JimFiore
Silver Member
I picked up a Samson SB100 studio mic boom stand the other day:
I was looking for something to reach over the kit conveniently and solidly, something a bit more robust and with greater reach than a standard mic stand with mini boom. Originally I was considering a standard studio boom with a heavy weighted base (25-30 lbs) but this caught my eye for two reasons: First, the collapsible tripod legs meant it would be lighter and transportable (relatively speaking) and second, it was considerably less expensive ($200-300 for the standard weighted boom and only $90-100 street for this). The lower price had me somewhat concerned over the construction quality but it seems solid enough, although there are a few things I'd change.
As expected, the unit is tall and has considerable reach. In its lowest setting, the vertical/boom adjustment is around 5.5' up. It will rise several feet higher. The boom has a movable counterweight, is fully adjustable in terms of angle and horizontal position, and has an extension arm. Collapsed, the arm is about 4' long and the maximum extension will add another 3' or so. The unit is not light, but it's way lighter than a standard cast iron base studio boom. Stability comes from the tripod base which comes with both rubber feet and lockable wheels (an easy enough swap that takes just a few minutes). The wheels are mid-grade, not the heavy steel/rubber wheels you see on very heavy duty gear but much better than the typical lightweight plastic casters commonly seen.
My only gripe is that the tension adjustments (tripod position, vertical extension, boom angle, boom extension, counterweight position) all use plastic handles. Fortunately, the two that would have the most force on them (tripod position and vertical extension) also have position pins (one for the tripod base and six for height). Consequently, use the pin to hold the item in place and apply just enough tension to keep the part from turning. The pins are attached to the body with small webbing straps so don't worry about losing them. Finally, it's worth noting that the boom extension and counterweight both have stops so they won't accidentally slide off the boom arm if something does come loose.
This is not a small unit but if a standard mic stand/mini boom isn't cutting it, it's worth looking at this. You can buy two of these for overheads for the cost of one standard weighted base boom stand.
I was looking for something to reach over the kit conveniently and solidly, something a bit more robust and with greater reach than a standard mic stand with mini boom. Originally I was considering a standard studio boom with a heavy weighted base (25-30 lbs) but this caught my eye for two reasons: First, the collapsible tripod legs meant it would be lighter and transportable (relatively speaking) and second, it was considerably less expensive ($200-300 for the standard weighted boom and only $90-100 street for this). The lower price had me somewhat concerned over the construction quality but it seems solid enough, although there are a few things I'd change.
As expected, the unit is tall and has considerable reach. In its lowest setting, the vertical/boom adjustment is around 5.5' up. It will rise several feet higher. The boom has a movable counterweight, is fully adjustable in terms of angle and horizontal position, and has an extension arm. Collapsed, the arm is about 4' long and the maximum extension will add another 3' or so. The unit is not light, but it's way lighter than a standard cast iron base studio boom. Stability comes from the tripod base which comes with both rubber feet and lockable wheels (an easy enough swap that takes just a few minutes). The wheels are mid-grade, not the heavy steel/rubber wheels you see on very heavy duty gear but much better than the typical lightweight plastic casters commonly seen.
My only gripe is that the tension adjustments (tripod position, vertical extension, boom angle, boom extension, counterweight position) all use plastic handles. Fortunately, the two that would have the most force on them (tripod position and vertical extension) also have position pins (one for the tripod base and six for height). Consequently, use the pin to hold the item in place and apply just enough tension to keep the part from turning. The pins are attached to the body with small webbing straps so don't worry about losing them. Finally, it's worth noting that the boom extension and counterweight both have stops so they won't accidentally slide off the boom arm if something does come loose.
This is not a small unit but if a standard mic stand/mini boom isn't cutting it, it's worth looking at this. You can buy two of these for overheads for the cost of one standard weighted base boom stand.