TAXI.com

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Buy the best mic you can because in a home studio they should last you decades

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I've been very happy with my Audio Technica AT4033 large condenser for many years. I also have a Shure KSM-32, which has a warmer sound while the AT4033 is brighter. I've recorded with a very expensive Schoeps and the ubiquitous AKG 414, and both are wonderful, but the AT4033 holds its own and costs much less. I always have a 1073 plug-in first on my vocal chain and would use an outboard 1073 if funds permitted (might pick up the WARM audio version if the taxman is nice to me this year, lol). It really helps make the vocals shine, even with modest settings. I tried a Rode NT-1 when it came out and returned it the next day. It sounded hollow and unflattering to my ear, yet is a well-regarded mic, or at least it was at the time. That was when I walked out of the store with the AT4033. It's also a very sturdy mic. It once was on a boom stand and got knocked over. It hit the floor hard enough to dent the outer cage but still worked like a charm. Replacing the cage was super easy. Ultimately, the top mic is the one that's best for your voice, which is why studios have so many different mics available for the range of clients they get. While a U87 would be an amazing mic to have, the expense is hard to justify for limited budgets. Better to get a less expensive quality mic or two and a great mic preamp, I would say.