Mic stands in 2022?

[The Scum]

What's the current consensus on quality mic stands these days?

Long ago, it was Atlas, or go home...and Atlas is now a shadow of that dominant force.

10 years ago, it seemed like Tama made the best stands that were easily available in the US (anyone who carried their drums could order them). K&M were good, but harder to come by. Then there were all of the B-tier brands (OnStage, et al), cranking out inexpensive & flimsy stands that came in multi-packs.

But it seems like there are some newer companies & product lines that are a step above the flimsy stuff: Gator Frameworks looks like OnStage's heavy cousin, Ultimate Support have a handful of interesting looking lines.

If I want a few more stands to go alongside my trusty Tama's, do I get more of the same, or are there others worth looking at? Anything affordable made in North America?

[KuruPrionz]

I'm more or less a K&M guy at this point.
I bought two of the in the late 80's that have never given me any problems.
I've added a few more of them recently, somehow microphone stands end up in the tools rack at Goodwill.
I buy the ones that are stamped "Made In Germany". I think the most I've paid is about $12 and some were less.

That said, I'd love to have a couple of truly professional heavy duty mic stands. Latch Lake or equivalent.
Those don't run cheap but you only need to buy once.

The Chinese made stuff is slowly improving but I still see many at thrift stores that are hosed and not worth having.

As my photography mentor once said to me "Buy nice or buy twice." He also said "Two is one and one is none."

True for audio gear as well as cameras and lenses.

[Scodiddly]

K&M is still the leader. Though the Gator stands are probably pretty decent, their other Frameworks gear is good.

And the Atlas roundbase straight stands are still fine. Their booms were never all that great, but an Atlas straight stand with a K&M boom is solid choice.

[losthighway]

I'm more or less a K&M guy at this point.

That said, I'd love to have a couple of truly professional heavy duty mic stands. Latch Lake or equivalent.
Those don't run cheap but you only need to buy once.

I'm the exact same.

I will say that for short stands, the kind you need more of for drums and amps (maybe it's all those lighter dynamic mics), the quality is a little less important. The taller stuff for vocal mics and overheads seem to require better mechanics.

[digitaldrummer]

I have a couple K&M's and I think the base part is nice. I have a K&M telescoping boom on one though that has plastic parts that I'm not as impressed with (in fact when I ordered it, one was broken and had to be replaced).

I have had really good luck with the "DR Pro" brand that Guitar Center and Musician's Friend sell though. Not sure who really makes those (most GC/MF house brands are OEM). They look a lot like the K&M base, but the telescoping booms are better IMO. I don't try to hang a U47 from one (but it will hold it close to center). this is what I have the most of in my studio (short and tall stands around the drums and for other instruments, etc.)

For heavy mics, or long boom positioning, I have 3 of the Ultimate Support MC-125. Now those also use some plastic parts, but originally they had a Limited lifetime warranty and would send you parts (and I got some replacement parts for free). Bu the "lifetime" is define as 7 years, so it's not forever. Mine are now older than that and although they do still work pretty well, some of the plastic clutches (especially on the boom) will slip. I use 2 of these for my drum overheads and the other is usually for vocal mic duty.

[standup]

For the heaviest, bulkiest mics I use I got a Latch Lake base and put a K&M arm on it, seems like a luxury combination. LL boom arms are pricey, thus the K&M.

[Nick Sevilla]

For large stands, either On Stage Stands, or Latch Lake.

For smaller stuff, almost any brand will have plastic parts that fail a few years in. So get some that you can repair yourself, with parts which are actually available.

I have three of the small "guitar amp" stands from Pro Line, had them for over a decade without issues.

The trick to the standard size stands is to store them with all moving parts loosened a bit. That way the parts last longer.

[permanent hearing damage]

K&M have gone downhill in recent years. The ones I bought back in 2001 are doing better than ones I bought within the last 5-7 years. I’ve already had to replace parts on the newer ones while the old guys are going strong.

I will say that even the bigger K&M I wouldn’t trust with my money mics placed up high. Those super huge On Stage booms are actually pretty damn good for that purpose.

