Microphone stands for live use - Boom vs Gooseneck

[shawntp]

Ive started playing out (sitting playing acoustic and singing). I have a cheap ProLine boom stand from GC that is starting to have the rubber in the clamps break down so I am going to replace it. I mostly use it for performance but occasionally for home demo recording.

I have been thinking I'm not the biggest fan of boom mics (tripod feet taking up floor space, dealing with balance keeping the stand away from my guitar and out of the way of people I play with, worrying about bumping/droop/tipping, etc).

I also have started taking my iPad out and using it with mic accessories at home for recording and want to get an iPad mic stand mount also.

So with all this I am wondering if a normal round base mic stand with a simple goose neck on the top might be a better purchase (the specs of either are enough to use it seated). Anyone have any experience since I am a live performing newbie.

+

~ VS~



Potential iPad stand adapter:

[donh]

If you think your tripod is tippy, just wait til you try a decent-sized gooseneck or boom on that weighted-base pictured.

[shawntp]

Originally Posted by donh

If you think your tripod is tippy, just wait til you try a decent-sized gooseneck or boom on that weighted-base pictured.

Cool - thanks for your input, ive not tried them at all. Maybe I should just look for a shorter boom stand then. My current one is 42" tall from the floor with a boom arm thats ~36" so it feels like its always in the way.

I might look for a slightly shorter and better quality boom stand. Im always seated in a chair so I will never have the mic above 44" from the floor.

This one is about 8-10" shorter in height and boom length each:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/acces...83910000001000

[Bob Womack]

For years there was no other choice for boom users than a round-base stand. That's why they came up with the counter-balance on the Atlas boom.


At this point (1970s) the undersaddle pickup wasn't nearly as prevalent. A very typical setup for a singing guitarist at this point was a round base stand with a counter-weighted mini-boom for vocals and a gooseneck with a guitar mic clamped onto the main stand.

Bob

[alohachris]

Aloha Shawn,

I've tried lots of stands over five decades of gigging. As a soloist (who plays sitting down most of the time), I've often had very little space to deal with, playing on tiny "stages," tucked away in the shrubs at outdoor gigs or in the typical corner of the restaurant or lounge.

With such little available space, I've found that boom or counter-balanced mic stands are actually more in danger of being knocked over (by me, servers & patrons) than the heavy base-weighted types used with a gooseneck.

So I use a single weighted stand w/ gooseneck (both by On-Stage) for my vocal mic only for my solo gigs.

Because I use a dual-source pickup system in my gigging guitars (K&K/AKG 416 internal mic) I don't need a stand for my guitar setup.

Occasionally, I will add an external mic to my live mix. To do that, I simply add either a small clamp-on mic extension (On-Stage) or a clamp-on, adjustable mic bar (AKG) to the vocal mic's weighted stand. In that arrangement I may or may NOT use a second gooseneck - it all depends on the mic, room & space).

RE: Goosenecks. If you use a metal gooseneck (nylon is available), keep it lubed. They can make horrible, distracting sounds as they get older when pulled out of the way. Just a tip.

Where mic stand choice is really critical is for home recording. Typically, we use much better & more fragile condenser mic's for studio recording. All it takes is for a stand to tip over one time with a great mic on it & you're spending big money to fix it.

So for recording, I use weighted AND counter-balanced stands w/ lockable wheels. (I use Ultimate MC-125's & a Latch-Lake micKing 2200 for heavier LDC's ). Those won't tip over & thus destroy your great studio condenser mic's.

Another hint: don't bring your best mic's to a gig. Bring mic's that you won't be upset if they tip over. I've taken liberties with that one, but rarely. I keep my great mic's at home.

All the best at your gigs, Shawn.

alohachris

[donh]

fwiw, there are weighted-base stands that have a rubbery ring around the bottom rather than the three little feet of the Atlas-type. They are far more stable, but still not quite that of a decent tripod. And K&K, at least, makes good short booms that work well for a singer-player.

[El Conquistador]

Originally Posted by donh

fwiw, there are weighted-base stands that have a rubbery ring around the bottom rather than the three little feet of the Atlas-type. They are far more stable, but still not quite that of a decent tripod. And K&K, at least, makes good short booms that work well for a singer-player.

