Back on track
Good to see the discussion back and track.
I've been following the discussions on mics and preamps in this price range for some years now, and I think that there a few mics and preamps that usually always gets recommended for this type of application. I'm sure there are others also, but the ones I remember at the top of my head are the following list. Apologies for missing out a few essential ones from your short list -- others will add those, if not already mentioned here.
But: You really need to test them on your own voice and guitar and if possible in your own room; there is no way to ensure they work well except for testing it.
Studio Projects C1 -- used to be the darling of some, and somewhat disliked by others. One of the first cheap ones that started to attract a strong backing -- I think Dan Richards (Dot) used to recommend this strongly. Still a good value, I think. Check the poll here.
It is a pretty bright and somewhat coloured mic, and if it works with your voice, it can be a really nice mic. Especially for an early 2000 Pop sound, on the bright side. If it does not work with your voice, it may sound harsh and edgy (as most of the LDCs in this price range can).
On guitar it is, well... maybe it works, maybe not. It is generally not recommended that much on acoustic guitar, even though I've heard some tracks where it works well. Also quite useful (given the right placement) on my guitar (Sigma/
Martin D41 type).
Studio Projects B1 -- is a rather good all-purpose mic. It is a "jack of all trades mic in a master of none" way, meaning it will work on almost anything you throw at it. It is a bright mic, but much less coloured than the C1. If you read here on hr.com, it is often favourable mentioned; I think there is a poll somewhere where it came out amongst the top mics below 100 USD, if not even at the top.
It is pretty good on guitar, and apparently got a rave review in the latest UK based Sound on Sound magazine by a well respected reviewer (Paul White).
But it is rather uncoloured, which means it doesn't really flatter your voice that much. If you have nice voice, it may be really good sounding, and some find it works very well with their voice.
Both the C1 and B1 have multipattern version with similar basic characteristics (C3 and B3) and a tube version too (T3 and TB1).
MXL v67 -- also a mic that attracted a strong initial backing by e.g. Harvey Gerst. It is as coloured as the C1, but much darker sounding. I don't have any personal experience with the MXL mics, so I can't give too many comments on these. But my impression is that it will work in a similar way to the C1, just giving a somewhat different sound.
MXL v69 is the tube version of the v67, and the (now out of production) MXL v77 is an even better tube mic in the MXL range; less coloured than the v67/v69. Some question the build quality of the cheaper MXL mics compared to other mics in the range, but as this is not first hand evidence, take it with a grain of salt.
More recently, the ADK Hamburg and Vienna have been added to the palette. Many vendors have a salt-and-pepper approach (originally like
the Neuman U47/U67/U87 vs AKD-C12 or the the SP C1 vs B1) with two somewhat different sounding mics. ADK has that as well, but it seems that both the slightly darker sounding Hamburg and the more hyped Vienna actually works well on both voice and guitar.
Dan Richards now recommends either of these (mostly the Vienna, I think) as a general purpose voice/guitar mic now instead of
the C1 plus "something else" for guitar.
In the CAD range, the M177 and M179 often gets recommended. They are pretty clean sounding mics, that does not flatter things too much -- but are real workhorses like the B1 above, albeit not that bright. The M179 is multi pattern and does not have the same tendency to sound a bit edgy or harsh on some sources, as some of the first ones above.
There are also Røde mics that may work for you. These are pretty clean and bright sounding mics, with a presense peak characteristic for many of them (not all, though). Some like their sound also -- I have an NT1000 too, and it works pretty well on many sources, especially with a bit of EQ.
And then, last but not least, are the AT range. These can be a step up from some of the above mics, if you don't pick the cheapest ones in the range. They are also a bit on the bright side, and it is not sure that they work better for you than some of the above.
I have a SP B1, C1, NT1000 and a CAD M179, so these I know pretty well, plus some SDC mics that you could also consider (Oktava MC012 and others). The rest I know mainly from other peoples comments and from listening to tracks recorded with these.
So... you should really find a place where you can test these out on your voice and your guitar, to find one that suits you. Personally, I'd probably start with an ADK Hamburg or Vienna, then jump to a CAD M179 and use these as a reference point for all the others you may want to try.
On preamps, you probably get the best value by getting a clean solid-state one. Many of the "toob" preamps in this price range use a starved plate tube, running with a much lower voltage than originally designed, in order to distort sooner. This allows you to dial in some "toob" sound. The only one that most people seem to agree on works well in this price range is the VTB-1.
Of good clean ones, the DMP3 is well respected, and have two channels, should you choose to mic your guitar and voice at the same time with two mics, or do a stereo recording. The RNP (Really Nice Preamp) is also recommended well by some, but I'm not sure how big a step up it is from the DMP3. There is also the Rane MS-1b, which is probably somewhat similar to the DMP3.
The last option I would like to address is a JoeMeek type three-Q something. It has a special "sound" that you may like or not. Good sometimes for adding a bit of warmth or distortion to the track. I have one earlier model (VC3Q CS) in addition to my DMP3, but I would not (now) like to have that as my only preamp. The DMP3 is much cleaner than my JoeMeek, although the new
three-Q probably has the option of staying clean also, if you don't engage the compressor.
Hope this helps?
thehook said:
These I have also read rave reviews of but hardly ever see anything about the b1.
Look around here, or check the latest issue of Sound on Sound, as mentioned.
-- Per.
) why your question turned into a critique session. It's because of rule #2 in recording (rule #1 is that there are no rules). Rule #2 is GIGO, or garbage in, garbage out. HOLD ON 
