Shopping for mics

btw, I'll probably get one of the smaller sets, but as long as I'm dreaming...

Where should I shop?

Dig up a pair of some AKG CK451...the older ones with the capsules you can change.  They should be good enough you won't need to worry about a stereo pair.  Or the newer ones, if that's easier and prefer new.  Or the 184's as suggested by Mike.
 

Darn it Daniel,
 I can feel a G.A.S. attack coming on.
 
:-)

If you are dropping a couple of grand (or more) you should really listen to the mics yourself.  And be honest to yourself how trained your ears are.  We all know what we like - training let's us know what others like.
 
The next thing is to figure out what kind of recording you are going to do, which is where your money should be spent.  I venture most home recordists record guitar and vocals mostly.  Some other acoustic instruments of and on.  Drums infrequently.  Your usage may vary.
 
But at the least for a decent home mic closet you need a good LDC, a pair of SDCs, a ribbon, and a couple of dynamics.  That should cover the basics, except for drums (and could work for them if you'll refine from mic'ing [and double mic'ing] each drum).
 
for $3,000 you should be able to get a running start on your closet.  With high quality mics.  Personally, I've found that good (ie. expensive) mics are just about as good as great mics (ie. really expensive mics).  A $1000 Bock Fet is as useful as a 5X as expensive tube the majority of the time.  While your engineering buddies may be able to hear the difference, the end result ain't that different, esp. for the audience.  Or maybe my ears aren't as discriminating as I think.  I know which mic I'd probably go for and certainly try first (Yo, get out the vintage '47), but whether I'd spend that extra $10,000+ is a different question.  But a collection of good, classic mics should sound better on more sources - or at least be able to record them all at once.
 
The zigma bundle may be the best fit for you.  It may not.  I'd think long and hard before buying it tho.

Yea, Bill, it is all part of a system.  If you can't hear a better mic (or preamp etc.), it is either your monitoring CHAIN or yourself.  A decent room and good monitors are a must if you are serious, otherwise you can't hear the real but subtle differences no matter how good your ears.  And speaking of ears, they have to be trained.  I know I can't hear as well as I could when I was younger (one pays for all those live shows - whether working or just soaking up the bass in front of the pant leg flapping woofers).  However, I can hear stuff better with/in the song now, simply because I know what to listen for/to. 
 
Better monitoring allows you to hear stuff, so you can get the best (or better) out of your mic placement/choice to drive a sweet spot on the preamp/comp chain which means that recording slides right in the mix which you can hear on your good monitors.  A lot of learning is going on and dog ears are the least important part.
 
If you are in recording for the long haul, it almost always makes sonic and fiscal sense to buy the best you can afford, even if you stretch, to get a solid piece of equipment.  Classic hardware is classic because it works, but that doesn't mean you have to sell the house, sell the kids.  But that $200 Chinese condenser may sound fine today, yet after a year no longer gives you a thrill.  But a $300-400 dynamic can preform other duties better if you replace it as a vocal mic.  Meanwhile, that cheap condenser lies in the back of the closet, or is sold for a pittance as you try again.  You don't need a tube Bock to make your dream song (tho that would be nice), but it really really helps to have a good solid performer like the Fet etc. as part of your recording/monitoring chain.  If you can't get your dream sound w/ that, dropping more money isn't going to help.
 
@

I stumbled on this old thread today while looking for some other specific info about a particular mic capsule.
 
It caused me to think about how difficult it is to learn about and select something suitable from the selection of mics on the market.
 
It reminded me why I don't like to make specific recommendations about specific mics and most other gear.
 
best regards,
mike
 
 

As AT guessed, I record a lot of guitars and singers. I do record other strings too, banjo, mando, bass, violins, hammer dulcimers, etc.
 
I record drummers mostly in bars and that only a 2-3 times a year for the past 10 years (although I usually spend months mixing those gigs).
 
I record small string groups mostly, either in my home or in clubs.
 
I do a lot of my recording out. I pack up fast and keep my stuff packed so I can be ready for a gig tomorrow without pulling the place apart. The hardest thing to load is the mic stands, of which I have 9.
 
When I use spidf to sync my tascam 2488 to my RME, I can record up to 16 tracks at a time, which is, coincidentally, the most concurrent tracks I've recorded at a live gig. To do 16, I use 24 bit 44.1.
 
Usually when I record out, at least 1/2 the inputs do not require me to use my mics. So, maybe a direct off the bass amp. A Direct off the guitar amp. Directs from Vocal Mics on stage that are owned by the performers. My mics are for the stuff the wouldn't normally mic themselves.
 
Lastly, I'm a happy hobbyist. I am not trying to be professional.

At first glance I'd recommend that you get a more convenient extra 8 channels to ADAT converter to send ADAT to the UCX.
 
How about a used MOTU 896HD (not the mkIII) from ebay for $400?
 
Then I'd read the thread I linked too. Pay special attention to the ideas discussed by the professional magazine review writers and the candid comments made by the mic manufacturers and designers. It will leave you confused and dismayed but it will also prepare you to defend your self against the tendency for buy and sell vendors to leverage your emotions and tweak you with good for the money rationality.
 
You deserve to get at least one really good mic to get used to. You can see that many of the mics you have owned have lasted a decade or more. What ever a good mic costs... imagine how the expense works out over a couple decades.
 
 
 
A couple of hints:
 
I bought a pair of Schoeps MK41s a long while ago. Every time I use them I am amazed and appreciate how natural they sound while they do their job. Every penny was worth it.
 
I bought a pair of TLM103s more recently. Every time I use them I understand why the people who criticize them say the things they say, yet they still are more useful, if only for their consistent character, than most of the cheaper stuff I have worked with.
 
I'd like to own my own KM84s and I have yet to succumb to the temptation to buy my own KM184s.
 
The next SDC I plan to try is the Josephson ES22S... and I'm not sure why. ;-) Just curious I guess... and I'm still looking for the perfect tom mic... which some would say is because I don't have a bunch of KM84s. :-)
 
Good luck shopping!
 
 

mike_mccueI bought a pair of Schoeps MK41s a long while ago. Every time I use them I am amazed and appreciate how natural they sound while they do their job. Every penny was worth it.

 
For most things it is hard to beat the CMC6/MK41... just amazing, repeatable, and did I mention amazing? Not a KM-84, one uses the KM-84 when one wants a different, but equally repeatable sound.
 

mike_mccueI bought a pair of TLM103s more recently. Every time I use them I understand why the people who criticize them say the things they say, yet they still are more useful, if only for their consistent character, than most of the cheaper stuff I have worked with.

 
I don't care for the TLM-103, but I have a friend who makes magic with them!
 

mike_mccueI'd like to own my own KM84s and I have yet to succumb to the temptation to buy my own KM184s.

 
Try them before you buy... they are NOT KM-8xs, nor are they CMC6/MK41s... they are ok, but if you already have the best I think you'll be disappointed.
 

mike_mccueThe next SDC I plan to try is the Josephson ES22S... and I'm not sure why. ;-) Just curious I guess... and I'm still looking for the perfect tom mic... which some would say is because I don't have a bunch of KM84s. :-)

Exactly what I was going to say!!!<G>!!!