@MikeB Hey thanks. Gonna get that Big Knob; might as well spend a few extra $ & get a good baseline unit rather than the minimum, only to spend more later. Pretty cool that POTUS's use the 57; the Shure tech guy recommended the 58 over the 57, interestingly. I also like that they didn't ask how the mic broke, being my dumbassery & unscrewing it to have a look around. I got Golden Earring's Radar Love on reel-to-reel along with a box full of other various tapes a friend's dad gave me 30 years ago. Tech guy said he didn't think I'd need a Cloud Lifter for the vocal setup. He was a real nice guy; chatted with him for a good 20 min. Oh yeah, he also recommended the Shure MVI for a different price point.