Looking for an excellent solid mic stand

[Ignace Dhont]

I have had it with cheapo mic stands.. Can anyone recommend a solid,
easy to adjust mic stand that won't sag even under the burden of heavy
tube mics and is good for many years of daily use? Special feet to
minimize vibrations are a plus but not a must.

I'd be happy to turn my wallet upside down for a good model.

Regards,

Ignace

[Scott Dorsey]

Ignace Dhont > wrote:
>I have had it with cheapo mic stands.. Can anyone recommend a solid,
>easy to adjust mic stand that won't sag even under the burden of heavy
>tube mics and is good for many years of daily use? Special feet to
>minimize vibrations are a plus but not a must.

You want little stage stands, or big stands?

For small stands, the K&M types (which AKG resells as well) are pretty
reasonable.

For larger stands, it's often better to go with lighting stands with adaptors
(like the Avenger or Manfrotto stands), unless you want something like
the Manley Starbird.

>I'd be happy to turn my wallet upside down for a good model.

The newer Atlas ones are much flimsier than the old Atlas models, but
they are all still a lot more solid than the Chinese junk.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Harvey Gerst]

(Ignace Dhont) wrote:

>I have had it with cheapo mic stands.. Can anyone recommend a solid,
>easy to adjust mic stand that won't sag even under the burden of heavy
>tube mics and is good for many years of daily use? Special feet to
>minimize vibrations are a plus but not a must.
>
>I'd be happy to turn my wallet upside down for a good model.

Ignace,

micKing mic stands, at: http://www.latchlake.com/products/studioshop.asp

You can do chin ups on the boom arm.

Harvey Gerst
Indian Trail Recording Studio
http://www.ITRstudio.com/

[Jim Schley-May]

I've been quite please with the Tama MS205 Boom Mic Stand, about $40.
Feels very secure and rugged, but I haven't tried it with heavy mics.

Jim

[Buster Mudd]

Harvey Gerst > wrote in message >...
> (Ignace Dhont) wrote:
>
> >I have had it with cheapo mic stands.. Can anyone recommend a solid,
> >easy to adjust mic stand that won't sag even under the burden of heavy
> >tube mics and is good for many years of daily use? Special feet to
> >minimize vibrations are a plus but not a must.
> >
> >I'd be happy to turn my wallet upside down for a good model.
>
> Ignace,
>
> micKing mic stands, at: http://www.latchlake.com/products/studioshop.asp
>
> You can do chin ups on the boom arm.
>


I'll second that endorsement. Thought the micKing stand was *the*
coolest product at the last AES show.

[David Satz]

Ignace Dhont wrote:

> I have had it with cheapo mic stands.. Can anyone recommend a solid,
> easy to adjust mic stand that won't sag even under the burden of heavy
> tube mics and is good for many years of daily use? Special feet to
> minimize vibrations are a plus but not a must.

I'd suggest the heavy-duty Koenig & Meyer stand--I am trying very hard to
find the model number on their Web site, but it is a site, like AKG's or
Sennheiser's, for which the designer was so very, very smart that a person
cannot access information other than the one way in which the very, very
smart site designer wants it accessed. Sorry.

Anyway, perhaps you can find out the model number of the stand--it is
distinctly heavier than their other models, and also taller. It comes
with a companion boom arm which is longer and heavier than other K & M
boom arms. It's a very useful combination. I own a pair of them, but
unfortunately the model number is not marked on the stands anywhere.

http://www.k-m.de

[Benjamin Maas]

"Buster Mudd" > wrote in message
m...
> Harvey Gerst > wrote in message
>...
> > (Ignace Dhont) wrote:
> >
> > >I have had it with cheapo mic stands.. Can anyone recommend a solid,
> > >easy to adjust mic stand that won't sag even under the burden of heavy
> > >tube mics and is good for many years of daily use? Special feet to
> > >minimize vibrations are a plus but not a must.
> > >
> > >I'd be happy to turn my wallet upside down for a good model.
> >
> > Ignace,
> >
> > micKing mic stands, at: http://www.latchlake.com/products/studioshop.asp
> >
> > You can do chin ups on the boom arm.
> >
>
>
> I'll second that endorsement. Thought the micKing stand was *the*
> coolest product at the last AES show.

I finally saw that stand at NAMM this year... It has to be one of the
coolest, most stable stands I've ever seen.

--Ben

--
Benjamin Maas
Fifth Circle Audio
Los Angeles, CA
http://www.fifthcircle.com

Please remove "Nospam" from address for replies

[Samuel Groner]

What about the Manley Starbird Boom?
Samuel

[Ignace Dhont]

micKing looks like the one to go for!! Thanks for the tip.

