Good Mic for hip hop? Some help needed

[EasT]

okay so very soon i'm planning on getting a new microphone for rap. So far for the last few years i've only worked with Marshall Mic's which are pretty decent but that's about it. The quality of my songs come out very well but it's time the presence gets bumped up a notch. I'm on a budget and i'm very good at mixing and fixing up post recording so i record pretty dry...just a mic, an equalizer, a usb interface and some phantom power when needed. Nothing spectacular, pretty dry but things come out very decent and yes this is for hard disc recording only. I need something that sounds great right off the bat and may need less work put into it because i will put that much work into it anyway...which will then of course make it sound that much better post recording. My choices are:

R0DE NT1-A (anniversary model)
R0DE NT1000
Heil Sound PR-40 (Dynamic Mic)

Now...any suggestions are welcome but i've found these have the best reviews and after looking up mics i already own...reading the reviews and matching with my opinions...i must say if about 3 or 4 reviews seem consistant i trust what i read if answers are detailed enough. These seem to have a great rep for use with hip hop. Like I said..any other mic suggestions are welcome. I usually get my stuff from zzounds.com or muscian's friend because you can basically get mics worth 750 for about 330 and i've liked what i've experienced with these sites time after time...great prices for high valued mics and hey...the equipments been good to me. So my price range is low..its about 300 and a half but don't be afraid to suggest something a little high priced because if i punch it into one of these sites..it may be slashed in half. I would like a sound that has smoothness and warmth but the perfect balance between that and a crisp quality.

some of my stuff can be heard here if you are curious, i do underground/abstract hip hop which typically is expected to have a grit factor to the quality so i'd say this is a perfect match for that...some underground artists released in stores today have lessened quality than this so luckily my intended style is a little more forgiven to begin with. But of course..having as close to pro as possible is always nice, what i have now isn't so damn bad but hey...i'd like to work with something different: SoundClick MP3: EastWiQ - Band page with free MP3 music downloads on SoundClick

^ This will give you an idea for the kind of voice used for the application and also what quality i want to go higher than before directing me towards the proper mic. Much appreciation to whoever can help me make the proper mic decision.

[EasT]

A few other things that along with a better mic will further improve my quality, so keep in mind when helping me out:

- I've since my last application moved my equipment into a 6x6 closet intended for "booth" use. The closet is NOT empty, so there won't be such a hollow echoey sound but still keep in mind it is no longer a regular size room. So maybe what i'm dealing with now is tight and close? The space IS filled with stuff.

- Also since i'm on a budget i will be purchasing sound absorption that is limited to a mic stand (one of those mic surrounding acoustics they sell attatched to mic stands that you plop a mic in the middle of) so i will be changing all of that along with whatever new mic i add to my collection

Little things like that...if my prior quality was still decent enough..will definitely give a little boost.

[FULL-DUPLEX]

Buy a used SM-7b and get a NEVEish preamp like the Vintage Design M81DMK2 is...

[frankie c]

I bought a Rode NT2 off ebay for like 200 bucks that seems to work pretty well...

Hook it up with a decent mic pre and u are ok....

ART MPA Gold (like 250.00) and change the Tubes to Telefunken 12ax7s (cost about 80.00) ....and u will have the CHEAPEST bang 4 the buck!!

[carllock]

A lot of Hip Hop studios on a budget get good results with the Audio Technica AT3035 Cardioid Condenser Microphone. Just use nice pre.

[EasT]

now that we've got that out of the way, i have a question. Anybody have any experience with the sE Electronics Reflexion Filter?

[AnonJack]

Originally Posted by carllock

A lot of Hip Hop studios on a budget get good results with the Audio Technica AT3035 Cardioid Condenser Microphone. Just use nice pre.

If you're on a budget, definately go with either the AT3035, or if you want a tube condensor, get the M-Audio Sputnik. The reviews have been crazy...heard one myself finally for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and it's amazing for the price. Gotta break in the tube just like on any other tube product, but once it's broken it's one of the best mics in that price range.