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Avalon 737 (used) - $1300
Dbx 160x (used) - $200
AT 3035 mic - $200
Studio Projects B1 mic - less than $100
Shure Sm 57 or 58 (for the guys that need a handheld mic) - less than $100
$100 for some decent headphones.
I'm not the biggest fan of my Avalon 737, but when people come in to record hip hop that's the first thing they notice in here and they rave about how cool it is that i have one and how bad they want to use it. For some reason it has legend status in the hip hop circles so why not have it there to impress some people? Also, there are a lot of used ones out there so it won't be too hard to find for that price, and that EQ will come in handy with some vocals.
As far as the DBX goes, it too is somewhat of a staple and can work well on vox and give them a hard edge. For the price, they are one of my favorite compressors.
As far as those mics go, I've always been a fan of the AT3035 because it's so versatile and takes EQ really well. It isn't very "airy" so you'll have to add that if that's what you are going for, but i don't usually for hip hop except maybe for choruses or something. It also has a decent look and when i first got it and was trying it out on toms a year and 1/2 ago the drummer was terrified because he thought they "looked expensive" and didn't want to hit them. I wouldn't tell them how much they cost but they sounded pretty expensive too. There isn't any magic goign on with the AT3035 but it's solid and works on a lot of things.
I have not heard the Studio Projects mic but based on a lot of other thoughts on here, it would be worht getting for under $100 to have another "flavor" around.
Last, either of those shure mics is a must if the singer wants to use a handheld. Cheap and very effective.
That's how I'd start spending my $2000. Then I'd make some money, and get some of those 1/2 rack preamps others listed (the phoenix or GR). I think might not impress as much as the Avalon at first, so I'd get those second.
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