Hey...for whatever it's worth - I recorded my first few records on my own (meaning - as my own boss - in my own studio) doing everybody's vocals entirely with an MXL 990, because one was given to me, and I couldn't afford anything else at the time... In the studio where I first started as an engineer - all the mics were extremely high end, boutique-type stuff (telefunken, manley, etc.), so I had no real experience with cheap microphones. But my thought process at the time was "Everybody on HR says the V67 is ok...this is an MXL, too...."
The records were mostly demos and EPs for local artists. I, too, made "thousands of dollars" with that cheapo mic....and it's quite humorous to me now, thinking back about how careful all those vocalists were with it - they thought it was EX-SPAYN-SIVE!
It's not what you've got....it's how you use it! That's the best thing I've ever heard about recording....it's so true. Second best would be "Don't be a pussy with EQ!" -Steven Slate
(This is a weird, directionless thread anyway, so I just thought I'd chime in, too - as my experience is pretty relevant to some of the stuff the OP was saying....as for the rest of the stuff the OP was saying - I'm not sure I understand it, heh).
