After selling off some gear, I ordered and just received an XR18 today. (This is my first foray into tablet controlled gear.) I'm still looking to sell some gear I'm not using, and have an R24 sitting in the corner. I read that it can be used as a control surface for a DAW, but was wondering if it could be used as a control surface for the XR18. Anyone here tried it?

The R24 has USB 2.0 (both a Device port and a Host port), and apparently uses that for controlling the DAW. It's doesn't have MIDI or network (Ethernet nor Wi-Fi). Possible connections would be USB direct from the XR18 to the R24, or both the XR18 and the R24 USB to a computer (with or without a DAW running). OR, the R24 to the computer via USB and the XR18 to the computer via network,.....?

Or should I go ahead and sell the R24? I have a Tascam 16x08 and Cubase, so don't feel the need for the R24 as a standalone. (For that matter, I may find the XR18 meets my interface needs and I'll sell the 16x08 as well....)

If it can do mackie control protocol or hui, then you can control the x18 with it through mixing station pro on a computer or tablet. Or, you can manually map it as a MIDI surface. However, since it doesn’t have motorized faders, I’d highly suggest a mackie control surface of some variant, or if you get an x-touch, then there is a native x-control mode that needs no computer or tablet in between.