MOTM

Hi everybody,
how do folks on this group deal with recording their modular? My plan
was this, I as going to come out of the synth into a api type mic pre
with a built in DI. I wanted to go In to the DI and from there through
an OPAMP gainstage, output transformer and into my compy interface (
an MOTU 896 in this case) and it would be great, I'd be recording
squiggles and blips and then sequencing them. I planned to be so
happy. Finally I got all the pieces in place but the synth was too
hot. I was running oscillators into a motm filter and Wow, the output
of the filter was gigantically huge. So I switched to the mic pre
input and padded it down 20 db. Still so huge. Do i really need to get
a DI in between the synth and the pre? I really want some iron between
the synth and the computer. What do y'all do? I'd really like to know
how folks record their modulars so that i can have a variety of
techniques to choose from, unless there is just one way to do it.
Thanks
Paulo