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$1k Preamp to complement an RNP

So I'm pretty sure I'm going with an RNP this week, with leaves me with about $1K for another preamp. I want something that will sound good for vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, snare, bass DI and I'll probably throw some keyboards through it. Would it be wise to get something more colored considering the RNP is described as being so "neutral"?

Preamp improvement

Does a preamp only amplify the signal, or does it add to the sound?
Would it be wise to use some preamplification on all tracks while recording rock songs? This is probably a dumb question, but I really want to know in detail what preamps do since I always hear how mandatory they are for good recordings.

Need help selecting preamp and monitors

Hi all, I am new here and I have a few questions. I have come into a bit of money for mic preamp's and nearfield monitors. I am part of a rock band, and we play live a lot but we'll also be cutting some tracks in the near future using my digi 002. For mic preamps I am considering the following:

Focusrite OctoPre
Digimax LT
Mackie Onyx 1620