Hey Don, can you provide any links or pictures of these?
Steve

[buzzardwhiskey]

I have one of the Atlas MS25E's. The base weighs like 23 lbs. It's got an air suspension thing on the main shaft. It is a beast and it'll stay up at least as well and probably better than any tripod stand.

I normally pair it with the Atlas boom that has a 2 lb counterweight, but I may try a 13" gooseneck one of these days.... seems like a simple/cool solution sometimes.

[shawntp]

This one is a bit pricey but I am thinking I will search for a deal on it:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/KM25900

[pieterh]

K&M package the boom part as a separate item to the base, at least on their professional ranges. At the theatre where I work we usually buy the round base stands with regular boom upper halves. On the other hand the bases are very heavy and unless you unscrew them after the gig (time consuming and tedious) they are difficult to transport - a regular tripod stand is quicker to fold together and stow in its case/bag/back of the car!

Personally I prefer tripods as I can use the space between the legs for pedals/preamps etc. What's more, unless the mic is really really heavy then saving some of the boom as a counterweight should do the trick - unless you need the whole length to accomodate guitar etc, in which case I can't see a goose neck doing the job either.

Either way, see your mic stand as a proper investment in your gear. The Proline are Ok but a bit lightweight, choose the higher level products and match the base stand with the boom that suits you. One great thing about the products at this level is that you can always get spare parts, so if the rubber seals in the tightening mechanism start to go for example you can quickly get replacements.

[mchalebk]

I'm not a big fan of full sized booms for singing while playing guitar. As already mentioned, it's too easy for the counterweight to get knocked around. However, I also don't like goosenecks. I have a few mini booms that work really well. They don't provide the versatility that full sized booms and goose necks do, but they're all I need to move the stand away from my guitar. Here's a link to one model:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/acces...52054000000107

[ljguitar]

Hi Shawn...

My gigging partner and I play sitting down for coffee houses, library lunches etc, concerts, open houses and we stand when doing worship sessions at churches. Both of us are 'hefty' so we prefer booms with tripod legs since a goose neck sometimes puts then guitar too close to the center shaft of the microphone stand.

We also use an iPad on a small music stand that clips to the center post of the mic stand. This combination of stands is highly adjustable, and works for standing or sitting without being tippy at all.

Don't think we could pull it off with a round base and a full boom. But as you see, we don't extend the boom full, but split the difference and only use as much as we need to reach us and still be able to glance at the iPad.






I think it really boils down to what works for you.

My rig is based on my needs whether standing or sitting, and we carry our own mics and stands rather than depend on venues to have them.

By the way - we use the generic stand approach to the iPad since the dedicated cases only work with specific models of iPads. I've had both an iPad 1 and iPad 2 and the cases don't interchange. The little stand fits actual paper charts, and any tablet.

Hope this contributes to the discussion...

[kydave]

This is the type rig I used for decades playing solo. Tripods and booms suck for tight quarters. The first time a passing patron bumps the end of the boom sending the mic giving you a fat lip or chipped tooth, you will be more than happy to swear off booms unless your on a raised, roomy stage or in the studio.

I used a larger, heavier Atlas base than the one I through into the picture, but you get the idea.

[donh]

Originally Posted by El Conquistador

Hey Don, can you provide any links or pictures of these?
Steve

http://goo.gl/cq0Sq <-- link to K&M product page, the "anti-vibration rubber insert for noise filtration " is the bottom ring. I have seen this on one other stand and I believe it was an On-Stage brand unit, perhaps this model: http://goo.gl/S5GdP

[GmanJeff]

I prefer a tripod base stand with a boom. As others have noted, the tripod base affords room for floor pedals. A boom is much more versatile than a gooseneck, allowing you more adjustment range for distance and angle. Where you have plenty of room, you can use a more acute angle on the boom; if you're in tight quarters, where the boom might get bumped, you can have very little angle at all, and on shallow but wider stages you can even off-set the stand and boom so that the stand is off to one side while the boom positions the mic correctly in front of you. A tripod and boom usually can collapse down rapidly and more compactly for travel; you'd have to unscrew a gooseneck to reduce the total height of the assembly. Lastly, it's important to use a high quality product. Cheap stands and booms won't provide the stability of better units, and are more difficult to adjust easily.