Bartolomeo Posted December 9, 2004 Share Posted December 9, 2004 Sorry to trouble everyone with another fiddly gear question. I have the standtastic stand, which is great, with two tiers. I play mostly on the bottom keyboard, while seated on a drum stool, and stand up if I play the top keyboard. I'm also singing background vocals, so I have a mic. At present I have a mic boom adapter on the stand, and have a Quicklok telescoping boom, and a clip to hold the mic. The boom lacks a counterweight, and the mic tends to sink after I adjust it up and down a couple times, unless I retighten the lock every time I move it. In fact, overall, the boom is really just too wimpy to hold the weight of the mic and cable. I have a beta 58 which is not unusually heavy. Anyway, what does everyone else use? I like the telescoping boom because it doesn't project much beyond the side of the stand, but that doesn't do me any good if it isn't sturdy. I'm thinking of getting a longer, counterweighted, non-telescoping boom, which should work but will use up extra space and tend to trip people. Or I suppose I could use a floor stand, but that will use up a lot of space too. And then I won't be able to reach the locknut if I need to. Any advice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Pierce Posted December 9, 2004 Share Posted December 9, 2004 I use a very heavy-duty floor stand with boom. I forget the brand, but I'll look later. Anyway, the key for me is this -- I bought the boom brand new, and I never let anyone move the boom without loosening the nut. This way the nut doesn't become stripped, and it holds my mic as tight as you please. When moving it, I always loosen the nut, then tighten it, rather than just grabbing the boom and moving it. --Dave Make my funk the P-funk. I wants to get funked up. My Funk/Jam originals project: http://www.thefunkery.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted December 10, 2004 Share Posted December 10, 2004 I also stand and sit while playing live, and am currently using this: http://www.fullcompass.com/Products/pages/SKU--65602/index.html To raise and lower, you just squeeze the clutch trigger and release. The iron horseshoe base lets me get it close in by fitting it between one of my keyboard stand legs. I put a K&M boom on mine...a quality German-built boom that will let you adjust without loosining the pivot and wearing out, but I seldom do this...it's faster to grab the stand clutch. They are heavily discounted and shouldn't cost you much over $50. I once had a similiar stand from Quick-Lok, but it wasn't built as well and broke...lots of plastic parts including the base, which wasn't as stable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeT156 Posted December 10, 2004 Share Posted December 10, 2004 I have that problem too. I use a standard mic stand with a telescope boom. You're correct, the counter weight is not heavy enough to keep the mic in the same position. The "new" stands aren't threaded like the old stands use to be, they use a plastic clutch mechanism. They break, but a least you don't strip the threads (because there aren't any to strip) like the old style stands. I have a headset mic that I've been using in addition to my stationary mic and stand behind my Motif ES8. The only problem with it is it picks up my breathing when its close enough to amplify my singing. No quick and dirty answer that I know of. Maybe another poster has a better mouse trap. Mike T. Yamaha Motif ES8, Alesis Ion, Prophet 5 Rev 3.2, 1979 Rhodes Mark 1 Suitcase 73 Piano, Arp Odyssey Md III, Roland R-70 Drum Machine, Digitech Vocalist Live Pro. Roland Boss Chorus Ensemble CE-1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Fiala Posted December 10, 2004 Share Posted December 10, 2004 I also use a headset mic. I haven't had the issue with breathing noise that Mike describes. Maybe he's a heavy breather..... Tom F. "It is what it is." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre Lower Posted December 10, 2004 Share Posted December 10, 2004 Originally posted by Tom Fiala: I also use a headset mic. I haven't had the issue with breathing noise that Mike describes. Maybe he's a heavy breather..... Hey Mike, I also used a headset for a while, but dumped it for traditional mic because it was not working. Mostly my own fault, for I chose a condenser model which is way too sensitive for a live rock band...Anyway I now use an AKG D-3800 which I find superb, plugged to a TC Helicon VoiceLive. Before the VoiceLive I used to patch it through a small valved pre-amp. BTW, my bandmates insist that the headset was tarnishing a bit of our Rockn Roll image ... Now back to the stand aspect, I also used a telescopic stand which was attached to my keyboard stand, but found out that it rocked the mic too much due to the vibration of the stand (I do not exactly bang the keys, but the stand always rocks a little). I solved the problem replacing it by a standard floor mounted, counterweighed mic stand. No problems since then. "I'm ready to sing to the world. If you back me up". (Lennon to his bandmates, in an inspired definition of what it's all about). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeT156 Posted December 10, 2004 Share Posted December 10, 2004 Guys: Yeah, I guess I am a heavy breather. Overweight, out of shape, that will do it. Besides that, I tend to keep a lot of air in my lungs, use to be in sales, so I'm full of hot air....at least that's what I've been told. Like Bart, I use a Shure "ball" mic, in my case a good 'ole fashion SM58, which is too heavy for the counterweight on the boom. I end up tightening the boom routinely because it gradually gets lower as I play. It's a nuisance. Mike T. Yamaha Motif ES8, Alesis Ion, Prophet 5 Rev 3.2, 1979 Rhodes Mark 1 Suitcase 73 Piano, Arp Odyssey Md III, Roland R-70 Drum Machine, Digitech Vocalist Live Pro. Roland Boss Chorus Ensemble CE-1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bartolomeo Posted December 10, 2004 Author Share Posted December 10, 2004 I can see the value of a headset but they look waaay too geeky. We've gotta be entertainers, not just musicians, ya know. Besides, I hate being wired in and don't want the cost and fuss of wireless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattFacingSouth Posted December 10, 2004 Share Posted December 10, 2004 Originally posted by bartolomeo: I can see the value of a headset but they look waaay too geeky. Too early-90's Madonna-ish, huh? I tried to convince my drummer to wear a headset at one point, but it was mainly out of my desire for some on-stage comic relief rather than practicality. He didn't bite. If I'm doing the singing gig I use a boom stand attached to an Ultimate Apex. I don't have much problem with vibration - that thing has been a rock for me. "Modern music is people who can't think signing artists who can't write songs to make records for people who can't hear." -Frank Zappa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byrdman Posted December 11, 2004 Share Posted December 11, 2004 Anybody have sources for: Weights that clip on to the other end of a boom to make it balance better? Ball bearing filled sand bags that you use to beat the dru ^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H put on the bass of the stand to prevent it falling over. (Sand filled ones are no good - they leak sand) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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