the DPA (formerly B&K) 4090 and 4091 (both omnis) can be had for around $1000/pr, and are quite good, though their primary application is for close-micing in the studio. they are far more accurate for small acoustic ensemble work than the neumann km18x series. omnis are, of course, problemmatic for most tapers who cannot get mics onto the stage. for distant recording of live music (like most of the folks here do), hypercards seem to work best. in your price range, i would try to not limit your options to just those 3 brands - there are many excellent reasonably priced mics out there these days.