Stands/Boom Arms for Microphones

The On-Stage Stands SMS7650 is a studio microphone boom stand. It is the cheapest of the large overhead studio booms, for a reason. That is not to say it is bad; it is simply that one gets what one pays for with quality, and despite the fact that is is the cheapest of the studio booms from all the large stand companies, at a healthy $120, it is still a quality piece of equipment that you can't really go wrong with the On-Stage Stands SMS7650. This stand comes with a relatively heavy hex base with an option to attach three included casters. This is incredibly useful; the stand is enormously heavy compared to smaller stands, obviously, and lifting it up to move it is next to impossible, especially since you may have a very expensive microphone mounted on it. The casters are quite a pain to attach though. The boom stand itself is quite solid, although it does tend to droop when fully extended. An issue I find with the stand as with other solid stands is that the boom adjusts in increments. This is because the locking mechanism is two knobs with grooves like gears; when they are loosened, they can move freely, but when tightened, they tessellate and stack on each other, making it impossible for them to move. Unfortunately, these "gears" only occur every so often, so that means that no matter how much you tighten, you'll see the boom adjust in approximately half-foot increments. This is mitigated by the adjustable end on the arm. The adjustable counter-weight is also a nice touch. OVERALL OPINION All in all, despite the fact that the On-Stage Stands SMS7650 is the cheapest in its class, it is still in its class, meaning that it will without fail hold up even your heaviest microphones well. I wouldn't exactly call it road worthy, however, so I would never pack it anywhere, but if it's sitting in your studio, it will work fine. For $120, I heartily recommend this stand.

The On-Stage Stands 7701B (in black) or 7701C (in chrome) is a very affordable boom stand. It is certainly one of the most popular, coming on top of best selling lists on almost every audio equipment vending site and store conceivable. It is for good reason; the stand can be had for anywhere between around $20 to $30, and offers quite acceptable quality overall. I'll say now that considering the price, you can't really go wrong with the On-Stage Stands 7701. When first handling the boom, you'll find that it is far more sturdy than the generic microphone stands that you may have been picking up from yard sales for years before you got serious. And you'll know that generic stands are absolutely fearsome to use; I would never try mounting anything on them. It's a boom stand. It is simple enough to use, and it has all of the general advantages of having a boom stand over a microphone stand. If you're an instrumentalist, it helps big time if you're playing and singing at the same time. One think to note about the 7701 is that while it's fairly sturdy and will essentially without fail mount a stage dynamic like an SM58 even when the boom is fully extended, it is not heavy enough to hold terribly heavy microphones like the RE20, SM7B, or any of the heavier studio condensers. If you have to use the 7701 to mount an expensive, heavy, fragile, microphone, make sure that the boom arm is extended over one of the tripod legs so there is support under the collective unit's center of gravity. OVERALL OPINION It is actually a fairly stable microphone stand if you've never used anything else. Once you get into the more expensive stands like the DR Pro's and Tama's, you'll never want to go back. But with adjustment and compromise, the On-Stage Stands 7701B or 7701C provides a very affordable alternative for mounting your microphones.

The AKG KM259 is a low profile tripod microphone stand for use in the studio or live sound. I've only used this at the recording studio that I work at, where we've just got one of them on hand. The mic stand is pretty flexible in terms of what it can be used for, although of course it can only reach up so high. Even so, it's suitable kick drum micing, guitar cabinets, and even a floor tom or acoustic guitar (if the player is sitting down). The mic stand has a very sturdy overall build and should last a long time if treated properly. OVERALL OPINION The AKG KM259 is the perfect low profile boom microphone stand for using in the studio. It's of course not going to be as versatile a regular sized mic stand, but every studio needs a few low profile mics to reach lower places where a regular stand can't. This actually has a pretty good reach since it has a boom, which isn't something you're going to find with all low profile mic stands. I like using this one more than the other low profile stands we have because of this, but also because of it's sturdiness and it's ability to keep microphones in place with ease. There's nothing revolutionary about the AKG KM259, as it's simply a solid stand that will get the job done with flexibility and ease. The price of this stand is probably a bit much, but you can most likely find them for a reasonable price if you look at bit. There are plenty of other low profile mic stands out there you can get on the cheap, and I'd recommend having a few of those around as well, but in a professional studio it's definitely going to be helpful to also have something a bit more flexible like the KM259. Check it out if you've got a professional studio that might need one, but it's probably not totally necessary in smaller settings.

