Experience with Schoeps mounts

[Douglas Whates]

Yep, I can confirm that the Schoeps shock-mounts don't seem to last very long. The old ones were even worse (harder plastic and seemed to easily snap). I keep on meaning to try the Rycote ones - did you try them?

[hughesmr]

Shure A53M mounts --- the king of mounts for Schoeps IMO.

[Don S]

I use the Shure A53 and the Rycote Invision. The Shure's sometimes leave "tracks" on the mics when they are removed. The Roycotes are a little more delicate but lighter weight and elegant. The strain relief is a cool feature and I like the fact that the base is a 3/8 thread. It saves me from using extra adapters on manfrotto stands.

[willi1203]

S 20 .. very low esthetic impact

[John Willett]

I would use the Rycote InVision mounts - these are definitely the best IMHO.

The latest lyres now have rubber inserts.

[nkf]

Originally Posted by hughesmr

Shure A53M mounts --- the king of mounts for Schoeps IMO.

Any shock mount that doesn't have a cable clamp included is a bad compromise.

[Plush]

Shure doughnut for sure. Made in USA, made right. Also use SG20 clamp here.

Phooey on the high price of the Schoeps accessories.

The Schoeps SG 20 clamp base used to have screw mounts made of metal. Now, sadly, they are plastic only for many years. Bogus. How much more would it cost to have the part that screws on to the stand have threads made of metal? Bogus.

[nkf]

Originally Posted by Plush

Shure doughnut for sure. Made in USA, made right.

As i wrote above - there is no fixation for the mic cable on this mount. The cable gets moved, the microphone moves or vibrates too.
That's why the Rycote stuff is so good ... they care for every small detail.
So ... just make it right, wherever it is made.
(loathe the nationalistic undertone)

[Plush]

Originally Posted by nkf

As i wrote above - there is no fixation for the mic cable on this mount. The cable gets moved, the microphone moves or vibrates too.
That's why the Rycote stuff is so good ... they care for every small detail.
So ... just make it right, wherever it is made.
(loathe the nationalistic undertone)

Nope--who cares about a cable fixation?
Guerilla stage set-up people ONLY need apply. Run and gun it, baby!

My reference to made in USA is to differentiate it from some cheesy cheapie CHI-COMM product.

We just take up the slack of the mic cable and tape it to the side of the stand.
That way nothing moves. Also if the weight of the mic tilts the doughnut, then tighten the doughnut screw and tilt it back until it is positioned the way you need it to be.

[hughesmr]

Originally Posted by nkf

As i wrote above - there is no fixation for the mic cable on this mount. The cable gets moved, the microphone moves or vibrates too.

A two-inch piece of gaff of the cable to the stand (with an ample loop) cures that.

The Shure is half the cost of the Rycote ... worth consideration. Been using the same set of doughnuts for 6-7 years with no sign of wearing out. They fit the Schoeps like a glove.

BTW, I love the Rycotes too ... use them on my Sennheisers. I happen to think that a cheaper yet just-as-high-quality option is worthy of note.

[nkf]

Originally Posted by Plush

Nope--who cares about a cable fixation?
Guerilla stage set-up people ONLY need apply. Run and gun it, baby!

It seems some do care. Call me nitpicking. If you change something on your stand you have to tape again. I just have to lengthen the cable a bit. The mic, the mount and the cable fixation is moved as an integrated object.
Rycote and others do this for a reason I think.
This is not a guerilla war, although such language sounds 'cool' ...
Hey, lets just throw some mics at the musicians like hand grenades!?

[Earcatcher]

Originally Posted by Plush

The Schoeps SG 20 clamp base used to have screw mounts made of metal. Now, sadly, they are plastic only for many years. Bogus. How much more would it cost to have the part that screws on to the stand have threads made of metal? Bogus.

Mine are all with metal screw base. Even the ones that came with recent Schoeps mics. BTW, all Schoeps CMC6 bodies come standard with the SG20 clamp. I'm using them with Rycote Invision 7HG MKIII though. Perfect.

[Rolo 46]

Rycote
The true Engineering solution.
Why put a perfect transducer on a cheap mount?

[panatrope]

I would like to put in a word for the Rode SM4 mounts for SDCs. Reasonable price, robust construction, brass thread insert in base, and come with a set of spare rubber rings. And the cable is tied around the swivel to provide isolation (Canare that is - with Belden 8412 may be asking too much.)

