A major improvement compared to my Mackie mixer and audio interface preamps! I've been using the 5017 mainly for vocals - in this use it gives a clear sound while having a subtle transformer character. Its DI input was also a major improvement compared to my Mackie mixer - I'm really happy with the tone that I'm getting from my active bass! The compact size of the 5017 makes it practical to use wherever I need it. And having two outputs is really useful too.
The limitations of the 5017 become obvious when recording more complex acoustic instruments such as a piano - now the 5017 transformer distortion comes to the fore, and makes harmonics less clear. The sound is still beautiful in its own way, but it is a coloured sound.
The compressor is really simple and a bit crude, but I find it useful for monitoring, and for preventing feedback in a live setting - when set to a moderate threshold it doesn't seem to harm the sound noticeably.
I've tried the silk button just a few times, and so far preferred to leave it off.
The pots feel very good and the signal present and compressor active lights are definitely useful. But due to the small size of the box and plenty of features, the face plate is otherwise crowded and hard to read. When the 5017 sits on a table, many of the writings are hidden under the long pots. Checking the positions of the white push-buttons is not very fast and it is possible to make mistakes in a hurry, as there are no indicator lights to show switch positions. In fact there is also no light to indicate that the device is on.
