Help me choose mics and preamp.

My initial response is not to take advice from a forum. And I say that with the utmost respect given to those above that have answered, as I'm sure their suggestions are all wonderful. However, it is ALWAYS best to try audio gear out before you buy. I think of audio equipment like clothes. Some things just fit, and will do what they're supposed to do...cover your personal bits. And some are just perfectly cut and vastly enhance your figure. Either way you want to try them on first and make sure they don't look BAD (unless you don't care about the way you look, in which case it doesn't really matter in the least!). Now, in today's internet age it can be difficult to try everything before you buy, but most stores have a return policy and will gladly take gear back if you don't like it. In particular I recommend Front End Audio and Sweetwater (Ebay is a great place to find stuff, but return policies there are varied, buyer beware also). I know you want your stuff RIGHT NOW! because it's extremely exciting to get and use a new piece of gear, but man it's totally worth it to try several and take home the one you really want. It's a long term investment, don't skimp and take home something that you THINK you like. This way you won't wonder in the future if you picked the right piece of kit. Having said that, I personally have an FMR, RNP which I would definitely recommend testing. I chose it because it has enough gain for condensers and most ribbon mics and it is a very clean sounding pream with little color added. And I actually find the Presonus Firestudio series to be quite nice for flexibility and usefulness in the mid-price range, multi-preamp category. For mics (which is VERY personal) I like the Avantone CV-12 and nearly anything made by ADK. Audio Technica also makes some excellent mics in their 3000 and 4000 series that sound fantastic on many sources. But again, personal preferences abound here...truly take the time to try out several and pick your favorites.

I've done a shootout of some SDs here: and LDs here: Personally I have the MPA and I wouldn't recommend you to sell it. It's not so good for bass and low-end stuff though, so I would consider getting a good clean preamp as well -it really depends on how much you'll spend. And I would maybe check out the GAP73.