e 935

e835 is great, but A/B with the e935 and it's like taking a blanket off the PA.

The Sennheiser E935 is a great pick, very clear and handles harsh vocals well. Another solid option in your range is the Audio-Technica AT2020 if you’re open to a condenser. If you want to stay dynamic, the E935 or even the Audix i5 are both better than the XM8500 for detailed metal vocals.

+1 Came here to say Senn e935. Baseline lead vocal for me for ages now. EV makes some good stuff that's better than the 58 as well.

For mics I use a Sennheiser e835 (vocals) or Shure sm57 (vox and instrumental) I have a e935 but I don't think it records as well as the 835 but it kicks ass for live use... I go a into a focusrite Scarlett. I had a AT4040 but I dropped i also have a Lewitt 440 but that thing is a temperamental bitch and needs to be in a well isolated and treated room. Avoid USB mics. You may as well continue using your iphone

I bought the Sm7b and cloudlifter hype and was underwhelmed at first, but I think it sounds pretty good on guitar and bass cabs. If I could do it over, I would get an re20, but instead I added a sennheiser e935 as a vocal dynamic mic and it fills in the gaps nicely.

My favorite is Shure Beta 57A. Others I recommend are Sennheiser e945 and e935.

Unless you're really certain that you need a super- or hypercardioid for monitor placement or other gain-before-feedback reasons, then I'd recommend sticking with a cardioid because that pattern is a lot more forgiving whenever it comes time to sway from side to side or peek at the fretboard. While the Beta 58a, M88, M80, and MD431 will all have a touch more \*sparkle sparkle\* than an SM58 when you're right on top of them, move your mouth an inch to either side and all of a sudden they've got a blanket over them. The AKG, being a condenser, seems like more trouble than it would be worth unless you're planning on switching to in-ear monitoring. While not fancy, the Sennheiser e935 might be worth a try if you just want a bit more clarity than the SM58.