Mic stand type and shock mount

Sombreroflicker

New member
Hi, I have used a few mic stands for my home recording but I have never been sure what is the best type to be using. I have had a few regular tripod stands with boom arms and some have been decent, whilst others have been shaky. I need a new one and I want a budget one from Amazon so I can have it quickly. I have been reading review after review on different types but I get people talking more about using the stands for on stage performances. I can't seem to get a clear idea on whether I should go for a tripod stand with a boom arm, or just a straight mic stand with tripod legs or a rounded base.

I would appreciate some feedback, thanks.

Furthermore, I am using a MXL 770 microphone. I have a shock mount for it but I have lost the clip part that connects it to anything. Is there anywhere I can purchase this small part or would I need a whole new shock mount? And how important is it that I use a shock mount?

Thanks again guys.
 
Hi, I have used a few mic stands for my home recording but I have never been sure what is the best type to be using. I have had a few regular tripod stands with boom arms and some have been decent, whilst others have been shaky. I need a new one and I want a budget one from Amazon so I can have it quickly. I have been reading review after review on different types but I get people talking more about using the stands for on stage performances. I can't seem to get a clear idea on whether I should go for a tripod stand with a boom arm, or just a straight mic stand with tripod legs or a rounded base.

I would appreciate some feedback, thanks.

Furthermore, I am using a MXL 770 microphone. I have a shock mount for it but I have lost the clip part that connects it to anything. Is there anywhere I can purchase this small part or would I need a whole new shock mount? And how important is it that I use a shock mount?

Thanks again guys.
A boom mic stand gives you more flexibility in placement if you are recording instruments or sitting down while singing. The tripod base is more stable with a boom on the stand, while the small round base is fine for non-boom stands that you'd use just for vocals. Less to trip over is their best feature, and some do have enough weight to hold a boom, but unlikely to find that in a bargain stand.

You might still need an extra counterweight or sandbag for the base if you have a reasonably heavy mic at the end of a boom, if you want to be sure it doesn't end up hitting the floor. The alternative is a big, solid triangle base stand, but those are really expensive.

Large diaphragm condenser mics almost always are put into a shock mount because they are sensitive to vibrations coming up through the floor through the stand. If you don't have the shock mount, you can try using it without one, but I'd look around. Maybe eBay would have one for your mic. (A quick google tells me that mic has a larger diameter than the cheap, generic shock mounts I saw would fit, but there might be something out there if you search and carefully read what it fits.)
 
Mics with their shock mounts and pop filters can be quite heavy. If you prefer a boom arm then purchase a pro type as some of the cheap ones cannot support the 'total' weight and end up sagging the further you extend them.

It's all down to the situation you require. Fully extended boom arm needs a pro strong type.
 
The Chinese shock mounts are on ebay (at least in the UK) and available on aliexpress extremely cheaply.

In Europe, the K&M stands (German, and just really good and have every bit replaceable). There are others based on this design, and they're pretty good. The practical reasons for their popularity are simple. A cast heavy weight at the bottom where the legs hinge. This can be slid up and down the main tube to shorten the stand for transport in the smallest size. The twist clutch design is easy to tighten and loosen with one hand, even a sweaty hand. The boom arm comes in two types, one where there is a knob on the top of the hinged section that allows the whole tube to slide, and a similar design with a telescopic boom - handy for star drums, where the long length get in the way. The boom hinge is either a large knob, or a T-bar. I prefer the T-bar, but the clamp is pretty decent and droop doesn't happen with only moderate wrist torque. They're happy on full extension with a heavy mic on top.

This is pretty much the European standard mic stand. K&M 210/6 Microphone Stand Black – Thomann UK
 
Yes, capacitor mics will pickup vibrations through the stand but also from the cable if it is stiff and clipped to the stand.
A BBC trick is to make up a very 'floppy' short cable, put a loose knot in it and leave it permanently attached to the stand.
Has been debated a bit in the past but I think it is OK to leave mics on stands so long as they are covered.

Lovely as it must be to have those really heavy, superbly engineered stands the 30 quid ones are fine for the home bod who does not chuck it into a Transit six nights a week (well, nobody does atmo do they!)
Dave.
 
I had to give up on cheap mic stands. Musician's Gear, On-Stage Stands, even Ultimate Support have all proven to be irritating to use over the long term. They get the job done in the short term, but they're just not made to last.

The last stand I bought was a K&M, and it's great. The clutch is strong, the base is weighted, the plastic parts don't break easily, and it's put together really well overall. I'd highly recommend it. I say leave the cheap stands for someone else to buy and curse at in their own home studio.

I don't have any experience with the round weighted-base stands, all of mine are tripods. As long as I take care to only extend the boom arm directly over one of the tripod legs, they're nice and stable. But jeez, put the extended boom in-between the legs and it's a tipping hazard!
 
Here's the MXL shock mount for your specific mic:
MXL MXL-90 Elastic Suspension Microphone Shock Mount 90 B&H

I did not find a 3rd party suspension mount. Now, it's possible the missing piece on yours is something that could be taken from a different mount, but you'd have to do some checking around to determine if that's possible. Or contact MXL directly, perhaps.

Here's a K&M stand: K&M 210/9 Tripod Microphone Stand with Telescoping 21090-500-55

And here's an inexpensive model: Auray MS-5230T Tripod Microphone Stand with Telescoping MS-5230T (I don't have one of these - just has decent reviews.)

Mostly with stands, you get what you pay for. If you're going to set it up and leave it alone, inexpensive can work. I can say that for use where they get packed up and and set up over and over, and especially where you might have anybody grabbing the adjustments and twisting, cheap ones will fail quickly and likely be unusable. I've got both, and have tossed a couple of the "2-for-$25" or whatever it was at Musicians Friend. I don't buy those anymore.

Here's a counterweight I have and keep on a boom stand that has a heavy mic on it: On-Stage Counterweight - 3lbs CW3 B&H Photo Video
 
"Here's a counterweight I have and keep on a boom stand that has a heavy mic on it"

K & M boom stand plus the above-mentioned counterweight is what I am using right now with my 414. It works beautifully, as the weight (when you balance the boom) takes a lot of load off the clutch mechanism and makes small adjustments easy.

I also have a cheap stand, bought years ago. The boom clutch broke, so now it's just an upright. You get what you pay for.

C.
 
My Thoughts

I have about 20 or so stands.
I hate... absolutely hate... tripod stands due to the tripping hazard and the fact that pretty much all my stands have short booms or telescoping booms.
The long fixed booms are an annoyance as well.

I really enjoy a decent made cast round base stand (like the atlas) with a 10 pound metal dumbell weight slipped around the upright pole sitting on top of the base.
You can tilt them like up 30 to 40 degrees off upright center with a heavy tube mic and they will wobble straight back up.

Yes... moving them around the studio is a little slower, but they take up minimal foot print and I have not found any mic too heavy.
Obviously for the boom it has to have a good tilt mechanism and I love the K&M ones best.

I get the weights for less than a dollar a pound so a 10 buck weight is cheap insurance for removing the tripod leg hazard and the heavy mic /bumping the stand issues also.

My experience anyway.
 
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