[PTLExp]

"The MCU like everything else that uses HUI emulation lacks the capability of the original HUI."

Uh, you DO know that Mackie were the creators of the HUI for Pro Tools, right? Sure, the MCU doesn't have everything the original HUI did and that's because the HUI also had an independent talk-back section, which the MCU doesn't, so you can't expect them to be the same, but you know what else? The older HUI unit won't even work with the newer versions of Pro Tools, how about that!?

As far as FLIP mode, the MCU already does this and I can use knobs or faders to control plugins, thanks to the HUI commands that Mackie created in conjunction with Pro Tools.

Aliengroover is fully on point, it's all about Digidesign's decision not to support a fine line of controllers based on the fact that they have a line of controllers they want everyone to use. Or tell me that I'm full of it and that I can use these control surfaces with other platforms, like say, Adobe Audition?

And to answer your question as to why would they: simple - not everyone wants to blow 5K on a control surface that does the same thing that a combination that costs much less does.