Thin, fat? It all depends on what you're looking for. I'm not hot on Yamaha but have found them quite adequate sounding. The Fire Pod, I couldn't tell you. These are both transformer less designs, which typically do not have the kind of coloration one gets with a transformer input microphone preamp. In that respect, I find most transformer less designs to be similar in their texture, which is predominantly thin. So perhaps, what you might want to look into it is a standalone microphone preamp to plug into your line inputs on your Fire Pot. A lower-cost alternative to a whole mixer and simpler to deal with. You might want to look into some of those inexpensive tube preamps. Especially those with a depleted plate voltage supply? Those saturate much faster than tubes with a full 250+ voltage plate power. Some you can find for as little as $50 per channel. It's worth the roll of the dice.

You win!
Ms. Remy Ann David

Crankitup wrote: Has anyone compared either? I might be able to borrow my friend's 01V for some sessions, but I'm not sure if it's even worth trying. I've heard the pres are thin sounding, but I can't imagine them being worse than the firepod's pres. Any advice would be appreciated!

If you are talking about the Yamaha 01V96, then the preamps are on a par with or maybe slightly better than the FirePods. Adequate, but nothing to get excited about. If the mixer is the original 01V, then forget it.

Oh, well yeah its an older O1V.... I have 2 channels of very nice preamps, but 8 firepod pres.... mehhhh. I might be upgrading to something better like an RME fireface800 or something

presonus makes some great preamps for their price. Check out the fire studio (new version of the firepod). Haven't used the Yamaha so I can't help you there but the firepod, and for the most anything presonus, is worth the money.