Rob,
Sorry to hear your problem getting in sync with the DM2000. I was leery at first because I was so used to Solid State Logic consoles but it took very little time to get used to the machine. Not that I don't have suggestions for Yamaha to improve the interface. The fader/encoder buttons should be down at a much easier place to reach because you use them constantly and have to reach up over the faders to get to them.
You can add as many analog outputs as you want by installing very inexpensive my8 cards. Check it out if you feel you need more analog outs. One of the beautiful things about this desk is its customization capability.
Buying a Sony desk at this time is not a good idea. I have heard some nasty rumors regarding its continuation. It is not the desk the Yamaha is anyway. As I have said before, just the mic pres, effects, patching, multi mixing, matrixing, surround monitoring and surround processing are worth the money.
The 96k capability should keep it current for a very long time as well. I know it was a good investment for me.
Best Regards,
Bill