Microphone stand

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All the advances in recording and sound reinforcement still depend on the lowly microphone stand to hold things together.

Microphone (or mic) stands provide the support for lots of different sizes and shapes of microphones. The allow the performer (musician or spoken word) to free up their hands to play an instrument, hold copy to be read, move around on stage while singing or isolate the microphone from sound sources that might cause distortion or feedback.

The most basic mic stand is called a "straight stand[[1]]". It uses a dome shaped round metal base into which is threaded a post for mounting the microphone on. This post may well be made up of two or more telescoping tubes which fit inside each other, allowing for quick (usually one handed) height adjustment of the stand. The mechanism for adjusting the height is called the clutch.

There are various versions of the straight stand known as the "desk stand [[2]]" (short version of straight stand) and heavy duty mic stand (heavier base and larger tubes) to handle heavy microphones. The tubes used on the straight stand are usually a shiny chrome (resists scratching) but may also be finished in a matte black which does not reflect light.

A very popular updated version of the straight stand uses the "folding tripod base stand [[3]]" instead of the round, domed metal base. This folding base allows for easier packing of the stand when moving from location to location and reduces the weight of the stand.

There are a number of accessories that make microphone stands more useful. Most of these are designed for getting the microphone closer to the user without placing the upright portion of the stand directly in front of the performer.

A "boom arm [[4]]" can be attached to the top of the stand in order to allow the placement of the microphone to be moved in the horizontal plane. This might, for example, allow a guitar player to place the microphone directly in front of his mouth without having the upright portion of the stand in the way of the guitar. It also allows the mic to be placed closer to the sound source when floor space is at a premium. This can be particularly useful when placing microphones on a drum stand when the mic stands must compete for space with things like cymbal stands.

Boom arms are offered both in fixed length and adjustable (telescoping) lengths.

Another handy device for adjusting microphone placement is the "goose neck [[5]]". A goose neck, made of a twisted core of spring steel, allows for infinite adjustability in microphone placement. The are made in a number of lengths and finishes and provide the ability to make minute chages in mic position.