I still would use a Sennheiser MD421 for vocals even. (although they are always used on drums.)
But then I may use something that no one else uses.
 
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MD421/
 
Been around for seemingly forever.
 

that sennheiser is a GOOD sounding mic, spacealf.
i used to record with one, sounded good on everything.
 

The Senn 421 is just too crisp for some people (I guess they have gotten use to a duller sound.) The mic is kind of crisp though.
 

Starise, here's my opinion for what it's worth brother. I'd go to a store where you can try a bunch of mic's and see which one compliments your voice the best. When I record vocals for myself or my clients, I always bring out about 5-6 different mic's and have them sing a verse. This warms them up a little and gives us an idea on which mic we should use.
 
From there, it's just about ALWAYS something cheap that wins. I can't use a Nuemann U-87 on myself unless I sing in the key of G. I've told this story 100 times...but it's true. Some mic's just do not compliment the voice that goes through them. This is why we have a wide array. For myself...you'll crack up, but out of all the killer mic's I have, I lean towards an old Equitek CAD E-200. I've had it for years, paid a little over $500 for it...and to this day, it's been a work-horse for me for my own vocals, clients, and acoustic guitars. I use lots of other mic's too, but that CAD works wonders for me personally and you can probably find one on Ebay cheap. Every person I have ever told about that mic that has bought one, has thanked me 20 times or more after they have it.
 
Also, someone made a comment about how your room can come into play using a mic. I'm not discrediting the person who said that, I just wanted to make a comment that it has NEVER been the case for me in all the years I've been recording. As a matter of fact, I can make any mic sound good on any voice in any room. With the right placement, right eq, right compression....it's really easy to make a mic work. However, the key is to hear something and just know it's "the golden mic" without tweaking your brains out. My point is...any mic will work as long as you know how to use it.
 
Rooms....this to me only comes into play if you record in a gymnasium. Even there, if you record the mic at close range, how much of that gym reverberation do you really think you will hear in a recording? Trust me...not as much as you think. I put up a test a few months ago with a few mic's in my studio at close and far ranges. One of the mic's was a Logitech mic that was in my web cam. It sounded almost the same as my SM 57 at a distance and was pretty close to the "up close" sound....it just lacked fidelity.
 
But the room/distance wasn't an issue at all. You won't need to worry about room artifacts until you get a foot away. Not many people I know sing a foot or more away unless they are singing back up vocals in a group. In that situation, you WANT a little room ambiance. But I honestly never worry about a room I'm in no matter what the situation. I got my start recording in the worst untuned rooms in existence. I know a little something about this. :) Again, I'm not trying to discredit anyone....I'm saying it's not been my experience and for a room to play a role, you gotta have some distance as well as room reflections that really make a difference before you need to worry.
 
That 421 they talked about is a real good all purpose mic. A bit high endy as spacealf mentioned...but nothing you can't deal with via low-pass. I use 421's on toms as well as on guitars coupled with SM 57's. Now THAT is a great combination for rock guitar. :)
 
-Danny

Bat isn't the KSM44 a dynamic? Surprised me as it sure looks like a condenser but looks can be deceiving.They make the KSM44 and the KSM44a . In the latter version they have made the circuit quieter and the output slightly more. One thing is for sure. Shure know how to make a good dynamic mic.That mic is a value if it can hold it's own against some of the pricier mics.
 
Jaytee, I agree monitoring can make a huge difference. I don't know how many of you use a temorary reverb for the vocalist. This was a trick used by some to make the tracking seem more real to the singer. The idea being that they sound a little better when wet as opposed to going in dry, even if you don't use the verb and it's only on the monitor feed.
 
I hadn't heard much about SE but their new X1 looks to be a gem for the budget minded recordist. They supposedly hand build their elements and they are large elements with small thickness.
 
Daniel I appreciate you jumping in and offering insight on the use of gold in a mic. I had falsely assumed that it was more for the aging or to prevent and changes in the element due to aging. Many mics seem to have two elements with one being only mylar and the other gold plated. The use of gold for capacitance cleared that up. Thanks.
 
