elegant tall mic stand... by IKEA

[studer58]

When you walk into a home lighting store...what does a typical Remotester think of ....? Microphone stands of course ! That's what inspired me when I visited my local pro-audio hardware supply shop (IKEA) last weekend. The Grundton light floor-stand base was going out on special for $9.95 each, so I bought 3 of 'em. That gives you around 332 cms (130"/10.9 foot) of vertical height. The best thing however is that the vertical pole is very thin (0.43" or 11mm) and is hollow (the power cable for the light runs through it, and you could even pass a modest diam stereo mic cable through it if desired, which would give you complete mic cable invisibility if that's important to you). The floor support base is 9" x 9" but doesn't quite give enough mass to inspire confidence that a decent nudge wouldn't knock it over, so I drilled a slightly bigger diam hole in a second plate and slipped it over the first to double the weight to 2.5kg/5.5 pound. The individual poles are either 17" (43cm) or 14'5" (37cms) and are all threaded on both ends, being joined together via small threaded joiner inserts (see attached photo) After the base is made you simply screw together as many of the individual element poles as you need to get your required height. This gives you a VERY small, flat footprint for the base, unlike any Manfrotto or similar tripod base you might usually use...and the thin diameter of the vertical pole is unmatched by any commercial stand I'm aware of. I tried to tip over the completed stand...you need to displace it to about 40 degrees off vertical before it will tip over, more than that produced by a casual bump by a musician on stage (if they're seated at least !) The T bar is created by cutting a 17" pole in half, and using it's threaded insert to screw it into a home garden 13mm 3 way joiner pipe..it's a perfect, snug fit, with no slop or movement. Here comes the only complicated step..you need to obtain a short section of 3/8" threaded bar (or cut a bolt to about 2" length) which is screwed into a typical brass mic holder insert/converter. Push this into the cut end of the T-bar, drill a small diam hole through both the T bar and the 3/8 threaded bar and pop rivet (or tap screw) it in place to stop and movement of the end. Add some Loctite thread glue and screw on your 5/8" clip holder. Repeat for the other side of the T bar. Total length of the horizontal span of the bar is 18" or 46cm. Screw this into the vertical pole (best done by tipping it off vertical and pulling it down towards you), add omni mics and velcro/gaffa your mic cables to the stand and you are done ! I tried it last weekend and it works fine. It does much to blend into the minimal aesthetics of an uncluttered stage...and hence makes it much more likely you'll be able (and allowed willingly) to place your spaced array exactly where you'd like to between your target ensemble. Cost = around $35
I forgot to mention you need to hacksaw off the light globe fitting on top, and cut the power cable and remove it from the assembly.
Pros: light, inconspicuous, elegant, easy to move
Cons: takes a little longer to assemble than simply sliding up the elements of a telescopic stand, adjustable only via increments as large as the pole elements (just add more for greater height), shock/vibration isolation as yet unknown (anyone have any suggestions ?)...I imagine shock mount mic holders will do this task. I haven't prettied-up the elements in the photos, but a spray of matte black will do the trick tomorrow.
Here's the link to the item in IKEA...I'm assuming it'll be readily available worldwide:
IKEA | Shades, bases & cords | Bases & cords | GRUNDTON | Floor lamp base

A final tweak I'm going to add tomorrow will be to use a domestic silicone glue gun to force some bathroom grade liquid silicon into the pole pieces (should help to damp vibration and stop any 'ringing' of the stand) If still unstable, I guess I could always add a weigh-lifter's flat bar bell to the base ? Any questions or advice for refinements are most welcome !

[studer58]

can't see any of the pics I thought I had attached to the original post, so I'll try them again........

[studer58]

...and a few more pics ! Additional link to the Grundton lamp stand floor base: IKEA | Shades, bases & cords | Bases & cords | GRUNDTON | Floor lamp base (that's the regular Australian $ price, but was on special for under $10 last week)

[jacktadoussac]

Seriously, with Australia's grave shortage of indoor plumbing, folks there are forced to go to IKEA to scavenge a mic stand from a lighting fixture?

