probably would be a better idea right now to try and find some mics to borrow...i don't to be a cheap ass and go out and buy whatever crap is on sale because i don't have a lot to spend at the moment, and i don't want to make an uneducated decision in the spur of the moment. true i know the shure's are standards and i am sure (no pun intended) that they will be just fine for the situation but i don't really have the $$$ to put down on them at the moment. i'll most likely end up borrowing some equipment for now and then later on when i have some money saved up (or when the band account gets a little bigger) we'll pick up some quality gear.
i do really appreciate all the advice tho.
This is really good thinking. Junk equipment is junk equipment, and you'll always wonder why there are problems.
A few things I've discovered:
<soapbox mode on>
Don't invest in any high-dollar gear unless you can afford to protect it properly. For example, don't buy a $1k mixer and have nothing left over for a case. You'll pay for the case on the first repair. Mics especially fit this issue; I've seen bands carrying around $500 in mics (not hard to come by, right?) in a f***ing cigar box. In short, calculate in the cost of proper cases when you buy gear.
Buy a cable tester. Behringer makes one for ~$30. I did an inventory a while back and discovered that I'm carrying around over $750 in cables alone with the PA rig. It's easier than you think. Take the time every now and then to go through them all with the tester. Repair or discard bad cables. Don't just tie a knot in them and let them get back into the mess.
Speaking of mess, don't keep all the cables in a bag. It'll vastly shorten their life, but that won't matter because you'll never find one when you need it anyway. Mic cables and speaker cables (you'll end up with a s***load) can be reeled on $5 cable reels you can pick up at any hardware/home improvement store. All your oddball cables (inserts, patches, adapters, spares) can go in quart storage ziplocks with labels *then* in a bag. This also helps when you ask someone helping you for a "3' insert" -- they just bring you the bag that says that instead of rummaging through everything you own while asking, "What's an insert cable?"
Finally, I'm sure you already know this, but an ounce of reading and learning kicks the crap out of a pound of gear every time. Invest your first $35 in the Yamaha Sound Reinforcement Handbook by Gary Davis & Ralph Jones. Put it on your crapper and read the thing. I'm not kidding; It's worth it.
<soapbox mode off>
Hope I'm not coming across badly here. I just hope you can avoid some of the stupid things I did over the years. Damn sure wish I could have.
Good luck, and keep playin'.
Chuck