What do you guys use as your literal mic locker?

AndrewClaycomb

New member
I'm building up a nice sized collection of mics, and so far I've just been leaving them in their bags/cases with those little silica packets. Problem is some of my mics don't have cases, also I've been keeping them on a ledge that goes around my room and it's starting to look cluttered.

Here's the cluttered ledge with most of my mics.
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Any ideas that don't involve me buying a rolling craftsman tool chest? (I've got a couple for my actual hand/air tools and although nice, they aren't cheap.)
 
That's less convenient than the bags/cases and I don't have the boxes for the ones that sit in the open all the time.

Basically I have the boxes for all the mics I bought new, but with the used mics I was lucky that they made it without being destroyed. (Especially the ribbon, it was shipped in a lightly padded media bag from Canada) I'm really the most concerned with the ribbon sitting in the open all the time. and instead of just getting something to put it in, I might as well get something to put them all in.
 
I was using one of those plastic slide out drawers you can get at places like target or what-not... Until I got me a flight-case big enough for all my mic's
 
A 2u rack drawer, which also holds a CD labeler, various adaptors, drum tuning keys, etc. The couple dynamic mics I have that are too big for the drawer I usually just leave laying around. Get a 4u drawer and that problem is solved.
 
plastic pistol cases

WalMart carries molded plastic pistol cases that are just the right size for a LDC and a shock mount with room to spare. They have the foam that is precut into little squares. All ya gotta do is punch out the squares to make a place for the mic and shock. They are about 8 or 9 bucks. Make good mic cases. Sturdy and lots of cushion. In fact there's probably room for 2 LCD's and shocks in one box. In the sporting goods section.
 

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Depends. My more expensive mics are in Pelican cases. Some came with their own metal cases (like the ACM mics and GT mics). The others are stacked in their boxes on a shelf or in vinyl/cloth cases in covered plastic storage bins on shelving. I've got a lot of mics, so they do consume space and it helps to keep them somewhat organized so I can actually find a mic I need when I want it.
 
I have a couple of padded tool cases. You can get them at Lowe's/Home Depot/Harbor Freight.

Something like this:

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http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=39196

The one I got at Fry's was a lot better for about the same dollar as the one I bought from Home Depot. Among other things, it had a block of foam filling the bottom half that you can remove in roughly 1/2"x1/2"x3" blocks that extend from the bottom of the case up to the level of the top of the bottom half. Great for mics. The dimensions were slightly different---I think a little narrower from end to end and a little thicker.
 
I use a floor standing kitchen pantry type cabinet I picked up from a discount Home improvement store for $120. It holds all my Mics, cables, studio "tools", and misc handy items and is even stylish.
 
I only rarely take my mic's outside the studio, so I just keep them in a closet that has closely spaced shelves. Most are in their original containers. My most frequently used mic's are kept on their stands with plastic bags over them when not in use (they're all condensers). I'd probably be more pack-em-up-with-silica-gel oriented if my studio was humid.
 
2-drawer metal lateral filing cabinet. Locks with keys. Mine's black.
If you watch the sales or haunt the used office equipment dealers you can find them for under $150 (like I did...)

Example:

photo3.php
 
$30 metal box that was intended for storing LPs - I got it at Guitar Center. I put stickers all over it to make it look cooler. I have to pack it carefully to make sure the mics on bottom don't get squashed.
 
2-drawer metal lateral filing cabinet. Locks with keys. Mine's black.
If you watch the sales or haunt the used office equipment dealers you can find them for under $150 (like I did...)

Example:

photo3.php

I really like this idea. I see things like this show up on craigslist under $50 pretty often. Do you use foam with cutouts to hold your mics in place? Where do you get the foam?
 
I use wooden cigar boxes with random foam inserts taken from various packages recieved and cut to hold the mics snug in place. Some small boxes some bigger, some boxes with multiples, some with just one. Then keep the boxes stacked all nice and neat in the closet on an easy access shelf.
 
In original boxes stacked on shelves, except for an sm57 in front of my Dual Rec half stack, and an e609 that's always in front of my Road King combo. There is usually a SP B1 that is set up for a room mic that is always out. I put the wind screen over it when not in use. The more expensive, and harder to replace mics get carefully put back in the original box, and put away.

On the floor? Really?:confused:

Man, I treat my mics better than I do my own nads.:D
 
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I just recently bought this contraption. It's 3 pieces that stack and lock. The top case is for accessories like, mic clips, windscreens, turnarounds, adapters, tools. The middle case is the actual mics. I keep these in their boxes and pouches. The bottom most case is mainly cables. A lot of XLR but also some, 1/4, Ethernet, USB, firewire, and power.

The case is on big wheels and handle terrain really well. Each case has an internal sealing o-ring that seals out water and dust. Each case is lockable with a pad lock and all 3 cases can be locked together with an included bar.

I do mostly mobile recordings, so this works out really well for me. I've added some foam here and there to enhance the protection, but overall this is a very rugged, rolling case for a fraction of the cost of a pelican or SKB case.
 
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