I'll be looking at the Tama also (if it's a fair stand it's incredibly cheap).

Thanks,

Ignace

[Mike Rivers]

In article > writes:

> What about the Manley Starbird Boom?

You have to really need one. It's not a general purpose stand, and not
a very good choice for use in the studio (unless you have a studio
like an old movie sound stage). The Starbird is great when you need to
get a mic up 25 feet in the air and not take up a lot of floor space.

The Latch Lake Music stand will do that, too, but it looks a little
less attractive to the people sitting in the first row of the concert
hall.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

[Scott Dorsey]

Samuel Groner > wrote:
>What about the Manley Starbird Boom?

It's very expensive, but you could probably hoist a car engine with
it. Well, a small car engine.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Samuel Groner]

> Anyway, perhaps you can find out the model number of the stand--it is
> distinctly heavier than their other models, and also taller. It comes
> with a companion boom arm which is longer and heavier than other K & M
> boom arms. It's a very useful combination. I own a pair of them, but
> unfortunately the model number is not marked on the stands anywhere.

21411 2 m high, 4.8 kg
20800 3 m high, 4.6 kg
20811 4 m high, 9.5 kg

The arm for all of them is the 21231, another 4.0 kg.
Samuel

[Rich]

(Ignace Dhont) wrote:
> I have had it with cheapo mic stands.. Can anyone recommend a solid,
> easy to adjust mic stand that won't sag even under the burden of heavy
> tube mics

Has anyone had any experience (good or bad) with the Ultimate Support
A50 stand? Larger / tripod / casters/ boom version.
At $114 (Full Compass) is sounds like good bang for the buck....and
definitely cheaper than the traditional Atlas SB36W. I'm hoping it
works with the heaver mics. But I know it's no StarBird. Anyone?

Best...
Rich
Stolen Moments Audio

http://members.aol.com/stomoaudio

[Rich]

Oops...
I meant a _Quik-Lok_ A50 stand.

Best...
Rich
Stolen Moments Audio

http://members.aol.com/stomoaudio

[Jim Kollens]

Not to discourage you from the very fun activity of emptying your wallet, but I
never have trouble with my big Atlas stands when I have a couple of Black Audio
sand bags on the base. On the other hand, I would love to have one of those
old RCA stands I've seen in so many pictures.

[xy]

the latchlake ones people are chiming in about look real nice. the
key is the counterweight on the other side. the classic "fully
professional" mic stand is the Starbird that is on offer by
manleylabs. but it's kind of big (actually it's huge!). the
latchlake is still big, but i think it's a bit smaller than the manley
one, and probably a few hundred cheaper too.

[Michael R. Kesti]

Ignace Dhont wrote:

>I have had it with cheapo mic stands.. Can anyone recommend a solid,
>easy to adjust mic stand that won't sag even under the burden of heavy
>tube mics and is good for many years of daily use? Special feet to
>minimize vibrations are a plus but not a must.
>
>I'd be happy to turn my wallet upside down for a good model.
>
>Regards,
>
>Ignace

Check out the On Stage stands from Music People. At a mere $160, it seems
too good to be true, but if Mercenary's selling it... Right? It's
fittingly listed on their "What's Cheap" page. Or go straight to it at
http://www.mercenary.com/onststhexbas.html

--
================================================== ======================
Michael Kesti | "And like, one and one don't make
| two, one and one make one."
| - The Who, Bargain

[Ricky W. Hunt]

"Michael R. Kesti" > wrote in message
...
>
> Check out the On Stage stands from Music People.

I've mentioned before the On Stage stands (well, the booms at least) as
being my favorite. Simply for the reason they use a gear with teeth (at the
least the model I use does) instead of a compression ring. I've heard people
say teeth don't give you enough precision. Well, there's 52 teeth so if you
can't get correct positioning with it you can't get correct positioning at
all (considering it telescopes also, plus the swivel you have with most
shockmounts). If it's a simple sagging problem you are facing (and the stand
itself is not toppling over from the weight) just get something like this:
http://www.audiogear.com/cgi-bin/shopper.cgi?key=OstsMsa9501&preadd=action.
It's just the "gear" (the call it "Posi-Lok"). For $8 you can't go wrong and
it will hold anything you put on it. I actually got a "three pack" kind of
thing that has the gear along with a couple of different length pieces (all
that can be connected to each other for one long boom) and a telescoping arm
for like $20. Excellent deal. That was before Mars closed though. Here's a
full listing from one place: http://www.audiogear.com/OstsMicStands.html

[Mike Rivers]

In article > writes:

> the latchlake ones people are chiming in about look real nice. the
> key is the counterweight on the other side.

