On-Stage 7701B

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.