The DR Pro DR256 MS1500BK Low Profile Mic Boom Stand is a great medium sized microphone stand for use in the studio or on the stage. I've only used it in the studio as we've got one of these at the studio where I work. It's definitely nice to have since it's an in between when compared to a short stand and a regular sized boom stand. I don't know what the exact height on this is, but if this helps, I usually use it for floor tom or snare drum, as I feel it's the perfect height for these applications. It's a sturdily built stand as I haven't had any problems with it thus far. OVERALL OPINION The DR Pro DR256 MS1500BK Low Profile Mic Boom Stand is definitely a nice little microphone stand to have around the studio. It's good for a variety of purposes, although more than one or two of them isn't really necessary since they're best suited for only a number of applications. You could use them for things very close to the ground as well if you wanted, but I think where this excels is about mid level. The stand is easy to adjust and get into a position you'd like. It's sturdy enough to handle use with any microphone, although most of the time I'm using it with a Sennheiser MD 421 or Shure SM 57. The only real downside with the DR Pro DR256 MS1500BK Low Profile Mic Boom Stand is the price, as to get one online is quite expensive. I can't imagine that we would have paid this price for ours, so maybe they're cheaper elsewhere. I wouldn't spend a great deal of money for this stand, but if you can find one at a reasonable price it's definitely a good stand to have in a professional studio.

The Proline MS112BK Desk Mic Stand is a mini stand for use either on top of your desk or close to the ground. We've got a number of these at the professional studio I work at. We don't use them on a desk, rather for holding up microphones not too far off the ground. There's a lot of applications that require a microphone to be closer to the ground, like for mic'ing up a kick drum or a guitar amp, so it's quite necessary to have a bunch of these on hand at all times. The stand is fine for using on your desk or elsewhere as well. The height starts at a foot long and can extend to about a foot and a half, while the boom itself goes up to 2/3rds of a foot... OVERALL OPINION The Proline MS112BK Desk Mic Stand is the perfect little microphone stand for applications of all types. It's sturdy and easily adjustable and are stands that we use on a pretty consistent basis at the studio I work at. They're always being used for kick drum mics and guitar amp mics, so having a few on hand is imperative. We do have some other types of mini stands as well, but these are pretty much the best ones that we have and certainly see the most amount of use. There isn't too much to the Proline MS112BK Desk Mic Stand that sets it apart from other similar stands other than it just being a well built, easy to use mini stand. The price shouldn't be too expensive as Proline in general has reasonable prices for their stands, so if you're looking to get some miniature mic stands for your studio or otherwise, the Proline MS112BK Desk Mic Stand's are the perfect way to go.

This is a high-quality, heavy duty microphone boom stand that is designed for studio as well as live use. This mic stand is big enough and strong enough to hold microphones that are quite heavy indeed. I think would be a great asset for any studio owner to have, mainly because they are flexible, tall, and strong. The legs are solid steel and the entire thing is durable and difficult to bend, break, or move easily. Plus, the wheels lock in place once the position is set. One end up the stand has a weight attached, which is useful in balancing out the weight of the stand, giving you flexibility in micing techniques and preventing you from having to tighten the stand too hard, which can often result in stripping. OVERALL OPINION I love these mic stands. They are definitely the best we have at the studio I work for. We tend to use all Quiklok stands but these are definitely the best. We like to use these on our heavy tube and large diaphragm condenser mics, because they can hold up those heavy microphones quite easily. I also tend to use them as overheads because they can go the highest, and they are easy to maneuver even when the microphone is ten feet in the air. The only time I wouldn't be using these types of stands would be if I was micing a kick drum, or a guitar amp or cabinet that was on the ground (I would still usually put the guitar cabinet in a chair though, which would mean I could still use this stand if I wanted to). Overall these are the best mic stands I've used.

