What are some good and cheap microphones?

[Guest]

Hi, i'm helping some friends to find some audio gear for their choir. They already have an active speaker (no brand, about 200W), a Behringer UB502 and a crappy dynamic microphone, but since the group is getting bigger they need more microphones and a better mixer.

They have 2 acoustic guitars, a keyboard, a violin and 3-6 singers. I planed on getting them a Behringer Xenyx Q1204USB mixer, maybe it's a little overkill but that should be enough if they expand more or get better speakers. I wanted the outputs to be balanced since the mixer will be about 10m away from the amp.

My biggest problem now is to find the microphones, i guess they would need 2 microphones for their guitars and they would like to get one microphone for all the singers maybe a large-diaphragm condenser microphone?

Do u guys have any recommendations? A guy at our local music shop recommended me a matched pair of Rode M5 for the guitars but i'd like to hear a second opinion.

[Bazilias]

Blue Snowball: https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Snowball-iCE-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B014PYGTUQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1503322258&sr=1-4&keywords=blue+snowball

[Guest]

23 minutes ago, RaptorCandy said:

Blue Snowball: https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Snowball-iCE-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B014PYGTUQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1503322258&sr=1-4&keywords=blue+snowball

I need analog microphones

[Ahoy Hoy]

Mixer. Find a second hand Yamaha, Allen and Heath or soundcraft. Should be able to get a 12 to 16 channel mixer for around 100 to 150 euros.
Examples
Yamaha MG16/4
Soundcraft EPM6
Allen and Heath MixWiz

Violin - its a cheap simple microphone to clip onto the violin. if the future you may want to upgrade to a wireless receiver and transmitter depending on how mobile the player is -  https://www.thomann.de/gb/the_tbone_ovid_system_violin_bundle.htm

Guitars - SM57 Cant go wrong with this its one of the fundamental microphones everyone should own, basic instrument microphone can be used on nearly every instrument. Pair of these in front of the bridge will be perfect. There is also a package for a extra 10 euros which includes a mix stand.  - https://www.thomann.de/gb/shure_sm57_lc.htm?ref=search_rslt_sm57_105768_0

Singers - this is so dependent on how the group stands. so heres a couple options
If there split up your going to have to get each one a microphone. SM58 the other fundamental microphone. Its the I have a singer who needs a mic have this. https://www.thomann.de/gb/shure_sm58.htm?ref=search_rslt_sm58_105767_0

If its in a group in a semicircle. You will probably want two microphones positioned infront on stands. This AKG mic is a good one. has switchable polar patterns which will be very helpful when trying to avoid picking up instruments etc. 
https://www.thomann.de/gb/akg_perception_p420.htm

Another option for the group is two microphones above them. Then again i would say use the AKG and set the polar-pattern to cardioid.

Keyboard - DI box. This behringer DI is another item most sound people will just have one spare incase of emergency. Jacks from keyboard to box and XLR to desk phantom power on simple. https://www.thomann.de/gb/behringer_di20_di_box.htm

You ever plug a laptop phone etc into the desk for playback music or something. USE A DI BOX! Phantom power on a jack plug is so dangerous. as you pull the jack you create a short. You hear that as the blip when you pull it. Normaly with low power thats just a unpleasnt noise. With 48V phantom power thats your phone melted.

[Ahoy Hoy]

Also can a mod move this to the AUDIO section it will get better replys there.

[Guest]

Thanks for the suggestions. 

12 hours ago, Ahoy Hoy said:

Mixer. Find a second hand Yamaha, Allen and Heath or soundcraft. Should be able to get a 12 to 16 channel mixer for around 100 to 150 euros.
Examples
Yamaha MG16/4
Soundcraft EPM6
Allen and Heath MixWiz

I'm sure a second hand mixer would be cheaper, but the people explicitly asked for new stuff because of the warranty, and the guy from the shop where we would buy it said they would offer like a small introduction class how to use it. 

13 hours ago, Ahoy Hoy said:

Singers - this is so dependent on how the group stands. so heres a couple options
If there split up your going to have to get each one a microphone. SM58 the other fundamental microphone. Its the I have a singer who needs a mic have this. https://www.thomann.de/gb/shure_sm58.htm?ref=search_rslt_sm58_105767_0

If its in a group in a semicircle. You will probably want two microphones positioned infront on stands. This AKG mic is a good one. has switchable polar patterns which will be very helpful when trying to avoid picking up instruments etc. 
https://www.thomann.de/gb/akg_perception_p420.htm

Another option for the group is two microphones above them. Then again i would say use the AKG and set the polar-pattern to cardioid.

They will mostly be in ma semicircle, and we taught on putting the mics above them. And we already have a few old microphones like the SM58 for solos that work fine.

 

13 hours ago, Ahoy Hoy said:

Keyboard - DI box. This behringer DI is another item most sound people will just have one spare incase of emergency. Jacks from keyboard to box and XLR to desk phantom power on simple. https://www.thomann.de/gb/behringer_di20_di_box.htm

You ever plug a laptop phone etc into the desk for playback music or something. USE A DI BOX! Phantom power on a jack plug is so dangerous. as you pull the jack you create a short. You hear that as the blip when you pull it. Normaly with low power thats just a unpleasnt noise. With 48V phantom power thats your phone melted.

That's the only part i don't understand. So i only use this for the keyboard and phones or laptops?

[Cohacq]

Shure SM58 or SM57. They're the standard mices you see everywhere for the last 50 or so years for a reason.

Regarding a mixer, what Ahoy Hoy said still stands. Buy Yamaha, Soundcraft or A&H. Stay the hell away from behringer unless youre going into their X-series digital mixers.