Thanks, Jon. That makes sense.
Picklemic, for me the idea is 2 channel recorder with XLR inputs and decent pres. I'd plug one mic right into the recorder, then use my MP-2 to mix down two more mics into the deck's other input. Like having a 302, kinda sorta almost, and on the cheap. I'm not thinking music so much as, say, dialogue, where I could put two lavs (through the MP-2) into one channel and a boom mic directly into the other, but there must be musical situations that could use a 3-to-2 mixdown also, right? In short, just trying to get the most out of what I already have as I incrementally acquire better equipment.