Sounds way more cost-effective than those pricey Latch Lake and K&M mic stands...and I'm sure most Aussies have plumbing: they're probably using some high end composting toilet that would put the rest of us to shame.

[NorseHorse]

Finally I can get that Phoenix to strap across my 2-buss I've always wanted...

PHOENIX COMPOSTING TOILET

[Enginearing]

Originally Posted by studer58

and is hollow (the power cable for the light runs through it, and you could even pass a modest diam stereo mic cable through it if desired, which would give you complete mic cable invisibility if that's important to you). Any questions or advice for refinements are most welcome !

but not the connectors right? (i am guessing here) you'd have to cable the stand permanently, i guess leaving enough slack for folding when dissembled, (kinda like newschool dome-style tents.) This in turn would mean that you'd have yourself a completely fixed height stand?

still... its only a couple of bucks and is anyone really shocked by seeing leads trailing up a mic stand? i's be putting an extra shot bag or two on for ballast.

[Space Nugget]

Originally Posted by NorseHorse

Finally I can get that Phoenix to strap across my 2-buss I've always wanted...

PHOENIX COMPOSTING TOILET

LOL that is brilliant!!

[gareth.h.rees]

Argh, they don't seem to be available in UK

[studer58]

Originally Posted by Enginearing

but not the connectors right? (i am guessing here) you'd have to cable the stand permanently, i guess leaving enough slack for folding when dissembled, (kinda like newschool dome-style tents.) This in turn would mean that you'd have yourself a completely fixed height stand?

still... its only a couple of bucks and is anyone really shocked by seeing leads trailing up a mic stand? i's be putting an extra shot bag or two on for ballast.

yes, you guess right about the connectors...for Ikea's "flat packing" purposes the stand does indeed come with "pre-loaded" cable (ordinary twin core mains flex) so that gives you an idea of the diameter of cable you'd need to thread through the centre ...and also through those several aluminium threaded joiners. It is indeed like those domestyle tent poles with the inner-cords. Main difference is that Ikea intended that there be no continual flexing of that cable via repeated assembly/disassembly, in the way that we envisage it for location use. I'd worry that the repeated flexure of the cable in this way over time would fatique and damage the screening and inner cores of any mic cable of thin enough gauge to fit through the cores of the poles, even after leaving a little slack like you mentioned. Yes...you'd also be stuck with a fixed height pole !
I'm quite happy to tape mic leads to the stand....it's just interesting to see a stand configuration where the diameter of said mic cables are likely to be similar to (possibly even exceed) that of the stand itself !!

[studer58]

Originally Posted by jacktadoussac

Seriously, with Australia's grave shortage of indoor plumbing, folks there are forced to go to IKEA to scavenge a mic stand from a lighting fixture?

Sounds way more cost-effective than those pricey Latch Lake and K&M mic stands...and I'm sure most Aussies have plumbing: they're probably using some high end composting toilet that would put the rest of us to shame.

One man's scavenge is another's innovation...no shortage of plumbing hardware here, just the water to go through it ! If your location seriously considers Ikea stand diameter (11mm) tubing to be a valid alternative to plumbing pipe, you must have pretty odd domestic water pressures there ?
Norse...do you think the bridge out to that Phoenix composter is optional or mandatory ?

[studer58]

Originally Posted by gareth.h.rees

Argh, they don't seem to be available in UK

When I sent that (cached) link to the US Ikea site there was a broken link to the actual item also...so perhaps it's a discontinued stock line and they were discounting it to move remaining supplies ? You could try to get it from other European Ikea stores...or, looking at the abundance of style types at Ikea (with minor variations betwen each) you may well find a similar item with a different name and colour in their catalogue, eg see the floor lamps under the Lighting section:
IKEA | Lighting | Floor lamps

[fifthcircle]

Interesting idea... I must say, though, that I look at the big top and the small bottom and I can't help but wonder how stable it is... How do you rectify the stability to keep your $2000+ pair of mics safe with the aesthetic look of the stand? Gravity isn't nice to mics.

