In my last post, I mentioned how important a good microphone is. There are so many good studio-quality microphones available today that it boggles the imagination. My main mike is this one, the Audio Technica AT4033. It’s not the cheapest studio-quality mike you can buy anymore, though when I got mine it was very near the bottom of the price curve. However, it remains a very good sounding mike for voice work, and at a very good price point.
The other mike I record on a lot is the AKG 414 B-ULS. The AKG runs about twice the price of the Audio Technica, and certainly sounds good, but not twice as good.
And then there are several of my friends who love Neumann mikes, like this one or this one.
Search through the product catalogs of Pro Audio sites like Full Compass, Broadcast Supply Worldwide, or American Pro Audio to see lots of other qaulity mikes, with prices from less than $200 to the several thousands.