Shock Mounts for SDC stereo pair? DIY / OTS / OL?

[Richard Monroe]

You could consider this, took about 30 seconds of looking:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

I own a few of those, Buzzard. They're OK, but made to fit a standard stage mic. Too big for most SDC's. Consider these:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=10439&Category=Recording_Accessories

If the dimensions are a little bigger, depending on the mic, check PMI Audio group under Studio Projects, mic accessories- replacement shock mounts for Joemeek JM27.

Good luck-Richie

 

[Wish]

I bought a couple of these for sdc's and they work pretty well.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SP20/

 

[miroslav]

For practical application in a small home recording studio, there isn't a real need for a shock mount. Unless you move your mics while recording frequently, which I have never seen done.

I think it depends on the room/floor/recording situation...and what the chances are of vibrations being transmitted up the stand and into the mic....or even up the cable and into the mic.

The use of a shock mount is more about reducing even further any possible noises from getting into the mic, and not so much about only using them in places that ARE full of vibration noise, though of course, there you would have to use them without a doubt.

Most of the mics I have came with some sort of hard mount and shock mount. I always grab the shock mount out of habit even though it's not a major necessity in my studio situation...especially with poured cement flooring and being that most times I’m the only one in there. I can stomp on the floor next to the mic and nothing transmits from the floor, the main source of possible vibration noise. Of course...if you have amps blaring away, especially bass and drums playing...that stuff DOES cause the stands and the mic cables to vibrate...and that's where the shock mounts also help.

It's really about small precentages of noise reduction...and every little bit helps.

 

[Shadow_7]

Most of my recording happen outdoors. So even if I'm nowhere near the mics, the winds and other things are having a field day in proximity. I've also added video to the kit, so sometimes I do have to move while recording. And maybe a little bit of disillusion that a little give will make the gusts of wind that much less influential / recorded.

 

[hairylarry]

Adapter adapt her, but what about after that?

Shadow,

That's sort of what I was thinking. And what I saw in the cap that goes on such pipes. Except for the solid side, cut to length already. I haven't been doing this long enough to have broken mic clips at hand. But I have parts from 4x <$10 OSP stereo bars. 4 of the mic screws are claimed by the headphone preamp to leave an air gap between it and the mobile pre. And one of the metal bars is toast after the great boom arm suicide of 2010. And most of the rest of them used in the above redneck rig. I kind of want the commercial ones because they're smaller, and kinder to the visual element. Actually I have more broken boom arms than mic clips.

Here's a link to an adapter.

http://www.amazon.com/Stage-MA100-M...60HG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1288045226&sr=8-1

The pipe is less expensive than the caps. Really easy to cut with a hand saw or power saw. You can get free scraps instead of buying a big piece.

I use these with dynamic mics and with pencil condensers. Not so sure how they would work with the larger condenser mics.

Thanks,

Hairy Larry

 

[Shadow_7]

Beleive it or not ..... radio shack on line has shock mounts for $12. each (LDC). And they work very well!

Unfortunately you can't shop Radio Shack online in the store, even if you have cash in hand. I tried for the battery for my camcorder. Ultimately I found a slightly different brand battery OTS at Best Buy for that camcorder. Despite their Sanyo Dealer status, they seemed to follow the ignorance is bliss mantra.

-----

My stereo bar parts will likely work well enough. Baring that, nuts and bolts abound around here. I even have some 4" PVC for part of a septic tank, but it's mostly covered with holes. Some choice parts at the ends, but not enough for a matched pair, given that one end is tapered to mate with the other. I was actually thinking of using it for a zeppelin framework. But the number of cuts kind of scares me. And coming up with a rounded end still has me stumped.

Most of my widdling is done via dremmel tool and wood chisel. There's a couple saws, but no real bench or vise to use properly. Plus I like things to be more symmetric and perfect-ish to be attempting hand sawing. To the point of probably printing labels with the cut lines and applying them before making a cut. Maybe even pre-drilling the corners to keep it pretty and on track. So it'd probably take me 3 hours for the first one. Plus that PVC stuff isn't easily cut without the right tools.

 

[Shadow_7]

I guess I opted for DIY. If only because if it breaks, I can replace it same day with OTS parts.

Inspired by this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unoVvswAPn0

I made these:

And except for my fake fur rubbing on the casing when I stress test it, kind of nice. Heavy, but nice. I added one hair band to pull down on the mic cable to keep them from sagging. And a 6" hose clamp on the shell to keep the cut from having potential to rattle against itself. Otherwise mostly to the T on that clip. Subbing in stereo bar center shafts for mic clip, so probably more than $60 for the total parts ($40 for stereo bars). And it's heavy enough that I could probably use a pair of short boom arms to help angle them. But for now angling one full sized boom arm to counter the tilt. Which I guess also helps to keep the weight over the center of the mic stand.

 

[moresound]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder shadow but, this looks to be a great set up you made!
Now take it all apart scuff up the PVC and paint in black and put it back together.

 

[Shadow_7]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder shadow but, this looks to be a great set up you made!
Now take it all apart scuff up the PVC and paint in black and put it back together.