Less kind words for Schoeps and AKG for supplying even expensive mics with plastic threaded mounts. I use the 3/8 to 5/8 brass adaptors supplied with the Rode mounts permanently inserted into my AKG and Schoeps mounts, and I have lots of 5/8 to 3/8 adaptors for my stands.

And echoing the Chicago Curmudgeon (an unfair description?): "Shure mounts made right".

[ISedlacek]

Those Rycote things look interesting - but they are so many of various mounts. How to know which ones fit Schoeps perfectly ?

[Earcatcher]

That's why I listed the model: Rycote Invision 7HG MKIII (041118). Note that this is a pretty recent model that you will not find in pictures easily. This one has the large knob (and the thicker joint) from their larger LDC shockmounts.

The mic clamp on this model is very flexible, making it suitable to a larger variation in diametres, with a rubberized inside that leaves no marks on mics.

[boojum]

The Shure A53 and the cheap but always workable OnStage clip: my320 | On-Stage Stands. I think the OnStage goes for ~$6. I found out about it on this board and like it. It has a metal insert on the threads.

[RobAnderson]

I'll join in the commiseration - I could never understand why any company that is so meticulous about its QC would make plastic threads on a shockmount or mic clip - especially one that costs $90.

Another endorsement of the Shure "doughnut" from me - I mostly use them for the Neumann KM100's, but they work great for the Schoeps as well.

To save my Schoeps mounts, I use 5/8F->3/8M adapters from On-Stage Stands (OSS MA-100). It saves the threads and can also be used as an offset for ORTF on a T-Bar.

[ISedlacek]

Originally Posted by Earcatcher

That's why I listed the model: Rycote Invision 7HG MKIII (041118). Note that this is a pretty recent model that you will not find in pictures easily. This one has the large knob (and the thicker joint) from their larger LDC shockmounts.

The mic clamp on this model is very flexible, making it suitable to a larger variation in diametres, with a rubberized inside that leaves no marks on mics.

Would Rycote Invision 7 (not the latest type) would also perfect ? They do not have 7HG here but they said it is exactly the same except the HG has a bit stiffer material that is an advantage with very long and heavy microphones that seems not to be the case of Schoeps ..

[daivadisc]

I don't know what per cent of Schoeps A 20 shock mounts fail, but I have 6 of them, some of which date back almost 30 years, and I believe I've replaced 2 of the center carriers that cracked; I also have a Schoeps UMS stereo mic holder that developed mic-holder cracks. Replacement parts are not very expensive, there's been no problem with the plastic threads, and a little bit of modification of the UMS holders (making the sharp edges of the holders rounded) prevents scratches on the preamp bodies.

So, from my standpoint, I'm not sure that I'd be quite so hard on Schoeps.

daivadisc

[ISedlacek]

I have 4 A20 - all are broken (from quite gentle use ...)

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by ISedlacek

Those Rycote things look interesting - but they are so many of various mounts. How to know which ones fit Schoeps perfectly ?

The INV-7 fits everything - from 19mm diameter up to 25mm diameter - and can adjust for length as well.

If it's a short mic. And studio use only then the INV-3 may be OK. This is for 19-21mm diameter mics.

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by Earcatcher

That's why I listed the model: Rycote Invision 7HG MKIII (041118). Note that this is a pretty recent model that you will not find in pictures easily. This one has the large knob (and the thicker joint) from their larger LDC shockmounts.

The mic clamp on this model is very flexible, making it suitable to a larger variation in diametres, with a rubberized inside that leaves no marks on mics.

This is an excellent mount, but really for long or heavy mics.

The latest version of the standard INV-7 now also has rubber inserts and this is the one that would be best for the normal Schoeps mics.

[Rolo 46]

Originally Posted by Earcatcher

That's why I listed the model: Rycote Invision 7HG MKIII (041118). Note that this is a pretty recent model that you will not find in pictures easily. This one has the large knob (and the thicker joint) from their larger LDC shockmounts.

The mic clamp on this model is very flexible, making it suitable to a larger variation in diametres, with a rubberized inside that leaves no marks on mics.

Thats a very good multi fit solution originaly intended for camcorders,my choice too.