The K&M 21060 is a high quality microphone boom stand for use in the studio, on the stage, or otherwise. I've only used the mic inside the recording studio as we've got a few of these stands at the studio where I'm currently working. The stand is built extremely well and is dubbed 'soft touch' as it's really easy to adjust the working pieces at hand. The 21060 is extremely sturdy and is fine for use with any sort of microphone, as it's sturdy enough where I wouldn't hesitate to use any mic on it. OVERALL OPINION The K&M 21060 is simply a great all purpose microphone stand. While I've only used it in the studio, it's certainly suitable for use across the board. My favorite part of the stand besides it's great build is that you can twist the screws on it to tighten or loosen it's part very, very easily. On some stands it's a struggle to do this, but the K&M 21060 makes it as easy as possible to get the job done quickly and easily without having to force it at all. There is really no downfall to this stand, other than it won't be able to reach extremely high up, but for the type of stand it is, it's pretty much perfect. The price of the 21060 is however, very expensive for a mic stand. Something like this isn't going to be necessary in a home studio, or even as every stand in a pro studio, especially considering the price. However, it's very useful to have a few of these at the studio as we know we can trust our heavy hitting microphones on it any day. Of course we can many stands that get the job done well, but the K&M 21060 does the job as well as any tripod stand. The price may limit you to only getting one or two, but it's definitely worth it to keep your microphones as safe as possible.

Atlas Sound's SB11WE boom microphone stand is an extremely heavy duty and high quality microphone stand that I have experience using in the recording studio. If you've read any of my other reviews on Atlas Sound products, you probably already know that I'm crazy about the stands that they make. Hands down I think they make the best stands out there for recording studios. The SB11WE in particular is one of their best stands for sure. It probably has the most versatility of any of the Atlas Sound mic stands that I've used as it can be used in a variety of different ways. It has an adjustable boom and has a triangle base that has three wheels. OVERALL OPINION A few of the applications that I've used the Atlas Sound SB11WE for include lead vocals and drum overheads. These were pretty much the default drum overhead microphone stands in the studio that I used them at, and definitely have to say that I think that is the best application for them. They hang the mics down perfectly over a kit and it makes it extremely easy to place it in any which way that you'd like. Another application I think that this stand would be absolutely perfect for it for recording a string quartet, orchestra, or any set of string players. However, I haven't used it for this type of use as of yet, but drawing from my use with it for other applications, I really think they'd be the perfect mic stands for it. As always with Atlas Sound products, you're going to be paying a bit more than you would for your everyday mic stands, but if you're a professional looking for the best stands you can get it is definitely worth the extra change. In fact, I think the stand will pay for itself when you realize that you'll never be able to knock over a microphone stand again! Think of the money you'd have saved if only you hadn't broken that very expensive mic! The Atlas Sound SB11WE is really the ultimate mic stand.

The Hosa MSB-139 is a microphone stand that can be used either in the recording studio or in a live situation. I've only used it for recording purposes, as I only do work in the studio and not as a live sound engineer (although I do perform). The mic stand has a base style bottom rather than a tripod, along with a boom arm. It is a pretty standard microphone stand, with plenty of room for adjustments. I generally like using trip stands rather than base ones, but this is weighted down pretty well so I feel secure when there is a microphone on it. OVERALL OPINION I've used the Hosa MSB-139 for a few different applications in terms of types of microphones and what I was recording with them. I have used it with a Shure SM7 on vocals, as well with an AKG C 414 on violin. It worked very well in both situations as I felt that it was easy to manipulate it in the ways that I wanted to. Some microphone stands don't have all the proper adjustments available for you to make, but this definitely isn't the case with the MSB-139. While perhaps not the most heavy duty microphone stand that I've used, it definitely got the job done well. The boom arm is easily adjustable as well and stays in place once you tighten it, without even moving the slightest bit. Having a reliable stand in place is crucial in a recording studio more than anywhere else for a few reasons. First, most of the time you're using expensive microphones that you obviously don't want to break, and also, movements in the microphone can throw off your placement and give you a different sound, which can be unfavorable to say the least. There are cheaper mic stands out there and more expensive ones, but I do believe this could be a few bucks less in an ideal world. All in all, you can't really go wrong with the Hosa MSB-139.

