Making Chinese Shock Mounts Work

[dgatwood]

The group buy left me with a whole lot of shock mounts that didn't work very well (when you push on it to adjust the angle, it suddenly breaks loose and swings almost freely), so I decided to see if I could figure out how to make these cheap shock mounts not suck. I was able to do so for about a buck apiece in additional parts, so I decided to write up a semi-tutorial photo gallery page on the subject to show people how to do it.

http://www.gatwood.net/photos/users/dgatwood/Shock Mount Mod/index.php

All you need to fix one of these shockmounts are the following parts:

#10 rubber washer, 3/8" (1x)
#10 nylon washers, 3/8" (2x)

Basically, you take out the screw, then reassemble the thing with the rubber washer between the stand mount part and the body on the side that the screw screws into. Instead of just putting back the existing washers, you leave the paper washer against the body, followed by the metal washer, but then you add the two nylon washers so that the body of the thumb screw can slip against them.

With that tiny change, for under a buck, you can turn these cheap mic shock mounts into shock mounts that actually work relatively well.

NOTE: 3/8" is the outside diameter, and is a maximum. #10 is about 3/16" inch for the interior diameter.

 

[Somnium7]

Dude this is sweet!
I was using a wooden clothes pin on mine

Thanks!

 

[dgatwood]

Another obvious mod is to take a pair of pliers and partially crimp down the hooks that hold the stretch bands on the 6802T and similar to keep the bands from jumping out so badly. I haven't bothered to do that to mine yet, but I probably will when I think about it.

 

[mixsit]

Are those the type that have the cylindrical spring sleave clamp for gripping the mic? At one point I was trying to find one to fit the fairly large body AT 4047. (Something more secure than the AT single-band mount.) Do you know if they are available in various sizes that might fit?

 

[dgatwood]

Are those the type that have the cylindrical spring sleave clamp for gripping the mic? At one point I was trying to find one to fit the fairly large body AT 4047. (Something more secure than the AT single-band mount.) Do you know if they are available in various sizes that might fit?

Tell us what the body diameter is, and I'll tell you if I've seen one that size....

 

[mixsit]

Tell us what the body diameter is, and I'll tell you if I've seen one that size....

Hey thanks. The raised rings the band sets in is the max listed at 2.10" (53.4 mm). Below that it's 2" tapering down a bit. I could grab on the rings or the 2" body. Yeah, a little larger than the mounts I've come across so far or they're sold by part # w/o specs.

 

[dgatwood]

Hey thanks. The raised rings the band sets in is the max listed at 2.10" (53.4 mm). Below that it's 2" tapering down a bit. I could grab on the rings or the 2" body. Yeah, a little larger than the mounts I've come across so far or they're sold by part # w/o specs.

I'll take a look when I get home. The big problem with the tapered bodies is the inability to hang the things upside down, which is why it is best to use a spider mount if such mics have threads at the bottom. If not, the manufacturer should be slapped.

I know my AT2020 does, so I'd be surprised if they left off the threads on something as pricey as the AT4047. Take a look at it and see. If so, I know a few spider mounts I could recommend (with a little bit of added foam highly recommended when using them with certain mics).

 

[mixsit]

I'll take a look when I get home. The big problem with the tapered bodies is the inability to hang the things upside down, which is why it is best to use a spider mount if such mics have threads at the bottom. If not, the manufacturer should be slapped.

I know my AT2020 does, so I'd be surprised if they left off the threads on something as pricey as the AT4047. Take a look at it and see. If so, I know a few spider mounts I could recommend (with a little bit of added foam highly recommended when using them with certain mics).

Nada. And the one time it already made it to the floor was in the stand w/o the cord attached. (To their credit it survived wonderfully..
The taper is quite shallow and there is the raised 'AT logo there. Either there or gripping on the ring, with a little slop in the sleeve it should be a go.

 

[dgatwood]

Hey thanks. The raised rings the band sets in is the max listed at 2.10" (53.4 mm). Below that it's 2" tapering down a bit. I could grab on the rings or the 2" body. Yeah, a little larger than the mounts I've come across so far or they're sold by part # w/o specs.

So it uses a friction ring mount? That's really lame for a mic that costs $500+.... Somebody should complain to Audio Technica. It wouldn't cost them a half cent more to manufacture the bodies with threads at the top of the connector shaft like they do on the AT2020, and it makes them a lot easier to work with....

That's also a bit of an odd size. The ones that came with the 6802 are about 2.25", which is also an odd size. Every other friction ring mount I've seen is about 1.75". That said, the photo of the 4047's shock mount looks an awful lot like the 6802's shock mount. Maybe not, but it sure looks similar.

What's wrong with the shock mount that came with it: the part that holds the mic, or the rest of it? If the clip part holds the mic reasonably well and you just don't like the rest, you might try reusing the clip part in a different mount. I had lots of trouble with the Studio Projects B3 shock mounts (they made these shock mounts look wonderful by comparison), so I stuck the core parts into new CAD shock mounts that I got for about $12 apiece (these, though I didn't buy them from this company). Might be worth exploring.

If the mic is slipping in the shock mount, you might consider taking some self-stick velcro (cloth loop side, not hook side) or felt and fastening a strip around the mic above and below where the shock mount normally sits on the mic so that you have to spread the slip ring to get the mic out....

 

[mixsit]

So it uses a friction ring mount? ....

Well smack me, whack me up side the head...WTF I was going to send you this big pic so you could see what's up..
http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/resource_library/product_images/95eac11eafc7b05d/orig/at8449.jpg
and now I see I had totally lost track of the fact that it uses two bands, which with both (new and tight) is quite secure. Which brings me full circle- of why I used to just leave the thing in it's mount -on or off the stand (it ravages the rubbers to put in on and off and takes a small tool to get it on w/o ripping the sh** out of them) --and why they stretch out, break and fall out of sight, and in this case -memory.
Maybe gluing a threaded ring -if one available happened to fit- and spring for a nice mount.
Anyway, the 'spring sleeve inserted into the existing basket is what you were thinking?
Too bad I had to sell the lathe..
Wow.
Oh, and apologies for totally sidetracking your thread.
I'm going for few quick stiff shots.