MKH 416-P48U3

It handles weather changes and humidity just like the 416, more forgiving, shorter and lighter, DPA sound.

I really will never understand the tlm103 love. For me, it’s u87 or MKH416 for that commercial cut-through.

Let me think about it, it's a very delicate matter. I think having a good preamp is essential for your purpose. If you get a poor preamp, your sound will be poor even with a good microphone. I can tell you that there are some good preamps out there, but they're very expensive, and if you add the cost of the preamp and the microphone, we're going beyond your budget. Examples: the Fostex Ar501, created for your purpose, or the mm1 sound device, but we're on another level. The sound device is very expensive and perhaps useless for your application. There are similar, inexpensive solutions, but I can't guarantee the performance. As for the microphone, I obviously recommend a Sennheiser MKH416, but we're out of your budget. I'd go with a Deity S Mic 3s, which is within your budget considering the cost of the preamp. That said, if you're looking for a quick and simple solution without too many hassles, an NTG4+ or MKE600 would be better.

After seeing Booth Junkie’s review of the Synco D2 I picked one up and it worked well for me. Ultimately the MKH 416 was a better fit, but both mics work great. I’m willing to sell my Synco D2 (barely used) to any interested party.

For voiceover, sennheiser 416 is the best mic. Rode is a very sibilant mic, it’s terrible. The neumann is more pro sounding then the 414 - it’s brighter and clearer.