DIY shockmount?

Brett Siler · Post by **Brett Siler** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 9:54 pm

I know lots of people do this. I would really like to know how because i can't really justify spend $50 or more on a shockmount. So, how do you guys do it?

blacklisted · Post by **blacklisted** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 12:29 am

wasnt this in a TapeOp not a few years ago?

i am interested to find out as well...

leftoverking · Post by **leftoverking** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 1:12 pm

well, this probably isn't the greatest shockmount in the world, but at the time it was made i had none. it's made from a 2" rubber plumbing junction with the two hoseclamps. i cut the ring off a rigid mic clip, tapped two small holes in the remaider of the ring and screwed it to the upper hose clamp. the bottom hose clamp is closed down so the mic wont fall out the bottom, and both are wrapped in electrical tape (no scratchy scratchy). a small piece of foam is wrapped around the mic, and it slips down into the rubber boot.

Brett Siler · Post by **Brett Siler** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 6:34 pm

Whoa thats crazy looking. I really need to build one for my Oktava Ribbon mic. If I were to buy one they are like $50. That seemes kinda silly when I could make one at the fraction of the cost.

apropos of nothing · Post by **apropos of nothing** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 5:09 pm

It was in tapeop a few years ago. I've got one that I made, and it works quite handily.

The basic recipe calls for: One bit of PVC-pipe coupling, a dremel or other small saw, three good-quality "continuous" hairbinders (less likelihood of a break), and a mic holder that you don't need anymore.

Measure 6 points at equal distances around your PVC coupling, mark'em off, dremel little divets into them. Do the same on the other side of the coupling. Attach the mic holder to the coupling in whatever way feels secure. (I used the bolt where the 58-style holder used to rock up and down -- the article showed a different way, but it wasn't very secure). route the hairbinders through the divets so that they meet up with divet directly across from them.

Put it on a stand, seperate a "hole" in the three binders in the center, and put your mic in. Lovely.

I spent only $95 on this project. Granted that $90 of it was for the dremel, but that's an infrastructure expense, and doesn't count, right?

apropos of nothing · Post by **apropos of nothing** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 5:21 pm

Here are some (crappy) pictures I managed to dig up of it:

Brett Siler · Post by **Brett Siler** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 6:10 pm

Hell yeah, thats what I'm talking about. I've got a Dremel so it looks like now all I need is the $5!

Thanks a lot!

winky dinglehoffer · Post by **winky dinglehoffer** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 7:57 pm

If you go with the PVC coupling type shockmount, keep in mind that pvc is used for both electrical work & plumbing, & for some reason couplings of equal diameter tend to be different lengths for each type. So compare the different sizes & see which will work best for your mic.

And wear a dust mask when you dremel the grooves for the hair thingies--pvc dust is kinda nasty.

Tom

blacklisted · Post by **blacklisted** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 9:47 pm

what would be a good place to get those hair thingys? I dont have dreadlocks, im not a metal head, and im definately not a girl so ive never really needed them before... (this is more of a joke than a serious question but any pointers would be cool... Wal Mart maybe?)

inverseroom · Post by **inverseroom** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 6:28 am

Inveterate loonball Gary Young still sells these for $25 at shockmount.com, and I've been using two of his for several years. They work great. If you don't have the time to work on it yourself, they're totally worth the money.

joelpatterson · Post by **joelpatterson** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 4:23 pm

I wonder if they teach this at Full Sail?

At an auto parts store, you find hose clamps--there's a size to fit your basic '57 style mic, any essentially tubular mic body. Then at a Wal-Mart, you find embroidery hoops--they're maybe 3 or 4 inches across, round hollow hoops. Then you string elastic (from the same fabric section) from the clamp and around the hoop and back to the clamp and around and around until you've suspended the clamp in the center of the hoop, like the elastic is spokes of the wheel from the hub (clamp) to the rim (hoop.) And then you dismantle the original threaded mic stand adapter and fasten it to the hoop.

The theory is when it's all assembled the mic is hanging suspended within the hoop, and the vibrations don't travel well across the webbing of elastic.

I can say from experience it's definitely better than nothing.

Scodiddly · Post by **Scodiddly** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 4:57 pm

The really imporant thing with all these shockmounts is that the elastic is loose enough to actually make it a shock-decoupling device. You want the mic to slowly bounce when bumped. If the mic stays rigid then there's little decoupling.

Also you want to put the mic cable into a loop, ideally of the thinnest cable available. A lot of mechanical noise can get in through the cable.

apropos of nothing · Post by **apropos of nothing** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 5:39 pm

blacklisted wrote:what would be a good place to get those hair thingys? I dont have dreadlocks, im not a metal head, and im definately not a girl so ive never really needed them before... (this is more of a joke than a serious question but any pointers would be cool... Wal Mart maybe?)

The drugstore nearest you should have a set for $1.380

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