Buying equipment for a new mini home recording studio

[vpg0002]

I am really glad and happy to see so much information that has been put forth about home recording and I would like to ask a couple of questions for which I was not able to see any answers in other threads.

First Question - Microphone:

I am looking for a microphone for a female vocalist and have tried out the following mics which I have liked in the order of my satisfaction:

1. Blue Baby Bottle Microphone for $399
2. Blue Bluebird Large Diaphragm Cardioid Condenser Microphone for $279
3. Rode Microphones NT1-A Condenser Mic Bundle for $229

Any other recommendations in the above category (both in terms of the category as well as good value for the price) that the knowledgeable folks here can recommend?

Second Question - Audio Interface

I am planning to connect the microphone to the PC using an audio interface and have come across couple of options:

1. Avid Pro Tools Mbox Mini (3rd gen) for $329
2. Blue Icicle XLR to USB Mic Converter for $60

There is alternate option to the above two requirements I have:

1. Digidesign Pro Tools Mbox Mini Package for $400
2. PreSonus TubePre and MXL990 Condenser Microphone for $140
3. BLUE BlueBird Cardioid Studio Condenser Microphone with Free Blue Icicle XLR to USB Converter is selling for $300

I am not able to decide between all of these choices and being new into this is not making it easy for me to decide. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

The intent is to find a solution so that I could record some vocal tracks at a resonably good quality so that I can share that with my family and friends and at least for now without any commercial aspirations.

-- VG

 

[mshilarious]

I don't get the mic list because the Baby Bottle is rather different than the other two. So buy the Baby Bottle, or maybe try a KSM32 to split the difference.

Don't get the 990 or the TubePre. Before you buy the Icicle, consider the annoyance of monitoring with such a device, and further consider your eventual desire to record a source in stereo.

 

[Shadow_7]

Icicle - ick
TubePre - ick
Baby bottle - ick (relative to what most seem to think about it's big brother)

Although most of the ick's are related to resale potential. If it has none, you're burning cash. Beyond that that's a pretty wide budget of sorts depending on how you bundle the components.