Joemeek MQ3 professional studio interface

The Joe Meek MQ3 is a single channel mic preamp with Joe Meek compression and EQ. If you spot one used for under $150 I definitely recommend picking one up.
The MQ3 dominates at recording close miced electric guitar amps. Joe Meek himself was avidly obsessed with tone and his legacy lives on in the MQ3. I often don't even feel I need to use the compression or eq to get the guitar tone I want with this box but the options definitely come in handy when recording lead guitar or if I think the tone needs a little extra sculpting.
The downside to the eq is that it's only a 3 knob eq. High, mid, and low. After having two sweepable mid eqs on my Allen & Heath ZED 436 it's difficult to operate a simpler setup. Also, the compression is definitely colored but not in a bad way and does appear to add a small layer of noise. It's up to you if it's worth it to add the compression for the extra tonal options. Another downside is that the MQ3 appears to be completely incompatible with LDC microphones requiring phantom power. I happily plugged my TLM 103 in first thing to be blasted by a hideous wave of noise. I've also had some success recording kick drum through the Joe Meek, mainly in attempt to get some compression on my Audix D6 but I largely prefer this box for distorted electric guitar.

Conclusion: If you want a different flavor to add to your dynamic mic collection the Joe Meek MQ3 is the way to go.