Russ 3523,
I am not the owner of the truth, so to speak. But I think one has to take the time to really get to know his/her gear. Anxiety is not a good friend if you're dealing with subjective matters like "that mic sounds good" or "that mic sounds better". I've done all the good and the bad things with the rig I currently own. I know a thing or two about the R-09, with or without external mics. Why? I've been using the very same gear for quite some time, so I know what I'm talking about.
Some stuff is pretty much a matter of personal taste, but others are not. Example: Line In plus bb gives is you a cleaner sound when you tape loud music. Taping using 24 bit gives you more resolution, more headroom, less concerns about clipping so you can always normalize/amplify on post. With 16 bits you have to run hot to avoid Noise Floor and that increases the risk of clipping. Those are facts. Not my words, but the words from people that really know about that.
As a matter of fact, if I were you I'd go search in other threads and learn from people that really understands this matter. I'm just a newbie with lots of curiosity and time to read and learn. Good luck!