[LAU] Terratec DMX 6Fire 24/96 Mic Input (not Linux specific)

Hi list I'm generally happy with this card, but wonder if I'm using it correctly and/or optimally. I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to audio generally. If it matters, I use openSUSE 10.2 with 2.6.22.9-ccj56-rt. Record using Ardour2. Use jack-rack as a ladspa effects host when not recording. First Question It (the DMX 6Fire) has a 6.3mm (i.e. 1/4 inch) mono microphone input with built-in pre-amp which the manual claims to be good for a condenser mic. I typically plug my electric guitar into this, but is quite a fine balancing act between guitar and pre-amp volume controls to avoid clipping. Should I have something in the chain to match impedance, or is the clipping just because my pickup signal is too high? I can eliminate it by turning the guitar or the pre-amp down but this can lose tone. Second Question The mic input feeds to Alsa PCM Inputs 5 and 6, but of course is just 2 identical streams. I have been recording the guitar to a stereo track using both channels but wondered whether there was any benefit in doing this, or whether it would be better: * take a single input and split it to a stereo track? * take a single input and record it as a mono track? * take a single input and feed it to a mono-stereo plugin and record it as a stereo track? Thanks in advance -- David Haggett