i have yet to use them, but running mk012 > Mv-100 > M1 i am worried that i will have to. the m1 a/d will brickwall under 4 on the knob, and the mv-100 has at a minimum 20DB of gain. i was lucky to be able to record the ddbb show at ottobar without them, but i was running real hot with the deck set on 4 exactly.