Shockmount Alternatives

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Mushu

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I was thinking about getting a USB microphone which doesn't have any shockmount options and I was wondering if there were any alternatives to shockmounts out there. I have heard that putting a rubber mousepad under the microphone would act as a shockmount. Does this work?
 
It depends where you put the mousepad before you put the mic on it. ;)


A shockmount suspends the mic so that it virtually doesn't have any hard connection with the stand/floor/table.
Mousepads are pretty hard...try putting a mic on one and then tap on the table next to it...the mic will probably pick up the vibrations pretty easily.

You might be better of just getting a shock mount.
 
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Do It Yourself:

Make a PVC microphone shockmount for $1.20
http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-PVC-microphone-shockmount-for-120/

Wire Monkey DIY Project: Shock Mount
http://www.wiremonkey.com/diy_shock_1.htm

Many more: http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source...6hAScqbmNBgAAAKoEBU_QohYn&fp=8631cdd35a4d476d

I just made a similar shock mount for my camcorder shotgun mic for about $4 rather than spend $75 for a commercial model that wouldn't work any better. You can adapt this idea to any type or shape of mic.

PVC pipe fittings and scrunchi hair cords are your friends....
 
You can just spend $10.00 to $30.00 and have one that's already made.
 
miroslav said:
A shockmount suspends the mic so that it virtually doesn't have any hard connection with the stand/floor/table.
Click to expand...

Not necessarily - a shockmount is something that protects the mic. from structure-born vibrations.

A cheap and effective solution is to stand the table stand on a vibration-absorbing pad. But make sure you use flexible cable and tie it ff to the stand to minimise vibrations coming up the cable.

A Mouse Mat is far too thin and ineffective, unfortunately (though it's better than nothing).
 
I like the idea of the DIY shockmounts. Very informational, thanks, although, the problem is that I was looking at the Blue Yeti microphone which is quite large in circumference so I don't suppose I can get a bigger pipe scrap that fits it (would look quite ugly, too!)

The vibration-absorbing pad idea seems good, too, but I've also heard attaching the microphone to a stand would just capture vibrations from the floor instead of the table which might be better.

Actually, maybe a foam pad would work a little better than the rubber mouse pad. Maybe both at once?
 
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A friend of mine had a big plastic coffee mug he made a mic cradle from. He cut the bottom and handle off of it and put several strips of peel-and-stick foam on the inside. They sell that foam at hardware stores for sealing around air conditioners. Then the coffee mug was attached to what was left of a standard Shure type mic clip so that it could screw on a mic stand.

I have my homemade mic mount, but much of the time I just mount my U87 on a mic stand with no shock mount and I don't seem to get any rumble or noise problems that way.
 
I've got to ask what serious mic doesn't have a shockmount available, or for which there isn't an after market option...?
 
Mushu said:
I was thinking about getting a USB microphone...
Click to expand...


Lets get a little more basic.

?Why are you buying a USB mic?

They're really mostly made for podcasting.
The converter chips are pretty basic and you'll have problems monitoring what you're doing.

If you're doing music, you should get a separate interface and standard mic.....

Here's a good guide and user-tested suggestions that work: http://www.tweakheadz.com/soundcards_for_the_home_studio.htm

(you'll want to bookmark and read through all of Tweak's Guide while you're there...)
 
Why don't you just blow the dust off of your wallet and purchase a real shockmount? [If the moths haven't already eaten your cash.] :eek:
 
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