Hey all. I'm thinking about picking up a used Presonus Eureka for $200...kind of a gamble since they're discontinued but as far as bang-for-the-buck goes, I'm not really seeing anything else out there. The Studio Channel from Presonus appears to have replaced the Eureka but from what I've gathered the Eureka is the more preferable unit. (Wonder why they stopped making them??)
 
Anyway, if you have any other recommendations feel free to share, but my main question is in regards to impedence. The Eureka has an impedence knob, but I'm admittedly a moron when it comes to such things. From what I've read, it sounds like a person should set the pre-amp impedence at 10x the output impedence of the mic. My mics vary from 100-150 ohms etc so does that mean I should be setting the pre-amp impedence at 1000, 1500, etc. depending on which mic I'm using? Or doesn't it matter?

The Eureka's a solid piece of gear.  It's the preamp/channel strip I recommend in the under $300 range.
 
Even better is the RC500 (also discontinued) which you can still find for $300-500.  It's basically the EQ and comp section from the higher-end ADL700.  It was originally priced at $1000, then around $600, then blown out.  Presonus just doesn't seem to have a good gauge of that market.
 
I wouldn't get a Studio Channel (If only because for the same price, you can pick up the Eureka which is clearly the better unit).

JonD
The Eureka's a solid piece of gear.  It's the preamp/channel strip I recommend in the under $300 range.
 
Even better is the RC500 (also discontinued) which you can still find for $300-500.  It's basically the EQ and comp section from the higher-end ADL700.  It was originally priced at $1000, then around $600, then blown out.  Presonus just doesn't seem to have a good gauge of that market.
 
I wouldn't get a Studio Channel (If only because for the same price, you can pick up the Eureka which is clearly the better unit).

Yeah, I'd prefer to get a new unit that's currently supported, but getting the better Eureka for $100 less than a new Studio Channel seems like a no-brainer. I've heard a lot of good things about the Eureka and I'd assume it would last quite a while.
 
Can you advise about the impedence issue? I'm just not understanding how I should be setting the impedence level on the pre-amp or if it even matters...

streckfus
 
Can you advise about the impedence issue? I'm just not understanding how I should be setting the impedence level on the pre-amp or if it even matters...

This is as good an explanation as I've seen (The basic answer is "Use your ears"):
 
http://forum.cakewalk.com/OT-Mic-Impedance-Question-m3015396.aspx
 

Cool, thanks for link! 

I still use the Presonus Eureka in my studio and it's an excellent single channel strip.   If you can find one in excellent condition, for a good price, get it.
 

Jesse G
I still use the Presonus Eureka in my studio and it's an excellent single channel strip.   If you can find one in excellent condition, for a good price, get it.
 

There appears to be a good one on Reverb and I sent the seller an email asking a few things, but he hasn't replied. So that's neat! There are a handful of them out there and most are between $200-$250 with shipping so I'll most likely grab one of them. Just hope I don't get burned...they all say "very good" condition (cosmetic scratches on the top etc.) but you never know. 

Found one on eBay for $175 - bam! 

streckfus
Found one on eBay for $175 - bam! 

Very good streckfus.    Go to http://www.presonus.com/products/Eureka to download all of the related document for the Eureka. 
 
Great Find.

Jesse G

streckfus
Found one on eBay for $175 - bam! 

Very good streckfus.    Go to http://www.presonus.com/products/Eureka to download all of the related document for the Eureka. 
 
Great Find.

Yeah, already grabbed all of that stuff while I was researching channel strips. Glad I could find a used one at a nice price! Looking forward to using it.