UA5/JB3 combo you have the optical cable to run (as well as a battery for the UA-5 correct me if I'm wrong)
No, you're correct - I forgot about the battery cable.
What would a UA-5>MT2496 combo w/ CF memory run? In comparison to the modded 660?
Digi-mod UA5, let's assume a high price of $300. Add the MT2496 at $300. And a 4GB CF for another $200. Total of around $800.
IMO, don't go with a 24-bit solution today, if your playback system won't accommodate it. But...that doesn't mean one shouldn't prepare for the future.
Sneakers - what's your overall budget for mics + preamp + ADC + recorder? Is it still the $1,000 initially stated, or is it now up to $1,500 or somewhere in between based on your winnings?
If still $1,000, UA5/JB3 at $500 still leaves $500 for mics. The Peluso's fall about in that range, I think, with a single set of caps. Or AKG 39x. If your budget's up to $1,500, that leaves ~$1,000 after the UA5/JB3 for mics, getting you into something like MG M300s, Neumann KM184s, AKG 480s, MBHO 603s, etc. All
very good mics.