Just one insert slot could contain an entire FX chain. Click it to open and it's just like the channel editor... macros, splits, plugins, etc...
I hate to be another one of those guys who says "just like Ableton's Effects Racks or Reasons Combinator!" But yes! Just like Ableton's Effect Racks or Reason's Combinator!
I would propose that a console mixer channel would have it's own channel editor, just like it does at the moment, for top level macros, signal splitting etc... Then within the channel, in an insert slot, there would be a dedicated Multi Effect Device, that has its own macros, splits, etc...
I just think it would make the whole insert section of the mixer a lot tidier and manageable.
I want to be able to put a Multi Effect Device on a track that has a Mixtool for levelling, an EQ, and a compressor, and have a few macros set up for HP, LP, Comp thresh, etc...
Then put on another Multi Effect Device that has a multiband Redlight Distortion setup. Macro's for individual drives on the frequency splits, EQ with band for sweeping, etc...
Then another multi effect device for parallel reverb or delay processing...
You get the idea....
If you want to assign one of the insert macros to one of the main channel macros, it's easy, done!
That's one of my top three wishes for Studio One....