Adam,
I have no experience with any Milab mic other than the DC-196. It is my understanding from a person I've known (long deceased) who told me the VIP-50 has "no high end". I can believe this based on the mic's frequency response charts. But that could be a nice thing for brass if the response is along the lines of a ribbon mic...
Yes, I'm using Gordon preamps. I love them. I own four 2-channel units and think superior to every other design I've heard, which is API, Neve, Grace, Universal Audio, Focusrite, Harrison, Millennia, Studer... At the university we have the new Duality by SSL. I haven't compared that with the Gordon but I'd like to think the Gordon would be audibly cleaner and more neutral... Grant Carpenter's design is unique (as far as I know) in the realm of preamps.
Give him a call. He's a nice guy and will set up a demo for you. The people at Milab (in Sweden) are very nice. I didn't work with anyone in the U.S. as there was no U.S. distributor at the time I purchased.
I have no affection for AKG 414s... I think the Milab 196 to be a superior mic...
Barry