--Ben

[Remoteness]

I felt the same way as Ben when I saw your stand project.

I trust the base is heavy enough, but will it be stable enough?

[big country]

Powder Actuated System - Hilti USA

that or get a concrete bit, drill holes and stuff it with 16 penny nails

[studer58]

Originally Posted by fifthcircle

Interesting idea... I must say, though, that I look at the big top and the small bottom and I can't help but wonder how stable it is... How do you rectify the stability to keep your $2000+ pair of mics safe with the aesthetic look of the stand? Gravity isn't nice to mics.

--Ben

I thought I'd give an update and add a few more pics besides. I weighed the base (which is actually 3 of the light stand bases screwed together to make 1 massy plate) and it's 3.6kg or 7.9 pounds, which makes it plenty bottom-heavy enough to hold a couple of SD mics up a few feet in the air ! I've had no near mishaps in the dozen or so concerts I've recorded with them...although you wouldn't want small children running around near them ..... The IKEA brand of floor lamp I used is still available in the US and elsewhere, and has changed it's name to Hemma: IKEA | Shades, bases & cords | Bases & cords | HEMMA | Floor lamp base and the way I built mine you'd need to buy 3 of them at $10 each. The only disadvantage regarding adjustability is that vertical height is determined by the number of 12 - 14" sections you screw together via their pre-threaded ends, but I'm working on a telescoping adaptation to that. Apart from the carbon fibre ONNO stands mentioned elsewhere in this forum I doub't you'll see a thinner mic stand anywhere around, certainly not one available commercially. As a further refinement I've added an adjustable spacer bar with marked gradations for mic separation, using another IKEA product, the $3 Tacksam curtain rod (no, not Tascam). I'll give some constructional details for that in the next post.

[studer58]

Ok, so the fixed width AB spacer bar I had on the original was fine, but a bit limiting (ie non-adjustable for width)...and IKEA came to the rescue again with it's $3 Tacksam curtain rod: IKEA | Search result

It has some great little sliding fixtures (lockable via a small Allen key) which allow mic spacing to be adjusted and then clamped in place according to the needs of your gig. For the mounting you can either slide the bar into a plastic plumbing T-piece (as I outlined in my original post), or you can bolt it to the upper section of the now-destroyed Hemma light stand (the part where the globe would have screwed in)...you can see the small hemi-spherical bowl in one of the photos. You'll need to drill into the bottom of the 2 sliding fittings and screw in a 3/8" threaded rod and add a nut for counter-locking the mic holders. Spray the whole shebang black and when you scratch out the spacing markings on the top surface (I marked mine in 10cm increments) they stand out well because the 'undercoat' is the white original finish. Now you screw your mic holders into the movable fixtures and you're ready to go. PS... keep a few spare small Allen keys in your kitbag or else your adjustability is sunk on location ! I'd advise buying 2 sets of the Tacksam's because the Allen bolt plastic inserts have slightly different sizes. My next adaptation will be to put 4 mounts on the one bar, to allow for both a spaced AB omni pair and an inner sub-cardioid pair together.....and if anyone has ideas on how to make the lower part of the stand telescopic, I'd welcome your advice ! OK it's not a Grace Space Bar, but it has about 85% of that item's functionality at about 1/20 the cost...and it's thinner and more elegant on location to boot ! I figure that having spacing adjustment/accuracy is secondary to the angular adjustments that Grace offers in addition, but you may disagree ? Contact me if you'd like some more detailed constructional hints.

[studer58]

and a few more pics......

[richgilb]

I have just bought 3 of these tall Hemma lights from Ikea. I could not resist trying it. So far there are a couple of issues and I wonder if the original poster had the same problem. Mainly, the stand so far is not exactly straight. It leans just a touch, but enough to make it a concern. S
Could be the base bolt needs realigning?

