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HELP! tired of buying new stands every summer!!


tinfish

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just throwing it out there, I play a lot, and have a tendency toward abject gear abuse. I've always just bought whatever mic stands and speaker stands are the cheapest. I'm at the point now where I want to buy some stands that will outlive me. they have to stand up to whatever I decide to put them through, and I play a ton of outside gigs in the summer right by the chesapeake bay and atlantic ocean, so they will be exposed to salt air and the elements. this is the 3rd year running that I'm gonna need to buy stands, so what's everybody using and why? my biggest pet peeves: speaker stands where the tention knob/device/flange/whatever wears out (mine have screwdrivers shoved in them at shows now) and mic stand booms with that little rubber bushing in there that tears up and plastic bits that break/fall off/unscrew all the time.

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Quote Originally Posted by Miko Man View Post
K&M 210/9 B tripod boom mic stand. Made in Germany. Not cheap, but K&M has replacement parts available.

There was a recent thread in the Live Sound forum on the subject. Mark C.
Hmm, I just came into this thread because my boom stand isn't heavy duty enough to hold a large diaphragm mic at any distance. However, it's (you guessed it) a K&M 210/9. I need something more robust than that.

Miko, can you point us at the Live Sound thread?
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I have no idea what the brand is, but I beat the {censored} out of them too. I spent $70 at GC and they have a lifetime "replace at the door" policy. They're a great stand and there's absolutely no reason, with a policy like that, to buy anything else IMO.

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Another vote for K&M, although I do have one real 'antique' stand that I bought back in the early 70's that is still good, with a round cast iron base...[am I the only person who dislikes tripod stands because of the footprint? idn_smilie.gif]
The real trick with stands, especially if you use them outdoors is to make sure you clean them and lubricate the threads, or better, use a thread sealant like lok-tite. Sand and salt will definitely screw them up.

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Quote Originally Posted by pogo97 View Post
Hmm, I just came into this thread because my boom stand isn't heavy duty enough to hold a large diaphragm mic at any distance. However, it's (you guessed it) a K&M 210/9. I need something more robust than that.

Miko, can you point us at the Live Sound thread?
Pogo97,

Are you referring to a boom-stand for a studio-type application? I've got one of these, and it's a great stand. Very heavy, very stable, with a good reach. It's pricey, but it really does the job.

These guys are located in Montreal btw,

http://www.economik.com/km/21430/
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Quote Originally Posted by Bobby1Note View Post
Pogo97,

Are you referring to a boom-stand for a studio-type application? I've got one of these, and it's a great stand. Very heavy, very stable, with a good reach. It's pricey, but it really does the job.

These guys are located in Montreal btw,

http://www.economik.com/km/21430/
$380

$380!!!!!!

Maybe I need to build something out of 2 by 4s and big honkin' Ardox nails.
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Pogo97, is the issue with your K&M stand that the weight of the LDC mic pulls down the boom, or is it something else (like base stability)? I wonder if adding an additional counterweight to the boom would help. I seem to recall that a two pound/one kg counterweight is separately available from Atlas (or maybe On-Stage). You might try adding a temporary improvised counterweight to see if that fixes the problem. Mark C.

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Quote Originally Posted by tinfish View Post
I've always just bought whatever mic stands and speaker stands are the cheapest.
Right there is your problem. smile.gif

I have always been a buy once, cry once person. When you by cheap you are not saving money because you have to replace it from time to time as you have experienced which ends up costing you more money.

BTW, K&M is your friend.
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Quote Originally Posted by daddymack View Post
Another vote for K&M, although I do have one real 'antique' stand that I bought back in the early 70's that is still good, with a round cast iron base...[am I the only person who dislikes tripod stands because of the footprint? idn_smilie.gif]
I have 2 old atlas chrome stands that I freaking love. The boom broke many years ago, but the straight part is still great, minus the rubber bumpers on the bottom. Any source for replacing them?

I bought an atlas boom from sweetwater a month ago and I am happy again. I used some of those onstage crap tripod boom things and they suck and look bad. the atlas has a 2# counter weight which is is nice.

If you have to have the boom extended with a heavy mic, I recommend using a barbell-type weight on top of the base. I just slip it over the stand and it rests on top of the cast iron base.

http://i00.i.aliimg.com/photo/v0/521...pg_220x220.jpg
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Two years ago I bought a DR Pro tripod mic stand. Over the course of the year, I probably average 6-8 gigs per month (way more in the summer, far fewer in the winter). This thing is seriously heavy duty. It wasn't cheap, but I haven't had any problems with it. I keep it in a stand bag with my speaker stands.

The speaker stands I have are ProLine (I think). I've been using them for gigging for four years or so. They are certainly not heavy duty, but they've held up reasonably well. The base tension knob on one wore out. I went to Ace Hardware and found a replacement eye bolt that worked very well. The little rope that holds the pins on the stand broke long ago, but it's fine.

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Quote Originally Posted by pogo97 View Post
Hmm, I just came into this thread because my boom stand isn't heavy duty enough to hold a large diaphragm mic at any distance. However, it's (you guessed it) a K&M 210/9. I need something more robust than that.

