My mic collection - what next?

[hognogger]

Shure KSM44
Shure KSM32
Rode NT1000
MXL V67
Studio Projects C4 pair
Beyer Soundstar MkII
Electrovoice RE15

Preamp: Sebatron V2000e

I figure I have (1) reasonably neutral/uncoloured covered with the Shures, (2) bright/hyped covered with the Rode, (3) dark/coloured covered with the MXL.

For me, these varieties are prioritised in the order (1), (3), (2).

Here are some possibilities that come to mind:

(1) I'm not that happy with the MXL in comparison to my other mics. Get something better that fills its current role & sell the MXL, and the Rode. (maybe buy AT4047 or ADK Hamburg or something else).

(2) I'm happy enough with the Studio Projects C4s, and need a pair of small-diaphragm condensers for recording acoustic guitar. But I've never used any other SDCs, and maybe I'd be better off selling the C4s and the Rode and getting something better, e.g. the Peluso SDCs.

(3) Sell the KSM32, the Rode, the MXL. Buy a "boutique" piece like, say, a Soundelux U195. (My wallet shrinks at this option... )

I know it's hard to know just from this what I should do, but any thoughts about what is the weakest part of my "arsenal" would be appreciated.

Oh yeah, and I shouldn't forget to neglect option 4:

(4) Stop fussing about microphones.

[Neeps]

Originally Posted by hognogger

(4) Stop fussing about microphones.

I've spent more time fussing about microphones than I have using them!

[Warhead]

What sources do you record where either:

A) you run out of mics
B) you find you don't get the sound you're looking for out of your collection

War

[tryptophan]

Try the studio projects TB1.

It's a vacuum tube (valve) microphone incorporating the philosophy that the best microphones use high quality, yet minimal components, along with hand selected tubes. Using the finest available materials to build the best possible capsule, the Studio Projects TB1 achieves this philosophy and more.

[thehymns]

If you like the LDC as drum overheads, you could get another KSM32 or KSM44. A tube mic or ribbon might sound good on vocals, and you could use the ribbon on electric guitar as well. I don't know if any other SDC in the C4 price range will sound any better.

[hognogger]

Originally Posted by Warhead

What sources do you record where either:

A) you run out of mics
B) you find you don't get the sound you're looking for out of your collection

War

Thanks guys, for your responses.

I guess the main thing is that, even just for my own voice, I find that sometimes I want a bright mic, sometimes a darker one, and most often, a neutral-ish one, depending on the sort of material I'm singing. The MXL is my dark-ish mic, and I'm not entirely happy with it - it seems a bit unfocussed, and I find it harder to get it to sit well in a mix than my other vocal mics.

I imagine, though, in the main, what prompted this latest bout of thinking about my mic collection was that I recently got a Sebatron preamp (previously using a DMP3). I was really surprised by how much better it made my vocals, in particular, sound. One thing this made me wonder about was whether getting rid of some of my cheaper mics and buying one quite expensive one could also give me a significant lift in sound quality.

Anyway, I have a week's leave from work coming up, which I intend to spend, in the main, recording & playing around with my new Sebatron. I'm not planning to make any rash decisions about new mic purchases, or anything...