Pretty cool, light and easy to use though. Takes up hardly any room at all.

[studer58]

Yes I had the same problem with 'exact verticality' ! It's not exactly a high precision product after all, and therefore the parts are probably not machined or finished to Manfrotto-like standards. For example the little joining threaded pieces (is it called a ferrule ?) seem to be made from a soft aluminium material. I suspect your problem lies in the fact that this ferrule doesn't sit exactly square in the base, and if bumped or leaned-on can deform slightly to give you the 'off perpendicular lean' The higher you go, the worse it appears, of course ! It was only intended by the designers to be a 6 foot light stand after all ! Quick brutish fix is to simply bend it vertical again by hand, a more lasting fix is to buy a similarly threaded nut and bolt and fit it to the base...you can see how I've done it in the final photo above, where I've shortened it's thread length somewhat by adding a bunch of washers. You'll find the bolt in auto shops, I think it's an "M10" size, from memory ?

Sure it's a pain to thread all the sections together at the concert venue, but the upside is that you can an item that's thinner yet stronger than anything comparable in price out there in the marketplace. If you buy another 2 or 3 Hemma's (or whatever they're called this year...last year they were Grundton's) you'll find you have enough shaft length variations to give you close to exactly what you need. I also bought a few sets of the table lamp version which gives you yet more (and shorter) shaft sections for added choice. Sure, the price adds up, but since it's likely only going to be used for your main pair mic stand it'll repay itself over time. I think I've ended up with around 3 different shaft length choices....great for fine tuning the stand height ! I'm now trying to find a way to bind the mic cable to the stand so it looks really neat...maybe velcro or some low profile snap lock thingy perhaps, although narrow black duct tape is just fine too.

[richgilb]

Yes, I suspected / hoped it would be a poorly glued in base nut that would have been the problem. I was also a bit concerned about its strength, so the nut and bolt approach will take place this weekend. Did the base nut tap out ok?

[richgilb]

Originally Posted by studer58

I'm now trying to find a way to bind the mic cable to the stand so it looks really neat...maybe velcro or some low profile snap lock thingy perhaps, although narrow black duct tape is just fine too.

I think this comes in black:

The rapstrap technology

[studer58]

Originally Posted by richgilb

Yes, I suspected / hoped it would be a poorly glued in base nut that would have been the problem. I was also a bit concerned about its strength, so the nut and bolt approach will take place this weekend. Did the base nut tap out ok?

Yes, you just grasp the aluminium ferrule with a pair of multigrip pliers and turn it clockwise...with mild to moderate force it comes out and then replace it with the nut (and washers to act as spacers) You can tighten the nut up brutally hard against the base, and it will be the strongest link in the whole system ! Another possible cause of your Leaning Tower of Pisa could be that the 4 steel feet posts on each corner have small rubber boots glued to them...if one of those gets rubbed off you have a potential for wobble, so I'd recommend glueing something more substantial under the base instead. Best advice is to use only 3 feet, since a tripod won't rock ! The biggest problem with the stand is the absence of shock mounting, so your mic suspensions will need to perform that duty, or else get a compliant rubber mat underneath the stand...it's a trade-off between vibration damping and rigidity to keep the base firm and stable/level.

[studer58]

Originally Posted by richgilb

I think this comes in black:

The rapstrap technology

rapstraps look good, but I wonder how they work in small diameter applications...I'd be inclined to snip 'em off to avoid any tails poking out into the air !

[pkautzsch]

Originally Posted by studer58

I'm now trying to find a way to bind the mic cable to the stand so it looks really neat...maybe velcro or some low profile snap lock thingy perhaps, although narrow black duct tape is just fine too.

Velcro straps come with some microphone cables.
I've found myself prefer these rubber straps, as they don't attract all that dirt you find on a stage:
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