Miko, can you point us at the Live Sound thread?
Quote Originally Posted by Bobby1Note View Post
Pogo97,

Are you referring to a boom-stand for a studio-type application? I've got one of these, and it's a great stand. Very heavy, very stable, with a good reach. It's pricey, but it really does the job.

These guys are located in Montreal btw,

http://www.economik.com/km/21430/
Quote Originally Posted by pogo97 View Post
$380

$380!!!!!!

Maybe I need to build something out of 2 by 4s and big honkin' Ardox nails.
Quote Originally Posted by Miko Man View Post
Pogo97, is the issue with your K&M stand that the weight of the LDC mic pulls down the boom, or is it something else (like base stability)? I wonder if adding an additional counterweight to the boom would help. I seem to recall that a two pound/one kg counterweight is separately available from Atlas (or maybe On-Stage). You might try adding a temporary improvised counterweight to see if that fixes the problem. Mark C.
Pogo97,

The stand I linked you to above, is a HUGE studio stand, with a 22lb. cast-iron base that is on lockable casters. There's a large counter-weight on the boom-arm, and the clutch assembly is designed to take the weight of a heavy LDC mic, even when the boom is fully extended. The boom-arm won't "slip" down, when it's fully extended. Fully raised, you can probably get something like 8' high to the point where the boom-arm attaches, and from there, you can get a reach of something like 7 feet.

Now, I posted that link for a reason. I'm not trying to say you should buy one. Pay attention to what Miko Man posted, because there could be a less expensive solution, to "fix" your current issue. I was going to ask the same questions as Miko Man. What EXACTLY is happening with your current stand? Is the boom-arm slipping down, because of the weight of the mic?(That's a clutch issue). Is the entire stand tipping over? (that's a lack of weight in the base issue) There are easy and inexpensive "fixes" for those problems,,,, and the visual clues can be found on that $380. stand I linked you to.

Lemme give you an example; Let's say your current boom-arm is fully extended horizontally, and you've got a heavy mic on the end of the boom. You turn the lock-nut on the clutch to lock the boom horizontal, but the mic slips slowwwwwwwly downward. It's annoying as hell, and the reason is, you can't get enough locking-pressure at the clutch,,,,, it slips no matter how tight that lock-nut is. Simply put,,,, you have the wrong type of clutch for the application. You can CHANGE that clutch,,,, K&M sells the parts. Or, you can buy a replacement boom-arm/clutch assembly, for something like $29.

So, what EXACTLY is the issue with your stand?
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Quote Originally Posted by Bobby1Note View Post
Pogo97,
Lemme give you an example; Let's say your current boom-arm is fully extended horizontally, and you've got a heavy mic on the end of the boom. You turn the lock-nut on the clutch to lock the boom horizontal, but the mic slips slowwwwwwwly downward. It's annoying as hell, and the reason is, you can't get enough locking-pressure at the clutch,,,,, it slips no matter how tight that lock-nut is. Simply put,,,, you have the wrong type of clutch for the application. You can CHANGE that clutch,,,, K&M sells the parts. Or, you can buy a replacement boom-arm/clutch assembly, for something like $29.

So, what EXACTLY is the issue with your stand?
that's the issue

so I'll see about changing the clutch and getting a bigger counterweight or just buy a heavier-duty boom assembly since I have another mic stand sitting around with no boom

thanks
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OK, so now we know the specific problem, and the fix, might be as simple as a piece of sandpaper, inserted between the mating friction surfaces of the "clutch". It depends how yours is made.

Another very simple and cheap solution, might be to change the tightening nut. Does your stand have a round knurled knob,,,, or a knob with "flats",,,something like a wing-nut,,,,,, or, does it have a tightening "lever"(with two knobs)?

The "lever-type" allows you to exert a LOT more pressure on the clutch, than the round and "flat" knobs do.

Here's a pic of the lever I'm referring to; it's actually called a Tommy-bar" (part# 53-791) click on the part, to enlarge.

http://www.canford.co.uk/Products/53...MY-BAR-AND-NUT

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Quote Originally Posted by Potts View Post
I think some of you guys are going overboard a little bit. I think he said he was sick of the bushings wearing out.

Dude $70 and a lifetime in-store replacement. It's a no-brainer.

DR Pro Mic Stand
I've got one of these, too, and a tough, steady, reliable stand. I didn't know they had a replacement policy, though. What has to happen to it to get a replacement? Mine has never broken, but it has gotten banged up (scratches, etc.) over time. I'd love to have a new one. Do gouges in the fiihs count?

Louis
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Quote Originally Posted by Louis Schwartz View Post
I've got one of these, too, and a tough, steady, reliable stand. I didn't know they had a replacement policy, though. What has to happen to it to get a replacement? Mine has never broken, but it has gotten banged up (scratches, etc.) over time. I'd love to have a new one. Do gouges in the fiihs count?

Louis
I returned it when I continually over-tightened boom part. Not sure about scratches wink.gif
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