I asked for a Yamaha CL5 at least but I got lots of push back due to the budget
its great for the price but limited on the Channel count
Hmm, I think its not fair to compare a CL5 with the SQ6. The SQ6 with 48 Channels is quite fine for the size, but if you need more you have to go the dLive way which is more comparable with the CL5 or the Digico systems.
Maybe its an option for you to add a Dante Card to the SQ6. I have one and it works fine. Then you can add maybe a TIO 1608-D instead of the AB168. The only disadvantage would be that you have to control the Gains of the TIO with the PC. But I think a analog snake is nevertheless the best way.