A friend of mine is looking at this mic (link below) for solo instruments during his field show.  Can anyone give any input on this?  (Or recommend a good one that's on a school's budget?)

[url=http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Percep220/]http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Percep220/[/url]

I won't have a lot of better suggestions for you, but one thing that may be worth considering is that a large diaphragm mic may be more suited to the sensitivity allowed in a studio environment. I'm not sure if it may be more susceptible to wind noise too. If so, be sure to factor in wind screens. I would recommend your friend consult with someone who's had some experience miking things outdoors, keeping in mind that you'll probably want something versatile and on a budget.

Actually, a call to the Sweetwater sales team would probably give him some good guidance!

Thanks Jim.  I'll pass that along.

Can't go wrong with the SM57, and would be versatile for the entire music dept.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SM57/

[quote author=Jim Casella link=topic=3782.msg19979#msg19979 date=1281396082]
I'm not sure if [a large diaphragm mic] may be more susceptible to wind noise too.[/quote]It will; simple laws of physics apply.

I second the suggestion for an SM57. Can't go wrong with it, plus a dynamic mic is a lot more rugged and a lot less susceptible to damage than a condenser mic. Additionally, it works without phantom power, making it more versatile (i.e. it will work even with a cheap mixer than doesn't provide phantom power).

The AT2020 hasn't failed me yet for any outdoor situation.

[quote author=RGreen link=topic=3782.msg19993#msg19993 date=1281489830]
The AT2020 hasn't failed me yet for any outdoor situation.
[/quote]

Good to know!

From what I am seeing here, the mic that your friend has his eyes on won�۪t receive any negative feedbacks regarding it. I have been using it for months now and everything seem fine to me. The quality, the sound it produce, etc. everything is great. But talking about getting this mic, I would suggest your friend to really find out what he wants in a mic, as different mic brings out a different characteristic.