with the likes of the api or neve you could just bin your pre.
The Funk - you played with any the drawmer valve compressors? I used the 1968 dual valve fella the other days and it was lovely. Really subtle but effective compression. It amazed me that, the more you spend of compressors, the less they sound compressed and sound more natural if you get what i mean.
The S3 looks like it should be in a Tank. Hell, it probably was....
G