FWIW my Behringer unit is fine. The Samson is good too though. That's a stereo unit as well for about the same price.

I have a Samson mic kit which is surprisingly good for what they cost. Built like tanks too... well except for the clips but the mics are solid.

Beepster,

I haven't used the art mp for a year or more.  I think it lives w/ my wife's live band set up now.  But as I recall it has a micpre/di input and two outs - balanced and unbalanced.  Anyway, the art can output two signals from one input like a splitter. 

The low voltage tube is on the output and the micpre is a simple but effective transformerless design.  It sounds like a typical interface preamp, which is to say good as long as you don't overdrive it. 

The tube output drive works nice on bass guitar if you want a fluffy sound.  There was a thread on Gearslutz a few years ago w/ an art and high end preamp and people preferred the ARt - until the tester let known which was which.  I loved the crawfishing afterward.

have fun.

@