Studio Projects C1 Vs Audio Technia At4040, Which one for my saffire??? Options

[jdimitri]

Hi all! I've heard all about the C1 sounding like a U87 (i have no idea what that sounds like, but it sounds like it sounds good )
But I've also read good reviews about the AT4040 and i think it looks better and more 'trustable'
Opinions please! ANY opinons welcome
Im going to use it with a saffire for recording my voice (male vocals)

[twits celso]

The C1 (and the U87) often excel on smooth female voices, since the high end is very flattering, but as soon as you switch to someone with a thin voice, watch out because you're going to end up emphasizing the wrong frequencies.

I have a Studio Projects C3 (haven't heard the C1, but it's got to be reasonably similar), and as certain registers of my voice sound a bit thin, I do sometimes feel it's emphasizing the wrong frequencies.
Edge--if you happen to come by here again, can you recommend any mics in the $250-$350 range that DO work if your voice is a bit thin?

And to offer something to the original thread starter, I found adding a mic pre to the C3 made it sound MUCH better. I was originally using the pres on my Firebox (probably not extremely different than the Saphire), and getting a Groove Tubes Brick fattened it up and gave it a beautiful sheen. The VTB1 (which I considered buying) is supposed to be pretty good by most accounts.

PS: That lower-end Presonus (the TubePre?) has gotten some pretty mixed reviews--a lot of people cite its noise level as being too high.