[Plush]

edited by Plush:

Originally Posted by panatrope

And echoing the Chicago Curmudgeon (an unfair description?): "Shure mounts made right".

When consulting a dictionary I found these synonyms for curmudgeon:
grouch, crank, bear, sourpuss, crosspatch

I'm none of the above, by the way. What I am is an advocate for quality and actual learning. I am NOT an advocate or endorser of the easy way out.

I was taught by real recording people and I still feel that that is the best way to be taught about our craft. I am serious about the craft and I feel that it has dignity and worth.

When a shit ass comes across one's path spouting a Gearlsutz fact, then I will point that out to them.

In Chicago we're tough, never to be rolled over hog butchers to the world. But also always fair.

thankyasomuch!

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by Rolo 46

Thats a very good multi fit solution originaly intended for camcorders,my choice too.

Not quite.

The "Devil's Head" clip with two Lyres was, indeed, developed first for the camcorder mount.

It was later used by me to make a Lyre MS mount for my Rycote stereo windshield to replace the rubber O-ring version. Rycote liked my idea so much that they put it into production as the standard design.

They later developed it for other uses - but the flexibility of the Lyre ends can be different depending on the use - so it's not exactly the same as the video mount.

I would say that the HG version would be far too stiff for a single Schoeps and the latest version of the standard INV-7 would be the best option.

[panatrope]

Originally Posted by Plush

When consulting a dictionary I found these synonyms for curmudgeon:
grouch, crank, bear, sourpuss, crosspatch

It is an unfortunate fact of the English language that over the centuries that has found the same word acquiring many different meanings depending on the dictionaries that one consults. Sometimes even contradictory - "sophisticated" comes to mind. I recall the famed editor Joel Tall (inventor of the EdiTall splicing block) describing himself as a curmudgeon, because of his unsympathetic approach to other editors who did not take their craft as seriously as he did.

This probably says it well:

"What is a Curmudgeon anyway?

A curmudgeon's reputation for malevolence is undeserved. They're neither warped nor evil at heart. They don't hate mankind, just mankind's absurdities. They're just as sensitive and soft-hearted as the next guy, but they hide their vulnerability beneath a crust of misanthropy. They ease the pain by turning hurt into humor. . . . . . They attack maudlinism because it devalues genuine sentiment. . . . . . Nature, having failed to equip them with a servicable denial mechanism, has endowed them with astute perception and sly wit.
Curmudgeons are mockers and debunkers whose bitterness is a symptom rather than a disease. They can't compromise their standards and can't manage the suspension of disbelief necessary for feigned cheerfulness. Their awareness is a curse.
Perhaps curmudgeons have gotten a bad rap in the same way that the messenger is blamed for the message: They have the temerity to comment on the human condition without apology. They not only refuse to applaud mediocrity, they howl it down with morose glee. Their versions of the truth unsettle us, and we hold it against them, even though they soften it with humor."

- JON WINOKUR

Peace!

[Earcatcher]

Originally Posted by ISedlacek

Would Rycote Invision 7 (not the latest type) would also perfect ? They do not have 7HG here but they said it is exactly the same except the HG has a bit stiffer material that is an advantage with very long and heavy microphones that seems not to be the case of Schoeps ..

I have a number of standard INV-7 mounts and they will scratch the gray paint of your precious Schoeps mics. Not that the paint will come off as it is very strong, but you will get to see marks where the matte paint becomes a bit more shiny!

John believes he is the inventor of the INV7HG MKIII, but as a matter of fact I had a long conversation with the Rycote product manager about what could be improved. I had also been using the rubberized clamp from a camera mount to convert a standard INV7, but in addition I commented about the poor holding capabilities of the thin joint, with the cap falling from the screw and the knob being too small to get a good grip. Product manager made meticulous notes of my suggestions on how to improve this and a half year later the MKIII version came out and all my remarks were adressed in the new design. So the least we can say is that success has many fathers.

And, by the way, INV7HG MKIII may be a bit stiffer, but it seems to work equally well with my Schoeps mics as the standard INV7.

[Earcatcher]

Here is a picture of the now outdated INV7HG MKII model. Please note the small knob and the thin joint. The cap on the other side of the screw thread that fell off regularly cannot be seen in this image.