Every mic and every pre on your list is exactly the right thing for someone on this list, but none of them will work for everyone.

There is a tremendous range of color and features in your list as well.

There is really no way anyone on this list is going to be able to help you pick the mic or pre you would like best from that list. You sound like you have plenty of experience and a developed enough ear to know what you like which makes guessing for you even harder.

I have several of the pre's and mics you are suggesting, and I couldn't pick one until I heard you sing and even then I might be surprized if we took the time to experiment.

Are you in the US? If so there are pro audio suppliers that will let you return a mic and a pre if they are not exactly what you want. Mercenary audio is one of them. I am sure there are others that people on this list can point you to.

Steve

The AT4033 is a great budget condenser. Alan parsons listed it in an interview as his "current favorite vocal mic". Can be had used for $200-250 . If you have a great mic pre though, that SM58 you have or a Sennheiser MD 421 may be just what the doctor ordered. U87s often sell used on eBay for around $1500.

Out of the pres you listed I'd go for the following:

Api 7600
Vintech X73i/Empirical Labs Distressor
Universal Audio 6176

I have the 6176 and love it. The other two are probably a little more versitile and are on my "Must Have" list.

I think first you need to determine what it is that you don't like about your voice and the C3000 combo and then what you would like to hear from your voice. And while the C3000 is a low budget mic, it can be pretty well tamed with a slower, softer preamp.

The API 7600, X73i/EL-8, GR NV & Eq, UA 6176 are all great units/combo's and it would hard to choose just one but it very likely would be either the API or the x73i/EL-8 as I think they offer the best tone, flexability, performance for voice as well as other applications

As for mic choices based on your comments, you might want to look at in addition to the ones you mentioned: U87ai, AT4060, AT4050, C414-TLII, Dragonfly

Thanks for the tips so far - I know it's hard to help someone else choose - just not sure how many shots I'll get at demoing some of this gear.

I'm a little surprised at the lack of support for the 737 - reading back through the archives of this forum (as well as rec.pro.audio, etc) it seems like it's kind of the measuring stick.. or is that just because it was one of the first hi-end 'channel strip' type boxes that was widely available?

As far as what I don't like about my current vocal results - the best way I can put it is... it just sticks out of a mix no matter what I do. It seems that the midrange hype on that mic (perhaps combined with the TL?) just jumps out too much so it won't ever sit nicely into a mix.

I have an old song online (from '96 or '97) that I can point anyone to who wants to hear my "vocal stylings" - may give a better idea of the tonality of my voice, etc.. (I'm racking my brains trying to remember what I used for vocals on this track, though).
"-)

please post the link to your song. As for mics, I have a midrange voice myself and just bought a K2. Im extremely pleased with what it does to my voice, either through a Grace, Sytek or Motu preamp. Its a little more robust sound than an U87 for me and its a toss up as to which sound I like best. Formerly the '87 was the clear winner for vocals for me. :D

I was about to PM it to you, but what the heck... just everyone remember that it's old, so no making fun of me (well - ok, maybe a little).

I don't claim to be a terribly good vocalist, so...
"-)

http://mark.warcode.com/the_witch.mp3

Good song, I enjoyed it- your vocal is fine-too- a little too much high end (too bright) and silibance perhaps... hard to tell in the mix through headphones. Since you are set on getting a new mic and preamp I would definitely look into a place where you can try them out- It as been suggested that mercenery will let you do that, so check into it- also sweetwater will work with you, talk to your rep. Guitar Center doesn't want to let you try mics but hey, who knows?

Since you got the money for the pres, get one of those high end api or neve clones- can't never go wrong with that- as far as mics, soundelux u195 is highly regarded but you might want to check out the K2. Its a darker sounding mic that I think might work good with your voice as it works with mine (and its about $700) sweetwater has them, maybe they will let you try it-

Thanks for the feedback..
it sounds like my top 2 choices for mics were a good starting point (U195 and K2) - I've heard nothing but good things about both.

I like the idea of getting a Neve-A-Like.. though it'd cost me about $1k more than the Avalon, UA, API or Trident if I want to get a new compressor to match (Distressor, most likely). My K-T compressor is fine, but it doesn't add much to the sound.. just kinda there.

I'm going to bug everyone I know with nice gear to let me demo theirs before bothering Fletcher or someone at Sweetwater. I'll probably be ready to order in a month or so, and will start talking to Fletcher, etc at that time. (the new vocal chain is from a deal I made with my wife, which will take me about another month to complete my end of the deal... I have a cool wife).
"-)

Oh..
and after racking my brains - I think the vocal on that track was recorded with an old C1000 through a Symetrix 528 into Saw+ (yes, I used to be a SAW user... all the way back to Windows 3.1)
"-)