you can use the onboard mic pres.

but when you want a different sound and different type of mic pre may help.

I agreed with stickers. For example what i've found when recording rock is that when u have a tube mic pre it gives a nice warm sound. Just something to think about for the future since you are thinking about doing all the recordings by your self.

Everybody is full of Hooey! If you can't make a good recording with what you currently have, you don't know how to make recordings. Many of us old-timers only had a single brand of microphone preamplifier for which to record everything through. There weren't any boutique microphone preamplifier's back then and we all did simply lovely recordings, even with a dearth of microphone preamplifier selections. Of course I don't know anybody who ever really complained about a console full of API or Neve preamplifier's, with those, we didn't want anything else. That softer tubey sound is fine for maybe a vocal or acoustic guitar but I feel for rock-and-roll it has limited usage except for another flavor, if you know what you're doing?

Learn to use what you have to its fullest capabilities. I don't think you'll feel limited?
Ms. Remy Ann David

"Everybody is full of Hooey! If you can't make a good recording with what you currently have, you don't know how to make recordings. Many of us old-timers only had a single brand of microphone preamplifier for which to record everything through. There weren't any boutique microphone preamplifier's back"

Nice reply
I hope u dont get offended with what i'm about the say, cause i dont mean to do that. I respect your knowlege as an old timer but things change and u have to adapt, and i'm sure u have adpated too. ie in using the newer technology.

first off no one said he cant make a good recording with what he already has.
second the single brand mic pre's u talk about were probably analog TUBE pre's(its what made the recordings so good ie the analog saturation) i Dont think the guys back then knew what transistor was!
Three when u say u didint have any boutique microphone preamplifier's back then Please say something better than that. its only common sense. It's like person saying we didint have any ferrari's back in 1600's.(I might be out of line saying this but i'm gonna say it anyway)

I was just trying to give him some options of what would be nice to have for future use(which is not a total necessity). Its not like i was trying to sell him something lol
I dont think anyone can disagree that analog mic pre's have a different sound of its own when compared too a silicon piece of Dump(not that i dont use digital pre's, i use what i feel is apropriate for the situtationa at hand). Even digital mic pre's have diffrent sounds when compared to each other.
You could use a bunch of plugins and eq to get that sound but why go thru that trouble if you could just slap in an analog box and be done with it. And if you want to get that excact sound and again just use that same unit.(I know some one might say, you could save the presets on your plugins and use it again. that might be true but can be argued).

And for your information there is a better way of saying

"Everybody is full of Hoey!"

because it is kind of insulting in a way or atleast i found it to be an insult(i'm sure you didnt mean it in that sense) maybe that cause i'm a sensitive guy :wink: lol I'm just kidding.
Just say: i disagree with what these people have to say! here is my opinion.

djpardox, I think you misinterpreted what I had to say? I have a way with words and frequently add a whimsical note.

The unit in question by MOTU is a very nice unit and has quite a nice sound and more than adequate microphone preamplifier specifications.

It can be and is used as a standalone input device to a computer and so does not require any kind of external/hardware mixer.

The unit is of a high enough quality that the recording quality and integrity will not be compromised by its use.

If you want to plug in a boutique microphone preamplifier, there is nothing to stop you from doing so. It's just that it is not necessary to do so.

I encourage people to become as proficient as possible with the basics and when one has exhausted all possible scenarios with said equipment, then one might consider adding an additional piece of equipment depending on the application in which you may use it?

If you can't make a good recording with an entry-level mixer and a couple of SM57/58 typed microphones, you're not ready to move up to more esoteric equipment. I mean does it make any sense to own a Lamborghini if you don't/can't drive it faster than 35 mph? It won't make you a better driver.

High resolution white noise
Ms. Remy Ann David