The Atlas Sound DMS7 is a small microphone stand designed for miking drums. I've used them on both outside of a kick drum and underneath a snare drum. You can definitely throw a boom on the stand and use it for other things as well, but my experience with the DMS7 has been on the aforementioned applications. The mic stand can definitely be used both in the recording studio and for live shows, but I've only used them in the studio. Since these are pretty heavy duty and expensive stands, I probably wouldn't recommend using them outside of the studio if you want to keep them pristine, although they could definitely take the wear and tear of live sound. OVERALL OPINION The Atlas Sound DMS7 is the epitome of reliable microphone stand. I've never had a problem with it whatsoever, as is the case with the other stands that I've used that are made by Atlas Sound as well. While this one is a pretty low height and is really designed for applications where you wouldn't need a microphone too far off the ground, they also make other stands just like this that are bigger for other applications if that is what you're looking for. As far as the DMS7 goes, I can't say a bad thing about the stand, and there isn't really too much more to say that I haven't already said. Atlas Sound is the best in the business when it comes to microphones stands, so I would expect nothing less from them. Just from holding the stand in your hand for a minute you can tell that it is no ordinary stand and is much more heavy duty than most. You're definitely going to pay a good amount more for the DMS7 than you would for another stand like this from a different brand, but there isn't another stand out there that I have seen that is better than this one, regardless of the price. If you're a professional studio owner, I would absolutely consider getting one or two of these for your stand collection.

The Atlas Sound MS25 is a heavy duty microphone stand with no boom and a tripod style base. While heavier than most mic stands, it will undoubtably hold your microphone down! I've only used the MS25 in the recording studio, but I can definitely see it being used on stage as well. They do have a version of this mic stand which has a boom, that is known as the SB36W, which is basically the best microphone stand out there. The MS25 is just as good, but without the boom. So while it might be less versatile, there are still a number of applications where this would be better suited than the SB36W. OVERALL OPINION Like all products made by Atlas Sound, the MS25 is extremely sturdy. If you're looking for absolute comfort when it comes to your microphones, and want to make sure that they won't be knocked over easily on flimsy stands, I urge you to check out the MS25 and other stands from Atlas. The MS25 in particular is a great model not only because of it's heavy duty nature, but also for the way the base of the stand is built. I find with the base the way it is, it is easy to move from place to place without a problem. Other less sturdy stands have the three separate legs in a tripod fashion, but I feel like those cramp up and can easily be knocked over if someone isn't paying attention, but with the MS25 this really isn't possible in anyway. No matter what type of studio you have, if you need a very reliable microphone stand without a boom, the MS25 is the way to go. If you need one with a boom, go with the SB36W. While you're going to pay a bit more than average for the MS25, I think that is worth it to at least prevent any potential accidents with other flimsier microphones stands - especially if you're a professional. Either way, the Atlas Sound MS25 is a great investment.

The Atlas Sound LO-2B is a microphone stand accessory, designed to make setting up and tearing down your microphones easier. You connect this piece to the ends of both your mic stand and the mic clip, and it acts as a simple push button adapter that makes it easy to take the clip on and off. These really make the process of setting up and tearing down microphones that much easier, and it also helps to keep everything organized a bit better since you can keep the mic clips with the mics rather than keeping them on the stands. You can use these both in the studio or for live shows, but I've only used them in the studio. OVERALL OPINION As far as I'm concerned, every studio should have Atlas Sound LO-2Bs for their stands. They are really a great idea and I haven't seen them made by anyone else other than Atlas Sound, who are really one of the leaders when it comes to mic stands and accessories. While these might not be necessary for the home studio owner who has their stuff set up in one place most of the time, for a professional studio who is constantly moving microphones around and rearranging things, the LO-2Bs can really be a big help. They are built well and are overall extremely sturdy. I honestly can't think of a bad thing to say about them, as they are designed perfectly and incredibly easy to use. The price of each one could perhaps be a little less, but when you are dealing with a high end company like Atlas Sound, you should know that you're going to have to pay a bit more than average. I would say that it is worth it however, as this is the only place that I know of where you can get a product like this. If you're a professional studio owner or a home studio owner who might find these useful, I'd highly recommend picking up a few of them today as you'll be glad that you did!