Mmmm....the search for the holy grail!

For under $1k, you actually have a few options.

My preferences would be: (In order - with places to buy them too):

1 - Gefell M930 ( a little over $1k, but not much, one of the most versatile, clean, beautiful mics on the planet - Atlas)
2 - Rode K2 (delightlfully bright and crisp in a good way. Variable patterns make it a true workhorse mic - Sweetwater)
3 - U195 (Amazing sounding mic - big and open, perfect for anything you want to add dimension to. Works great on guitar and cello/bass too! Atlas)
4 - AT 4060 (Hell of a mic - a bit of a one trick pony, but it does that one trick beautifully! Sweetwater)
5 - AT 4050 (Another hell of a mic - a bit less "full" than the 4060, but clean as a whistle! - Sweetwater)

Any one of these mics would be a good addition and one that should last for decades.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

J.

there are two mics around 1000 euro that come to mind (that might be a little more in usd then): the Neumann tlm 103, which i own and like, and the brauner phantom. you might want to check these out, too...

I second the AT4050, very neutral mic, sometimes a little crispy for female screamers, but great on cello and upright as well, I've done both with it. Also wonderful on acoustic guitar. FWIW, I'm a huge fan of the AT3035 on vocals, very versatile mic and inexpensive. I liked my first one so much, I bought a 2nd.

I wouldn't typically recommend this mic but I've found that it absolutely shines on john mayer/dave matthews style vocals. Its the blue baby bottle. I just recorded a musician that had a very dave'ish voice and he sounded so wonderful through that mic. Its also very warm and loud. It was actually the first time I've used the mic on vox and actually liked the way it sounded. If you get a chance I'd give that mic a shot.

so many good mics unde 1k now- we are really lucky
I like the K2, the C414 and all the AT mics are cool too- can't go wrong owning any of them. For a ribbon, the AEA R84 is really sweet and it comes in at an even 1K

Thanks a lot for everybody's input. I always think it's funny how when you start looking for something and have an idea of what you want, by the time everyone posts and gives their two cents, you have 30 more choices. Right from the get go I looked at the Soundelux, and think I'll probably go with it. Thanks Cucco. I was tempted by the tlm 103, but my main reasoning was to just own my very own Neumann. I guess not the greatest reasoning. I've always been intrigued by BLUE products, but I've heard a lot of bad things about their Baby Bottle. I guess for the price I could test out the waters, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with the U195. I'll end up getting something tomorrow, or at least ordering, so I'll let ya'll know. Thanks again!

Charter Oak E700 could be a viable option.

I second the Rode K2. For about $700 you get a tube mic with world class sound. Other recomendations are good too.

C414 would be far more versatile than K2 (excellent mic for just about anything), but for "a vocal mic" the K2 does what it was built for - voc.

Check out Naked Eye from Crowley and Tripp microphones. it's about 750