixing_Control_Surfaces?params=eyJmYWNldCI6eyJQcmljZSBSYW5nZSI6WyI0Il19fQ