The other key is the design of the base. It's quite heavy, but since
it's built like a wheel with spokes rather than a solid disk like the
Atlas stands, the mass is concentrated out at the end of the lever arm
where it will do more good than at the center, close to the vertical
shaft. Also, the arrangement of the wheels is pretty clever. Tilt it
back and it'll roll, but set it vertical and the wheels are off the
ground so it's nice and stable.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

[Mike Rivers]

In article > writes:

> Check out the On Stage stands from Music People.

That looks a bit like an Atlas SB-36W only with an extra telescoping
section, and it's probably a good deal for $160.

There's an On Stage (I think) brand that's sold in music stores of ill
repute that's absolutely the worst piece of crap that ever was sold as
a mic stand. The tubing is thin, the threaded parts can strip easily,
and they're hard to adjust. I expect it pings pretty badly too. Roger
had a couple of them at last weekend's Jazz Festival (I expect he ran
out and bought them right before the festival just to have a couple of
spares). If I got the name wrong, please correct us.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

[Mike Clayton]

In article >,
(David Satz) wrote:

> I'd suggest the heavy-duty Koenig & Meyer stand--I am trying very hard to
> find the model number on their Web site, but it is a site, like AKG's or
> Sennheiser's, for which the designer was so very, very smart that a person
> cannot access information other than the one way in which the very, very
> smart site designer wants it accessed. Sorry.
>
> Anyway, perhaps you can find out the model number of the stand--it is
> distinctly heavier than their other models, and also taller. It comes
> with a companion boom arm which is longer and heavier than other K & M
> boom arms. It's a very useful combination. I own a pair of them, but
> unfortunately the model number is not marked on the stands anywhere.
>
> http://www.k-m.de

It's known as a drummer's stand in the K&M catalogue. I forget the model number.

[unitron]

(Jim Kollens) wrote in message >...
> Not to discourage you from the very fun activity of emptying your wallet, but I
> never have trouble with my big Atlas stands when I have a couple of Black Audio
> sand bags on the base. On the other hand, I would love to have one of those
> old RCA stands I've seen in so many pictures.


Hey, you can use those old Atlas stands to bludgeon someone to death,
what more could you want :-)
Seriously, though, has anyone ever worn out an Atlas stand (besides
the label)?

[Ignace Dhont]

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences! I'm going to spent this
rainy sunday afternoon sorting all the info out, to find the best mic
stands for my needs.

Again, thanks for helping me out!!!

Best wishes to you,

Ignace

[Willie K.Yee, M.D.]

I had a bunch of those. You couldn't get the clutch tight enough to
hold up a LD mic. I dumped them as soon as I knew what I was doing.
I got them from Muscian's Friend. Kept the carrying bag, though, but
had to replace the zipper pulls.

Got what I paid for.

On 21 Feb 2004 18:12:41 -0500, (Mike Rivers)
wrote:
>There's an On Stage (I think) brand that's sold in music stores of ill
>repute that's absolutely the worst piece of crap that ever was sold as
>a mic stand. The tubing is thin, the threaded parts can strip easily,
>and they're hard to adjust. I expect it pings pretty badly too. Roger
>had a couple of them at last weekend's Jazz Festival (I expect he ran
>out and bought them right before the festival just to have a couple of
>spares). If I got the name wrong, please correct us.
Willie K. Yee, M.D. http://users.bestweb.net/~wkyee
Developer of Problem Knowledge Couplers for Psychiatry http://www.pkc.com
Webmaster and Guitarist for the Big Blue Big Band http://www.bigbluebigband.org

[Roger W. Norman]

I'd agree with Scott on the Manfrotto stands. Big but light, and with the
proper adapters, no problems with mounting of mics. And usually quite
extensible. I ran across one at our local video/film lighting place and,
although not a Manfrotto, it was a good "replacement" for about $109 with
about a 52" reach and maybe 8' max height (sans boom extension).

For some instant info, look at B&H's website and then do some shopping.

--


Roger W. Norman
SirMusic Studio

"Scott Dorsey" > wrote in message
...
> Ignace Dhont > wrote:
> >I have had it with cheapo mic stands.. Can anyone recommend a solid,
> >easy to adjust mic stand that won't sag even under the burden of heavy
> >tube mics and is good for many years of daily use? Special feet to
> >minimize vibrations are a plus but not a must.
>
> You want little stage stands, or big stands?
>
> For small stands, the K&M types (which AKG resells as well) are pretty
> reasonable.
>
> For larger stands, it's often better to go with lighting stands with
adaptors
> (like the Avenger or Manfrotto stands), unless you want something like
> the Manley Starbird.
>
> >I'd be happy to turn my wallet upside down for a good model.
>
> The newer Atlas ones are much flimsier than the old Atlas models, but
> they are all still a lot more solid than the Chinese junk.
> --scott
> --
> "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Roger W. Norman]

Also look at www.blackaudio.com for some replacement clutches, etc., and see
if you can recover some of your investment in the stands. The tubing for
the stands is fine, so if you can replace some clutches and buy a couple of
sandbags, you could effectively save some bucks. I mean, the lighting place
I go to wouldn't sell sandbags if they weren't needed in the industry, you
know!

