Strange as it may sound I'm glad I paid $180 for the VTB-1.
Having it sooner then later gave me time to experiment with different
microphones and hear more of how they really sounded.
Something I recently learned was that some mastering engineers
like John Vestman at
www.johnvestman.com actually prefer brighter
microphones because by the time you add compression you're
less likely to need EQing as compression tends to dull the sound
source anyway. The other main remaining issue is sibilance on some
singers, and he recomends a de-esser to take care of that.
Especially helpful in rock and R&B styles where you need a vocal to
cut through a heavy mix of drums and electric guitars, etc. BTW.
Another factor is most of us aren't using a Pultec, Speck, or GML to EQ with,
so we're better off cutting offending frequencies, rather than boosting
to get the sound we're after with a microphone so it seems more
natural-certainly is you're limited to a Behringer mixer right now!
Another thing to keep in mind is the sound of a given microphone in a
mix, rather than in isolation. Only a few of the resident pro's here,
like Alan, Harvey Gerst, or Bruce "Blue Bear" would realistically be
competent to judge that, who have paid their pro studio dues.
I certainly wouldn't categorize the C1 as "harsh", whereas others like
the Rode NT-1 (original model), and the AKG C3000 are known to pro
engineers that have used them to be somewhat harsh on most vocals.
The VTB-1 at only around $129 is a no-brainer, and you could use
the balance left over from the $400 budget to get one of the microphones,
we've been discussing, to try out and see if you like it enough to keep.
Chris
I'll take ya up on that bet going the other way... 
[/B]
