Favorite tall mic stands?

[jazzbutcher]

Howdy,


What's your favorite brand of tall mic stand and why?? I'm talkin' something that's maybe 7-15' tall or more.

I'm looking around at different types/brands, trying to figure out what's sturdy and compact, but not crazy expensive.

I've seen plenty of tripod-like stands, made by stage gear companies, PA companies, lighting companies, photography companies, etc... These all seem somewhat similar, they fold up and they they end up with a thread on top to hold a mic or mic-positioner bar. The thing I dislike about these is that the tripod makes for a very wide base.

Somewhere, a while back, I had seen some stands that had large round or triangular bases (but very flat/low-profile), they looked like they were made by Atlas, they were 7-10' tall. However, I've not been able to find them in catalogs or on websites. These might be heavier than some of the tripod-like stands from AEA, etc... but they were appealing to me because they did not look ugly on-stage and were fairly low profile (important when you have a grumpy conductor or band-leader, etc). Does anyone know of where to find some stands like this? I wish I had a picture to share, but i can't find one.

What do you use when you need to get some mics way up high in the air?


thanks,

-dave

[robmix]

It's pretty tough to beat the old starbird. They get up there pretty high. I've got the Manley version and I like it quite a bit. If I had any complaint it would be that the base nuts and bolts come loose regardless of how tight I crank 'em. I suppose a bit of lock-tight would fix it.

[fifthcircle]

Photographic lighting stands are your friend for doing field work. They can get very high and don't weigh much. I use stands by Bogen (the 3076, aka Tallboy- goes 17 feet high) and some by Talon which are shorter but more sturdy. The Shure S15 is also good, but costs about double what the photographic stands cost.

--Ben

[jazzbutcher]

Ben,
What type of hardware ends up at the biddness end of those Bogen stands? What do you use to get it to a 5/8" mic-stand thread?

Do you have specific models that you like? Price range?

thanks,

-dave

[Remoteness]

If I'm not mistaken, There's a thread out there on this forum that spells out stuff about tall stands and such. Or maybe not -- it might only be about the collapsible ones. Either way, I trust it shall be helpful.

I believe Jon Daily, included a link to a couple of photographic supply website (B&H and others) where you can see the stands he was talking about.

We carry four K&M stands. (K&M is the company that makes stands for AKG and beyerdynamic) They are the largest stand they make. The look like a giant sized version of the standard tripod boom stand. So, I don't have a model number but, we got them at Sam's Arse a while ago.

Oh, one more thing. Check the bottom of this thread's page. There is now a Google search engine that finds key words in our threads. This Google system adds links to various retail outlets that have the stuff we're looking for... Hey, you never know, they may even have the stuff you're looking for.

[hollywood_steve]

The main grip / lighting stand companies are Bogen/Manfrotto/Avenger (that's all one brand!) and Matthews. Matthews also makes a new inexpensive line called the Revenger series. All of these three product lines include stands with the reach you are looking for in a variety of price ranges.

In the mic stand product sector, in addition to the Altlas and K&M brands, there are two high end lines; the Starbird from Manley that others have mentioned and the new stand from Latchlake music. These "deluxe" mic stands don't have the extensive range of sizes available from the grip stand companies, but you don't need adapters either.

All of these different stands have their advantages and disadvantages; which is my excuse for having parts from all of them. But if height is your primary requirement, its hard to beat one of those grip stands with 3 or 4 riser sections.

[jazzbutcher]

I guess this is the thread (about stand bags mostly) that mentions some of the different stand models that people like:

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/showt...ighlight=Bogen

Thanks to everyone for suggestions. I'll hit our local pro photo supply shop and see if I can score a Bogen stand or similar.

AEA's folding stands look great, as do some of the other heavy-duty boom stands, but I need something vaguely affordable that's at least 10', but I don't need a boom. If I can score a Bogen or similar for roughly $100 or so, that'd be good news.


thanks again,

-dave

[hollywood_steve]

If 10ft for $100 is your goal, check out the Revenger series from Matthews.

[Remoteness]

Dave,

Here is the link I was referring to...

Collapsible mic stand

Oh, by the way, How did your new splitter work out on those two remote dates? If you get the chance -- Why not tell us about the gigs.

[zemlin]

I have a pair of Quick-Lok A85 stands. It is a tripod base - the spread of the legs is adjustable when you setup the stand. It has a pretty good reach - and they are less than $90. The only downside (IMHO) is that the boom angle is not a smooth adjustment - probably 10 degree steps which can be quite a move when the boom is stretched all the way out.

Great stands for a budget price tho.