It has been said that all men were created equal... well, that's just about equally untrue about microphones. Each mic has a set of destintive characteristics which can be used to "shape" your sound. The crisp high end of a AKG414 makes some vocals cut through a mix... while it can be too shrill and abrasive for other vocalists. The best way to tell is to try each mic to see how it sounds. You can check out some of the most popular mics around at the Guitar Czar, or if you have a particular one in mind (tried it at your favorite Recording Studio), the Czar can get it for you at a reasonable price. Trust me on this!