I briefly tested the Mic In of the R-05 last week using the CA-14 cards and a 12V battery box. Surprisingly, the levels were not noticeably higher than through its R-05 Line In. I had the R-05's input control set to the maximum 80/80 while taping a loud hard rock show. The meter read about -8db. Since the specs (on paper) for the R-05 Mic In are identical to those of the R-07, this gives me hope that the R-07 might be useful after all. For me, it comes down to the quality of its mic preamp. If it's going to color the sound, I'm passing on it. Waiting for serious reviews.