I don't see anything in there that suggests the quality of the preamp doesn't matter
from the link:
"Apparently, to reproduce the sound of the drum accurately and maintain the transient (the initial strike) properly, it took 1000 watts of amplifier power.
The reason for this is that the transient, the very first few milliseconds, is VERY loud. The sound dies away quickly after that. So to reproduce the transient accurately, a lot of power is needed.
The problem now is that the transient is much louder than the 'body' of the sound, as the strike dies away.
If the transient therefore can be made quieter than the body of the sound, overall the strike will sound subjectively louder. Actually, 'louder' is probably not quite the right word for the subjective experience. 'Fuller' or 'more powerful' would be better."
so....
you're right in that preamps are not actually mentioned, but the point is, this disparity between the transient and the "body" of the sound causes a loss of that "body" in recording, which is where a compressor becomes desirable.
that's all i was getting at. the link didn't say, "if you're using cheap preamps, this happens." they're sayng, "when you record drums, this happens."
and again, thanks to everyone--you apparently have more energy for this than i do, because i'm frigging exhausted of it. in any case, i've taken all the advice here to heart, and my new plan is this:
1. treat my room.
2. set up and tune my new drums when they arrive.
3. upgrade my OHs to a pair of mxl 603s and my kick mic to an audix d6.
4. run all 4 mics directly to my 12-track and use its preamps and eliminate the mixer.
5. process each track individually.
6. upgrade preamps when i can afford it.
thanks again!