Balanced or Unbalanced

[MikeEMBRACERS]

Hey everyone, I have a question regarding balanced and unbalanced inputs. Here is the scenario; I am using a Firebox, it has 2 xlr ins and 2 1/4" ins, to record drums (I am using quality mics) so I would like to have 4 mics going at once (1 over head, 1 in the kick, and 1 on each side of the kit, its a small kit). Will I notice a hug difference in quality with the mics going into the unbalanced inputs? Thanks guys

 

[TyphoidHippo]

I've never actually used a Firebox, but surely the quarter inch inputs are only line-level inputs, right? Surely, only the XLR inputs have proper microphone preamps, and plugging a microphone into an unbalanced line-level input will not work very well, if at all. Mic preamps are an important part of the signal chain that brings a microphone's signal up to a line-level so that the signal can then be used with line-level inputs...

 

[dementedchord]

hippo is right... and it's even worse since in most cases if you use the line ins then the balanced is removed from the circuit anyhow...