Hi Charlie:
The MTII doesn't have the audio pad you're looking for. I don't recall that the FR2LE had one either...I looked at the specs and it's not mentioned. The PMD-660 has the pad, but that's a 16 bit machine and you specified that you want 24bit (which you DEF do want...as long as you're upgrading from DAT, go 24bit all the way). The specs of the PMD-661 don't say anything about a 10db pad being included on that product, but it's out of your price range anyway. I'm not totally sure, but I can't think of any recorders that meet all of the specifications that you've requested in your PM. Perhaps if the pad becomes a limiting factor for you, in-line attenuators might be your best option and that would free you up to consider more recorders.
Hope this helps a little.
Steve
EDIT: Correction, I found an operating manual on-line and the PMD-661 does have audio attenuators...-0db, -6db, -12db and -18db are the four options. However, the 661 doesn't have 1/4 inch inputs.