We are doing some pop at the moment, well trying to anyway, and we had a vocal quality issue so we've gone and got a Microtech microphone and a DAV Electronics preamp (broadhurst gardens model), sounds clean as anything.

You can talk to keith at kmraudio (www.kmraudio.com), the DAV cost about 400-500 quid and the Microphone was about six I think, but there are cheaper options, but the set up we had before which can't have cost more than about 400 quid in total was a rode NT something and a TLA preamp. But compared to the new stuff the TLA and Rode sound distorted.

I'm a fan of mic-pre's without any features on, if you want something with EQs and Limiters then the DAV is no good to you but there are loads of them, thoughly recommend giving Keith or Nicki a call at KMR...