[roscoenyc]

The heavy duty Atlas stand with the suspension in it is still a great one.
I think everybody ought to have at least one for their 'good' vocal mic.
Super solid and stable.
https://vintageking.com/atlas-ms25e-pro ... sion-ebony


The Triad-Orbit stuff is mighty good too. Next level stuff. They have definitely come up with the best version of the Quick Release out there.
https://vintageking.com/catalogsearch/r ... mic+stands

[I'm Painting Again]

said it before..

some of the newer design cheaper asian (non stainless steel) c-stands have long arms with 1/4-20 an 3/8-16 male threads on the ends

namely the flashpoint brand adorama in NYC sells

they work great for booming out mics about 40" and have a riser range of about 5 -10 feet high cost like $130 shipped

with those threads on the ends of the arms you can put a 3/8-16 to mic thread ball joint and i think get comparable if not better performance compared with something like the atlas of LL

they take up a lil more floor space than those however but not much and that adds stability when booming - you can sandbag them just like on a photo set if you really want to anchor them

unfortunately i'm not aware of the "gary coleman" 20" riser size from them which would be pretty cool for getting lower

[I'm Painting Again]

the triad-orbit stuff does look good too

[jimjazzdad]

said it before..

some of the newer design cheaper asian (non stainless steel) c-stands have long arms with 1/4-20 an 3/8-16 male threads on the ends

namely the flashpoint brand adorama in NYC sells

they work great for booming out mics about 40" and have a riser range of about 5 -10 feet high cost like $130 shipped

with those threads on the ends of the arms you can put a 3/8-16 to mic thread ball joint and i think get comparable if not better performance compared with something like the atlas of LL

they take up a lil more floor space than those however but not much and that adds stability when booming - you can sandbag them just like on a photo set if you really want to anchor them

unfortunately i'm not aware of the "gary coleman" 20" riser size from them which would be pretty cool for getting lower

Yeah, photographic light stands work really well for room mics, drum OH, anywhere that you need to get mics up high. I'm a big fan of Manfrotto - a little more pricey that flashpoint, but really well made, top-drawer stuff. And, yes, they come in gary coleman sizes.

[The Scum]

That's actually a good point: I think I'm set for really tall stands - I've got an old Atlas, a Latch Lake 2200, and a pair of Avenger c-stands. Among that roster, the c-stands + shot bags are easier to adjust and more stable than the others. I could do a monster Decca tree if it was ever called for.

I've also got some good shorties - the little Tamas are good, but hard to press into medium-range duty - they can't reach over the top of a rack tom, for instance. I've got a couple of cast-base ones for floor duty, also.

I was really asking for recommendations of normal tripod + boom stands. It looks like the Tama MS205 is still competitive, as the equivalent K&M, Gator and DR Pros and all right around the same price. Might as well stick with the ones I know.

Thanks all!

[I'm Painting Again]

said it before..

some of the newer design cheaper asian (non stainless steel) c-stands have long arms with 1/4-20 an 3/8-16 male threads on the ends

namely the flashpoint brand adorama in NYC sells

they work great for booming out mics about 40" and have a riser range of about 5 -10 feet high cost like $130 shipped

with those threads on the ends of the arms you can put a 3/8-16 to mic thread ball joint and i think get comparable if not better performance compared with something like the atlas of LL

they take up a lil more floor space than those however but not much and that adds stability when booming - you can sandbag them just like on a photo set if you really want to anchor them

unfortunately i'm not aware of the "gary coleman" 20" riser size from them which would be pretty cool for getting lower

Yeah, photographic light stands work really well for room mics, drum OH, anywhere that you need to get mics up high. I'm a big fan of Manfrotto - a little more pricey that flashpoint, but really well made, top-drawer stuff. And, yes, they come in gary coleman sizes.

avengers are like twice the price - def nicer - they're made for heavy duty work and in the rain - stainless steel

theres no threading on the long arms and they're not spring loaded like the new asian made designs

for use inside the flashpoint definitely do the job - i have avenger matthews kupo and some flashpoint

[alexdingley]

About 12yrs ago, a client of mine bought a whole studio’s worth (like 16 standard boom and 4 short boom) from D&R, which may have been the Musician’s Friend knock offs of K&M (not sure), but honestly… they’re all solid AF. After about 4yrs, that client realized his vanity project was coming to an end, and had me sell off all the gear… giving me some of the gear in payment. I got about a dozen stands & 2 Beyerdynamic m160’s.

Been happy with the stands and mics ever since. I think I had one stand’s set-screw strip out, but other than that… they’re all tight & sturdy still.

I did buy one of those On Stage tall booms with the weighted base on rollerblade wheels. It works fine, but the base isn’t heavy enough for a pair of heavy mics to be way out / up high… so I added two 25lb barbell weights to the base. Thankfully the primary shaft of the stand fit through the weights perfectly. Frankly, an extra 2x 25lbs is overkill to keep this stand in place and upright, regardless of the mic I choose — but I figured that the stand barely moves so it's as good a place as any to store 2 weights — and if I ever got to the point at which I needed a second tall boom, I'd buy another of these cheep On Stage tall booms in a heart-beat, and then I'd have a single weight on each one.