LOL Correct me if Im wrong.....

[jerberson12]

Get a high quality preamp(Focusrite ISA, Avalon 737, Digidesign Pre), and pair it with a high quality interface (Digidesign 96IO, Apogee Rossetta).
You can even have the cheapest condenser microphone(Like MXL 440 , $50) and it will just sound very good no matter what....

This is just purely base on my experience.....
Am I right?

 

[mjbphotos]

Your interface needs to have line-in inputs to bypass it's internal preamps. No, a crappy mic is not going to give as good results as a good one - that makes no sense (otherwise no one would buy expensive mics!) Chances are that is doesn't have a flat response, or has a crappy cheap diaphragm (distorts under pressure, etc.)

 

[Bobbsy]

A good pre amp can be the icing on the cake for a good mic--but it can't polish a turd. If the output of the mic is no-so-nice it'll just give you a very accurate representation of not-so-nice.

At the higher end of the game, a pre amp is chosen for the specific "colour" it adds to a microphone. It's not chosen to correct deficiencies in the mic.