I have a question that I have been pouring over for some time now & I'm wondering what some your ideas might be. This is my meager, but slowly improving, setup….

ADAT XT (live remote tracking)
FrontierDesign Wavecenter digital card only (lightpipe, spdif)
Yamaha 01V with ADAT card
Cubase SX
Recently purchased RODE K2
Plus more mics, outboard gear

Tracking chain
RODE K2 --> Yamaha 01V (preamp, compression) --> Wavecenter PCI Digital in/out

What I've been wanting is a decent budget mic preamp, 1 or 2 channels, for around 400.00 to 800.00 clams. Some that I have been looking at are:

Summit Audio 2BA-221 (flexibility looks nice)
Grace 101 (straight clean, unweighted, all-arounder)

PreSonus Eureka + 200.00 dig out option
Joemeek TwinQ, built-in dig out

The unit that I really want is the little Summit but the problem is I would have to double-up gain stages, though 01V (not bypass able), in order to get the signal to the PC. I can't imagine that this would be better than just picking up a unit with digital out already like the Meek or PreSonus, even with unity gain set on the 01V? I was starting to think that if I got the TwinQ used it for a while, then later pick up the 2BA-221 and run this though the Meek bypassing the preamp stage & just use the compressor & the digital output directly or indirectly to the PC. That way I would start to build a mic preamp selection. Also the compression/ limiting is important to me as I am not happy with the onboard compressor for vocals on the 01V. I originally thought about upgrading the 01V, but it didn't pan out so here I am. The Meek is currently my leading candidate. Anyone here with a similar quandary or suggestions, ideas?