I've never used the NTK but it has a good reputation.

The WARM preamp is very good.  I should get their new preamp soon - a WA12 with a clean option, I believe.

The biggest problem I've had with upgrading is spending more for mere lateral movement.  The WArm is a definate step up from interface/transfomerless preamps.

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I've never used the WARM preamp.  But the Rode NTK is very good. 

Oh, I forgot to mention that I have an SE Electronics Reflexion Filter Pro... I should have mentioned that too..

Reflection filters help keep first reflections from the front wall out of the mic, which is good.  If you hang a quilt (or duvet in SOS speak) behind you that stops a lot of the 1st reflections from the back wall (behind you) from entering the most sensitive area of the mic.  It also will attenuate the 2nd order reflections from the back wall, too.

All this helps get the "room" out of the captured signal, so you can add your own reverb during mixing.  The only thing to be careful of is drying out the signal too much w/o getting rid of the bad parts of your room's tone.  If you back the mic too far into the reflection filter it can sound unnatural and muffled rather than clean.

not sure if its already been discused,but the vs100 is on sale at certain places for 300.00 thats at least a 60% savings of its old 700.00 price.
just throwing it out there.

Thanks for the info.  I have just started moving everything out of my studio to place the speakers toward the long wall.  I shall be finished tonight or tomorrow morning...

"If you don't need more inputs getting a mic and preamp combo would do more for your sound quality than replacing perfectly acceptable convertors."

I've just ordered my Rode NTK mic ; I have not completely moved the studio around yet because I have a crazy job and an 18 year old that will be going to college in the fall...but no excuses I am still on a mission.  I will be off this Friday, Saturday and Sunday -hopefully one or two of those days will have some recording in them with my new studio setup.  I will have the room better set up for  mixing and laying my vocals down and I will have a  better mic that I had.  I will be working on my preamp next and then I will have to get a studio desk so that I can have everything pretty much connected and close by.  I am very excited.   Thanks guys for setting me in the right direction.  I still have a ways to go though I can see that....

It is a long process unless you win the lotto - even then w/ a kid in school you might want to go slow ;-)

If you are doing acoustic stuff a mic is probably the best investment you can make, along w/ basic room stuff.  Pointing the speakers down the length of the room is a good one - as well as some furniture to absorb and reflect the sound.  An IC interface preamp is surprisingly good - not as flexible as a high gain, discrete preamp but certainly good enough in most circumstances.  Of course, as you go along in home recording you'll always think one more piece of hardware will fix whatever problem you are having.

But to put that in perspective I was trying to talk myself out of buying a tube mic for use here at home.  I took my modded Otava LDC to the studio and checked it out w/ my main singer against a Wunder 47 clone.  Sure, there was a difference between the two mics.  Some high end and low and the tube essence for the wunder.  I'd pick the wunder everytime for vox, I think.  But was there $5000+ difference?  Not for home use.  Not even the $1000 it would take to pick up a midrange tube.

But if you interested, B&H photo has the mxl Genesis tube mic for sale for -$500.  Good buy, tho I haven't used it.  The reviews were good, tho, and a great price on a $1000 mic.

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AT, I have ordered the Rode NTK and it has been delivered to my home!  I didn't immediately use it because it did not come with a shock mount, so I ordered a shock mount specifically for the NTK and I just got that yesterday off ebay.  Every store I went to had to order it, so I just ordered it off ebay and it was basically the only one available anywhere and it was used.

Also, I am just about finished with moving my studio around and I will tell you that it really does make a difference where you place you speakers and you mic!!!!  I am still using my Behringer Tube Ultragain T1953 which I'm not crazy about, but my vocals sound way better than the NT1a!!  I am a happy camper.  I am about to get the Warm Audio WA 12 mic preamp in about 1 or 2 weeks and I feel that will help in getting a better sound that I have been getting.  Thanks  AT, thanks Beagle,
and I will put the pix of the studio up and also create an account like soundcloud and post a song.....

I've been a VS100 user for years, so I wanted to pass on a couple tips.

As others have mentioned (or hinted at), the VS100 is not your weak link, so upgrading that isn't the way to go at this point (unless of course you need a lot more inputs). Adding quality pre-amps and mics is money better spent, as you have figured out :)

You need to fully understand the VS-100 and how the inputs work to get the most out of it.

• Don't confuse converters with pre-amps. There are 6 converters on a VS-100 (1-6), but there are only 2 preamps (input 1/2).
• Input 1 & 2 are Pre-amps. Don't plug an external pre-amp into these inputs. These inputs will have a different "color" than any other pre-amps you own/buy which is not a bad thing.
• Channel 3 & 4 are +4 inputs (pro level). This is the best place to plug in a pro level external mic pre(s). If your mic pre has selectable output levels, make sure you choose +4. Remember to use TRS (balanced) lines between the mic pre and the VS-100 if you can.
• Channel 5 & 6 are -10 inputs (consumer level). Anything hooked up to these channels should be something with an output of -10. This is the weakest link of the VS-100 having just RCA inputs.
• Channel 7 & 8 are digital inputs. If you have external gear with SPDIF out you could hook it up here. I hook up my POD X3 Live to this input, saving channels 1 - 6 for other things.