A $2,000 pre-amp [MSS-10] with a $600- microphone... interesting. The MSS-10 will calm a lot of the 'hyped top' character of the TLM-103, but do nothing to add any excitment at all to
the TLM-193 [which could be the absolute most boring sounding microphone ever produced!!].
The Martech MSS-10 is without a doubt one of the 5 or 10 largest, clearest, most euphonic sounding mic pre's I have ever encountered. It has such a depth and sweetness of tone that words are really inadequate to describe the beauty that can be achieved with this unit. As a pure mic-pre... whew, since I met it, I can not image ever trying to work without one.
The VT-737[sm or sp... same difference] is a fine sounding, clear, detailed pre-amp... not the most exciting thing in the world, but it is coupled with one of the finest, most musical sounding equalizers I have ever heard in a unit like this. The compressor... well, it's kinda hit or miss. If the compression will work for a sound you'll know immediately... if the compressor is inappropriate for a sound you will also be able to make that determination in like 10-15 seconds. It can be a very useful tool for messing with the envelop of a sound, it can be a very useful tool for controlling the dynamics of a sound... or it can be one of the most difficult and destructive devices you've ever experienced. It has very much to do with your sense of aesthetic, and the character of the source tone.
In the amazing world of microphones... I have found that
the Soundelux U-195 has a depth and opulence that the TLM-103 couldn't imagine on it's best day. There are also a couple of very interesting features that go with this mic... like the "fat" switch [which removes negative feedback from the amplifier exacerbating the capsules natural proximity effect], which allows the tone to develop as the singer is a little less 'mic conscious' and may very well provide a more emotional performance. All this without sacrificing the intimacy you expect from the singer being right up on the mic.
There is also a "lo cut" switch. When used together, the net result can be that you will gain the added bottom associated with the proximity effect without adding rumble or washing out the extreme bottom. Believe it or not, when set up like this with a well tuned kik drum the result is often a drum with bone crushing bottom and a signal path with absolutely no EQ netting a more phase coherent presentation of the sound source.
Another mic eats the Neumann stuff for breakfast is the Microtech Gefell M-930. Also a lg. diaphragm FET condenser it has the ability to give a very clear, very rich, exceptionally intimate portrayal of most vocalists [some singer's voices are very hard to record, so no one mic will work with every singer on every song]. Microtech Gefell as a company is what Neumann was back in the day before the Sennheiser empire decided to take Neumann product "down market" and design their mics to a 'price point' rather than design the mics for greatness of tone.
There are [of course] many other options available, but from the options presented in your post I would say that for a straight pre-amp, there are few finer than the MSS-10. The MSS-10 is a pro piece you will enjoy for
many years to come with no hesitation nor question. The mics you outlined in your post, weeellllll, they aren't horrible, but there are so many mics that are so much better for not a whole boat load of showbiz cash that it kinda seems a waste to go with them. They are as much a Neumann in the true Neumann tradition as an AKG C-1000 relates to
an AKG C-12. Both AKG and Neumann produced some of the highest quality microphones ever experienced by humans... but that was a long time ago... now the focus of both companies is purely to move as much steel as humanly possible with little regard for their rich history.
Best of luck with your search.
