Dude. It's the catering that makes my mixes sound tight.
It has NOTHING to do with the mic, its placement, the preamp & signal path.
The reality: some of our best work is done in weird or bad circumstances with less than ideal gear, where we are forced to listen to get a good capture of a sonic imprint. If we take that approach when using the best possible equipment, our recordings should follow in quality!
GREAT thread!!!