Help me pick my next condensor mic?

     Not that i want to use all of it, but ive got about $500 to throw down on a mic. Ive only owned an at2020 so the way i see it anything will be a step up. I know next to nothing about choosing a mic, but im sure all mics have their pros and cons? The mic will be used for soft vocals, and until i can get a "pencil mic" a bit of acoustic guitar. the room i record in has a celing that is not level, im told that it will be impossible to get a worthy recording done in there. however i have a filter on my mic stand, would that and a unidirectional mic make a difference? The best way i can describe what i want out of the mic is warmth. I think i have a pretty decent preamp, and even with that my at2020 left my voice sounding hollow, it took insane amounts of gain to give my recordings that up in your face kind of feel. What mic(s) do you fancy and why?

It's not a condenser, but this mic kicks a** so well I have two of them: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/E945

Thanks, that ksm44 looks like the kind of girl you take home to meet your mom. How much am i looking at spending for a used one do you think? My ceiling is 10 ft. in the center.  Im very weary of buying used equipment though, if i want something in the budget brand new?

NEXT DOWN THE LIST I'D SUGGEST....

AT4033

You might want to consider a good preamp too.

I agree that Blue mics are very good.

I recently picked up a ART ProMPA II  preamp and a Blue Bluebird mic for around $550 and am very happy these. The ProMPA II  works well as a preamp on instruments and the variable impedance control allows you to adjust the input if you have any ribbon mics.

gs

Rode NT2A.
Very silent.
Has all the response shapes you need.
Hi-output so no fancy preamp required.

The ISA one is a good deal and great pre - $500 for a transformer input, separate DI, lots of routing and high gain.  The Gap pre 73 has two transformers so you can get dirty with it if you desire like a neve.  It is a fav for $350.  My fav here at home is the one in the Portico II channel strip.  It has variable silk, so you get a classy modern sound but can also get it close enough to the older neve stuff.  Really nice feature.

But really, any good preamp will help. Transformers give a nice analog touch to the digital world.  And high gain let's you back the mic from the source for variation.  Built-in interface preamps are good - really good these days but having a better external preamp is great.

+1 to the gauge-


Now, as far as your voice sounding hollow, that doesnt sound liek a mic problem. Ceilings that are not level are actually good - Any surface that isnt lefevl can help with acuostics.

That being said, does your room have a lot of echo/reverb? If o, you need to consider bass traps and maybe some good foam too-

MNy echo soundign room was solved with bass traps. I made 25 f them myself with about $700 in suplies and put them everywhere including the ceiling.

My room sounds GOOOOD ;)

Guitarhacker


gauge mics make some fine sounding mics that stack up against other way more expensive mics. I had the opportunity to hear them live, side by side with the "big boys" of the studio...and they sounded as good as the mics setting beside them that were 10x as much money.

Listen to the sound samples. 

I would have one too, however, I had just spent my money on a nice Rode NT-2A a month before I had ever heard of them.  If I could sell the Rode for what I have in it, I would order a Gauge today.

http://www.gauge-usa.com/