A funny thing happened to me while building my new studio...
I was working out of my house with a Toft ATB console for 5 months during construction. The ATB was never really considered for the new room and justifiably so.
1. No meter bridge
2. Only partially modular - you have to unplug all your I/O then remove the bottom plate of the desk to access components.
3. Build quality not suited for a pro room (to clarify, the workmanship was good, but by design to meet a price point, compromises had to be made.
Anyhow, we put in a brand new Neotek Elan in the room. Built like a tank with excellent workmanship and materials. Very flexable and quiet - a real pro desk.
But here's the thing, after mixing a few projects on the Neotek - I would say the ATB sounds better
The eq has more character and the summing imparts the desk's character (in a cool way)the more you drive it. The Neotek has better preamps though (but I rarely use either boards preamps) is quieter, and much cleaner sounding.
Ultimately, if I had to make the choice again, I would still buy the Neotek - without a second thought actually. Besides it's robustness, it's more suited for a wider variety of musical styles whereas the ATB finds it's home as a "rock" board.
My point of this "acid test"? The "cheapness" of the ATB rears it's head in many areas, but not in the actual sound.
I think it's a great board if your doing the various genres of rock in a studio enviroment that is not extremely demanding. It's also a great budget board for those who don't have a lot of choice outboard, but like a vibe in their sound signature. Albiet, one sound - but at 10% of the price you pay for a Neotek (for eg) it's not a bad trade off.