And put two hair bands on the top to keep it more center-ish. I sort of intended to fly them upside down, but oh well. And deeper grooves in the back side so I can make a pentogram out of left over hair braids.

Any recommended scuffing material? The dremmel didn't seem to do much scuffing, not shiny smooth, but hardly paintable. Or do I even need to do that these days with Krylon? As I dig for that M-Nu or whatever it was called from the Army days to repaint subdued insignia.

 

[moresound]

And put two hair bands on the top to keep it more center-ish. I sort of intended to fly them upside down, but oh well. And deeper grooves in the back side so I can make a pentogram out of left over hair braids.

Any recommended scuffing material? The dremmel didn't seem to do much scuffing, not shiny smooth, but hardly paintable. Or do I even need to do that these days with Krylon? As I dig for that M-Nu or whatever it was called from the Army days to repaint subdued insignia.

A and palm sander with a heavy grit sand paper should do the trick shadow.
If you don't do that the paint will scratch off very, very easily.

 

[Shadow_7]

A and palm sander with a heavy grit sand paper should do the trick shadow.
If you don't do that the paint will scratch off very, very easily.

I was thinking that it was more or less to keep it from being shiny.

-----

I guess I should add that I didn't drill the hole for the screw driver per the YT clip. Why? Because where the PVC is cut, it opens up plenty wide to stick a screw driver through. It's kind of scary how flimsy the PVC gets after it's cut.

I just listened to the clip I made while walking around the yard. It's very interesting what you DON'T hear when using shock mounts. I always thought that I didn't really need them, that my mics weren't that sensitive, but now I'm seeing that while not overly problematic, there is definitely a benefit to having and using shock mounts.

 

[moresound]

One thing you have to watch out for is holding the pole to tightly. A pro hand boom holder must gentle hold the pole if not you can actually transmit to the mics your heart beat etc. Tricky, tricky once you crank up the pres to full.

 

[Shadow_7]

My most common non shock mounted noise was the mic cable hitting the stand while I walked, or with the wind. Plus the grip shifting as you pick up the mic stand. And the kicking of the extended tripod leg at the base. Not that I do much in motion recording. (until now). The new rig is kind of heavy combined, but a good sized gooseneck is probably equal in weight, if not heavier. And various other gains in background mush that seems less severe shock mounted.

 

[John Willett]

For an SDC pair I would use (in fact *do* use) the Rycote InVision series.

Only £30 each, unbreakable, don't deteriorate with age (like elastic or rubber O-rings do) and technically isolate better than all other types.

Article HERE (nb: link is to a PDF).

 

[John Willett]

My most common non shock mounted noise was the mic cable hitting the stand while I walked, or with the wind. Plus the grip shifting as you pick up the mic stand. And the kicking of the extended tripod leg at the base. Not that I do much in motion recording. (until now). The new rig is kind of heavy combined, but a good sized gooseneck is probably equal in weight, if not heavier. And various other gains in background mush that seems less severe shock mounted.

Actually the cable is a large transmitter of noise, even if you do have a shockmount.

To overcome this, I use the Rycote S-series XLR tails. This is a short flexible XLR tail that goes from the mic. through the cable-grip on the shockmount to isolate the mic. I then connect the normal mic. cable to this.

 

[Shadow_7]

I tend to do more outdoor stuff, so having a stiffer cable helps with those wind oddities. And my mics are not quite that sensitive. Just more sensitive than I had previously realized. Someday I'll upgrade mics, but probably not this week.

Anyway I made the groves deeper so now I have my pentagrams, which actually works out pretty good to help aim the mics. Slightly downward at the moment. As I wonder that if I put the camcorder in a bigger hub (12") and then put these on top(4"), does that make me a member of the mickey mouse club?

 

[John Willett]

I tend to do more outdoor stuff, so having a stiffer cable helps with those wind oddities.

But they will transmit noise to the mics.

Personally I would use a flexible tail and the normal cables after that.

 

[Shadow_7]

But they will transmit noise to the mics.

Personally I would use a flexible tail and the normal cables after that.

I probably will, eventually. But can I buy those OTS at GC? And are there cell phone shielding issues? I'm more worried that if I do go that route, that they'll be flapping in the wind and not just transmitting noise, but generating it with proximity to the mics. In terms of annoyances, given that most of my stuff is audience perspective, and outdoors, that one is very minor. I went this particular route as a pre-cursor to a zeppelin. Once zeppelin-ized, a flexible tail might be feasible and desired.

 

[Shadow_7]

Since 4" PVC couplings are only $1.27, I've started work on version 2.0. I wasn't particularly fond of the flimsy aspect of a fully cut PVC. And with a 4" coupling that stretches the hair braids too much IMO. Plus I wanted two brace points to better aim the mics. And mount the clip (WIP) towards center mass. But here's the mostly cut prototype.

 

[moresound]

Since 4" PVC couplings are only $1.27, I've started work on version 2.0. I wasn't particularly fond of the flimsy aspect of a fully cut PVC. And with a 4" coupling that stretches the hair braids too much IMO. Plus I wanted two brace points to better aim the mics. And mount the clip (WIP) towards center mass. But here's the mostly cut prototype.

Hey shadow .... looks to be ok but the picture is a bit dark get some more light on that and post an other picture please.