Quality Budget Gear Ep. 07: Mic Stands/Clips

The hardware holding up your microphones is something no one likes to spend money on, but it’s one of those little things that can make a big difference in your day to day creative life.

Do you enjoy having to stop your recording session to adjust a mic because it’s sagging out of position? Do you enjoy replacing mics because they broke when your busted stand tipped over?

Not getting the absolute dirt cheapest option is usually a good way to go here. A more effective way to DIY might be to also consider bang for your buck, in addition to getting a low price on your gear. Bang for your buck, or cost effectiveness, is often more valuable long term than simply going for the lowest price in the moment on a product or service.

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If you’re building a house, any good architect will tell you the most cost effective way to save money is to build a smaller house, not a lower quality house.

Getting a bunch of super high end mic stands might not be realistic if you have to buy 40 of them to outfit a professional facility. But, you’re probably not trying to buy that many mic stands in a typical home setting.

And, in the very specific use case of a professional facility buildout, my argument would be that little bits of time saved and ease of use is even more important, when you’re recording every single day and being efficient keeps you in business.

The big lesson here is, always go for higher quality at a smaller scale.

If you only have to buy 2-4 mic stands, going just a little bit nicer can make your creative life a lot more pleasant, and allow you to focus on the most important thing-the music!

K&M is the classic higher tier brand, and what I recommend. I really like their short stands; they’re perfect for micing guitar cabs and for a lot of different instruments, in a compact package.

If you’re recording drum kits, you’ll want at least two larger boom stands for your drum overheads. Getting a not saggy option for a boom stand in this context is very important.

When it comes to mic clips, shock mounts work! They are not applicable in every situation, but are usually a good idea when you can use them.

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A great cheap trick when it comes to mic stands is: take a 10 or 20lb circular bench press weight, and thread the central hole of the weight through the vertical part of the stand, so the weight rests on the top of the tripod legs.

This will help prevent accidental tip-overs, and the extra mass will also help limit vibrations coming up through the stand and into the microphone.

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You can also dampen the tripod stand legs directly by using a pad, rug, or those cylindrical foam plumbing pipe insulators.