--


Roger W. Norman
SirMusic Studio

"Scott Dorsey" > wrote in message
...
> Ignace Dhont > wrote:
> >I have had it with cheapo mic stands.. Can anyone recommend a solid,
> >easy to adjust mic stand that won't sag even under the burden of heavy
> >tube mics and is good for many years of daily use? Special feet to
> >minimize vibrations are a plus but not a must.
>
> You want little stage stands, or big stands?
>
> For small stands, the K&M types (which AKG resells as well) are pretty
> reasonable.
>
> For larger stands, it's often better to go with lighting stands with
adaptors
> (like the Avenger or Manfrotto stands), unless you want something like
> the Manley Starbird.
>
> >I'd be happy to turn my wallet upside down for a good model.
>
> The newer Atlas ones are much flimsier than the old Atlas models, but
> they are all still a lot more solid than the Chinese junk.
> --scott
> --
> "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Steve Scott]

says...
> I have had it with cheapo mic stands.. Can anyone recommend a solid,
> easy to adjust mic stand that won't sag even under the burden of heavy
> tube mics and is good for many years of daily use? Special feet to
> minimize vibrations are a plus but not a must.
>
> I'd be happy to turn my wallet upside down for a good model.

Don't know what position of wallet-turning is required (list price on
their website is Small=$299, Medium=$349, Large=$399), here's one I
hadn't seen before: http://www.seemics.com/stand.html, called Ghost

Since SE makes "cost-effective" mics, maybe this follows the same
pattern? Let us know if you find one, or if someone else knows
price/quality?

Steve

[Kurt Albershardt]

Roger W. Norman wrote:

> I'd agree with Scott on the Manfrotto stands. Big but light, and with the
> proper adapters, no problems with mounting of mics. And usually quite
> extensible.

Check out the Avenger A410B (my favorite of the Manfrotto stands.) 13 feet with a lazy leg for uneven floors and available at $139 if you negotiate well.

[normanstrong]

> Ignace Dhont wrote:
>
> >I have had it with cheapo mic stands.. Can anyone recommend a
solid,
> >easy to adjust mic stand that won't sag even under the burden of
heavy
> >tube mics and is good for many years of daily use? Special feet to
> >minimize vibrations are a plus but not a must.
> >
> >I'd be happy to turn my wallet upside down for a good model.

The answers you've received so far seem to actually require a bank
loan in addition to turning of your wallet upside down.

What do you consider a solid, easy to adjust mic stand? Do you need a
boom? I bought a couple of Hosa MSB-138 stands w/boom for about $25
each. They also make it without the boom. I've never had the
slightest trouble with these stands. Of course my mics have weights
measured in ounces instead of pounds. The idea of spending $500 and
up on a mic stand seems strange to me. I'd certainly draw the line at
a stand that costs more than the mic.

Norm Strong

[Mike Rivers]

In article > writes:

> here's one I
> hadn't seen before: http://www.seemics.com/stand.html, called Ghost

I've seen these at NAMM shows, and in fact may have even mentioned
them in one of my earlier show reports. The base is a camera tripod
and the boom is reasonably sturdy. Notice the sandbag in the picture.
Don't leave home without it. The stand itself is quite light (a good
thing) and needs some extra mass to stabilize it.



--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

[david]

My (and my staff's) fave mic stand is the Atlas MS-20 stand with an AKG
telescoping boom model . (The Atlas adjustable boom kinda sucks.) The
MS-20 has a nice larger heavy circular base and is easy to position
with the AKG. Can hold a heavy mic in position no problemo. You can see
the Atlas here:

http://www.soniccircus.com/store/merchant.mvc?Product_Code=328729&Screen
=PROD

you can get it cheaper at Markertek, but they have the wrong picture
posted on their website.


Here's a picture of the very popular AKG telescoping boom. Accept no
substitutes!:

http://www.markertek.com/MTStore/store.cfm?framed=/MTStore/product.CFM?B
aseItem=KM-2111


For the larger ones mostly being discussed here, I'm glad to still have
the 80's version of the large AKG boom, popular in its day - the
currently availabe model is not as well constructed. You can hang a
pair of 87's up high on one and not worry about them moving. Nice heavy
counterweight. Keep your eye out for one of them.




David Correia
Celebration Sound
Warren, Rhode Island


www.CelebrationSound.com