| The definition of "bang for buck," really.
Let's start with the Firestudio's main "con": as the previous reviewer said, this thing can't drive your SM7B and ribbons; at 60(ish) db of gain, it's just not set up for that. Sad, but true.
That said, its pres - clean and transparent - are totally usable for all other purposes and, thanks to the line-level bypass available on EACH of its 8 channels, you can always rack and patch your way to greatness. In fact, that's the real beauty of the Firestudio: it's built as a "keeper," something you can incorporate into a high-quality prosumer workflow without a second thought. It has DI capabilities, send/return jacks, a FireWire connection, phantom power, modest metering, monitor connections... Basically, it makes for a great multi-channel hub for those on a budget, adding few bells/whistles but providing for all your basic studio needs. As a drummer, I've found this thing particularly life-changing, given the quality and amount of channels; at the FireStudio's price point ($400), it really shouldn't be this great. But it is! It's no $2000 strip of APIs or Neves (obviously), but it's still a steal and, if utilized correctly, capable of making outstanding recordings. | 
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