Hey John, how are things going. It sounds like you are keeping busy. I haven't had any personal experience, but I've heard a lot of good things about the Grace preamps. I know they are used a lot in post. I'm not real sure about the Sytek pres, but from the sound of things, it may be of more use in music, because of the coloration. There's a comparison CD you can check out at:
http://3daudioinc.com/
Good luck!