So I have an Apogee Duet. And I'm researching the best equipment to use with it without spending 7 billion dollars. I was wondering what were people's different signal chains? Right now I just plug directly into the Duet. But I was thinking of getting a compressor (perhaps an FMR RNC1773) and a preamp (perhaps a Great River ME-1NV). Would that be a good combo? Worth the money? Huge difference? Is it even necessary? And how would I even set that up? Do people have any other recommendations with the Apogee Duet? Also, would it be worth upgrading to Duet 2 if I had a new compressor and preamp already? (I know the Duet sounds well by itself. But I want to maximize my sound as much as I can with just spending $2,000. My mics are AKG C-212 and a pair of Rode NT5's.) Thanks. lots of questions. my apologies.

Hi Sullyblime, Well, I've been testing out the Duet 2 over the original Duet and I'm constantly impressed with the improved sound. My recordings are much warmer, smoother... so much better that I find myself applying very little corrective EQ and compression!! Personally, I'd recommend stepping up to the Duet for that reason alone and investing in some software based compressors so you can apply them to sound after the fact. Just my $0.02... Cheers Rounik