Many of the less expensive mics have thicker elements. Now thicker is probably a relative term when we are talking microns. A thinner element usually means more sensitivity. For instance the KSM44 has a 2micron element as does the AT4050. Some chinese manufactured mics are as thick as 6 microns. I'm not saying there aren't good mics with thicker elements because there are , but I think you gain something with less thickness. Element thickness, response time,noise,output gain...these all figure into a great mic. I'm sure there are many other factors.
 
Studio Projects makes a few really good all rounders that seem almost too good to be true, yet there are comment after comment about how good they are. The B-1 and B-3 are gaining something of a following. Hard to believe that for under 200.00 you can get a multi pattern mic that many brag about. I heard that one year Studio Projects had their booth set up right next to Neumann and encouraged a comparison listening test. These mics are probably the best low end mics you can buy IMO.
 
I appreciate the comments guys in sharing what works for you. In hindsight I probably should have asked for recommendations in certain price ranges. If I were recording for my main bread and butter then yeah, I would probably not see anything wrong with dropping thousands of dollars on a mic or two. As it stands I am not charging anyone to do what I do, so it's more of a hobby. In my case I can't justify this much for a hobby.
 
I guess I'm shooting somewhere in the middle, but once again price has nothing to do with results and so if it isn't expensive and still sounds decent then I'm really interested as a hobbyist.
 
 

Maybe the problem is that they are not going to have every mic in every store (especially around this town), so you can only try what they have available. And to me most of those mics are going to be cheaper in price usually and reviews are reviews for having a mic that was cheaper in price and sounded good enough.
 
??
 

google is your friend.
 

 
 
http://www.shure.com/americas/products/microphones/ksm/ksm44a-multi-pattern-dual-diaphragm-microphone
The KSM44A is a premium, large-diaphragm, side-address condenser microphone with multiple polar pattern options (cardioid, omnidirectional, bidirectional).
 
Features

• Prethos® Advanced Preamplifier Technology: Class A, discrete, transformerless preamplifier provides  transparency, extremely fast transient response and no crossover distortion. Minimizes harmonic and intermodulation distortions.  
• Groundbreaking specifications: 4dB of self-noise and max SPL of 131 dB for a total dynamic range of 127 dB – an increase of 7 dB that defines the new standard for cleanly nuanced audio capture
• Multiple polar patterns–cardioid, omnidirectional and bidirectional–for maximum flexibility in a wide variety of recording applications
• Dual 1 inch, externally biased, ultra-thin, 2.5 μm, 24 Karat gold-layered, low mass diaphragms provide superior frequency response
• Premium electronic components and gold-plated internal and external connectors
• Subsonic filter eliminates rumble from mechanical vibration below 17 Hz.
• Switchable 15 dB pad for handling extremely high sound pressure levels (SPLs)
• 3-position switchable low-frequency filter helps reduce unwanted stand vibration noise or counteract proximity effect
• Integrated three-stage “pop” protection grille reduces plosives and other breath noise
   

 
 
i have the older model.
 

It also costs more too. Just looked at Sweetwater and the price of that Shure 44A. And also at websites you get the advertising hype all the time.
 
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/KSM44A

 
The freakin' world of the marketing and advertising campaigns.
 
 
 
 

I just posted a review of my $30 Shure C606 in the hardware forum but my favorite dynamic mic for vocals (that I've used) is the Shure Beta 58. I've never gotten a chance to mix the input of one though. Just used them live. Ultimately it seems like I should probably get an SM7b (or whatever they are called) for the studio. Haven't used one but from the samples I've heard and reviews I've read that would be the best for my voice/recording set up/style. I think they're like $300 though so I'll probably get an AT2020 (or is that 2025... I forget... whatever. The $80 Audio Technica condenser) for now.

I have a SM58, and well, it is going to sit there forever if I never sell it. Use it though, no!