There are several factors that determine the sound that goes into a microphone, and what gets recorded. Your mic may not be your weakest link. The best-sounding mic is of little worth when it picks up unwanted reflections in a small room. If you're not in a position to make your recording area acoustically suitable, you might consider a less expensive mic, say, in the $100-$400 range, like the Rode NT1A or NT2A, MXL V6 or 2003, or the Audio-Technica AT3035. There are several more inexpensive models like these that are better suited as an all-purpose studio mic than your typical hand-held stage mic. Some of these hold up to very expensive mic's. The Rode NT2A, for example, is an excellent mic for the money, and is unlikely to fall out of use, no matter how sophisticated your studio becomes. These are large-diaphragm-condenser mic's, the best type for the first-time buyer. LDC's are used in the best studios, and can cost thousands. Even the entry-level ones I've listed are very accurate and sound good on many things, especially vocals. There are some good sources for reviews out there. I tend to go to Mix and Sound on Sound first. Read several. Buy from a dealer that has a good return policy, or will let you try it out first. Compare it to one you already own, testing with all sources you'll want to record; vocal, guitar, drums... If you're willing to do a bit of research and spend a few bucks on acoustical treatment, you may be ready to get familiar with some fairly high-quality microphones in the $500-1000 range. Keep in mind, though, that there are a few gems under $500 that hold their own when compared to these more expensive models. To get started, seek out info on the web. An excellent place to learn about studio acoustics is the RealTraps website. Look for the "Acoustics Articles" link. You'll find all kinds of excellent advice on transforming a small studio into something worthy of a decent microphone. Yes, they're selling a product, but the owners, experts on the subject, enjoy sharing their knowledge, whether you purchase from them, or follow their do-it-yourself suggestions in the articles. Here's a recent mic-purchase experience of mine: I've been hearing about tube mic's, how warm and silky they sound. I figured a tube mic would be great for recording vocals, and especially violin. I did a lot of research and came across the MXL V6. The price was very reasonable, and I read some very positive reviews. The V6 is not a tube mic, but is said to have the sound of one, so I ordered it. I compared it to my best mic, the Rode NT2A. I sang, I played acoustic guitar, I recorded violin; I placed it at several positions. But I was surprised (and disappointed) to find that the two mic's sounded exactly alike. Now, I don't have the most experienced ears in the biz, but I've been running my own home studio for over 25 years. Sure; maybe with expensive outboard preamps or a better room, I might be able to hear a difference, but if I can't hear a difference with my Roland V-Studio, I have no reason to keep both mic's. Too bad - I wanted to keep the V6 for it's looks alone. Now, to say the V6 sounds like the Rode is a complement. But I want that warm, silky sound, not another Rode. The point is, you need to learn to trust your own ears. Use the experts' advice to get started, but resolve to be the final judge. Microphone quality is very subjective. It's not always whether one is better than another, but rather, one is better at certain tasks. As you gain more discriminating ears, you'll find that no single mic does it all. Watch out, though. Collecting mic's can become an obsession!