Shock mount woes

[Frank Granovski]

I called Commercial on Burrard a couple of times this afternoon, but no one answered the phone. So finally I called their rentals division and someone there picked up the phone. I got transferred to another department and spoke with one of their salesmen. I was told that they had 2 hot-shoe shock-mounts in stock. One of these was the Beyerdynamic EA86. Good, I thought. They also described the other one, and it seemed like a much better mount. Even better, I thought.

I motored down, which took me a whole 7 minutes. Heck, they even have free parking at the back! After finding the correct door, and after speaking with several salesmen, I discovered 4 things:[list=1][*]They didn't know who I had spoken with[*]They only had the Beyerdynamic in stock[*]The Beyerdynamic is a piece of---![*]They were all just simple salesmen, and I had dealt with smarter fellows at that Future store.[/list=1]Let me explain. This 50-buck German made mount will do the trick, I think. However, I would have to get smaller elastics to hold the mic more firmly, otherwise it may fall out, and I will have to grind down the shock-mount piece, because it doesn't fit into my hot-shoe. Furthermore the mount has a hole on the bottom so that attaching it with a brace to my tripod is possible.

In conclusion, the $50 piece of German plastic is really only worth $4.99, in my opinion. But what can I do? It's a good thing that the dealer who sold me the Apex told me I can return it, if I can't find a mount that works. Now that gives me an idea.

[Frank Granovski]

Hehe. I might as well go back tomorrow and buy the plastic. Now I just have to find my grinding tool to make the hot-show lip fit. :-))

[Marco Leavitt]

Thanks for the heads up. It came just in time. I was going to buy the Beyerdynamic. Why is it so hard to find a decent on-camera shockmount? I may just have to bite the bullet and buy the lightwave minimount. It used to seem like a lot of money, but this is ridiculous. The Sennheiser MZS-Cam breaks. The hotshoe adapter for the AT8415 either loosens or locks up. My Frezzi shockmount doesn't fit in the hotshoe. Enough already.

[Bryan Beasleigh]

The shoe on the threaded brass bushing isn't firmly fixed to the assembly.

Either solder the threads on the AT adapter or use a dab of loctite.

Some enterprising soul should take an ABS or PVC pipe bushing and notch out each end to accept Rubber bands , "O" rings or elastic cord. then either glue, rivet or screw a shoemount to the assembly.

It might even be possible to cemment the assembly to a swivel mount of a cut down mic clip. Saw the clip off and glue the sucker on.

use the 8415, Sabra Som, Beyer,Sennheiser or any criss crossed elastic mount as a rough patterm. We have people that knit soft boxes, build gear out of two by fours and I beams why not make shock mounts out of Aluminum, PVC or ABS pipe or pipe fittings.

There are many shoe mounts available for chump change. Cut one off some old gear.

A hack saw blade and a small round file. Maybe even a rotozip tool or a dremel. It should be easy.

http://www.audio-technica.com/prodpro/addinfo/8410a-15.pdf

[Graham Bernard]

Bryan, I'm with you all the way . . dead easy .. . some rubber bands and a trip to our local Wickes or Homebase, plumbing bits 'n pieces should get me what I need .. all the rest is .. well, sawing, filing and glue. To add insult to injury, I think I've still got my original Senni screwable mount somewehre around the place . . haha! Job done ..

[Frank Granovski]

There was one thing I forgot to mention. The Beyerdynamic EA86 has a solid metal lip meant to slid into the hot shoe. The problem with this is that my cam's hot-shoe is made from thin metal, and on the bottom---inside of the hot-shoe---is plastic, with the metal contacts, of course. I can see that the EA86's metal lip would soon destroy the hot-shoe, and grind away the cam's plastic and metal contacts.

[Frank Granovski]

Bryan, Graham, I think this may be the way to go. I just haven't seen any good shock-mounts so far.

I want to check out the $25 Apex mount first, but I have to phone around to see who has one. The place I bought the Apex from didn't have any. Kind of makes you wonder. They sell the mic but you're **** out of luck for the mount (the cable converter and the sock).

[Matt Gettemeier]

A few years ago I was shooting with a couple atr-55's and I made my own shockmounts in the way Beas is describing.

I used the black tube that speaker stores sell as "ports" for speakers... It's very thin and light plastic, all black, and it's pretty darn strong.

I then tied surgical tubing (the rubber tube they sell at hardware stores) in the fashion of a PSC mount.

It didn't look as nice as I'd have liked, but it worked well.

I'd expect that the PSC for $55 is by far the best deal going right now... in the smaller size it should work on a cam and it pivots... what more would you want? It's also significantly smaller then the AT that's popular.

If you're just in the mood to be creative then you can get a Manfrotto 482LCD (mini-head) from B&H for around $30... then use a washer and nut to screw down a raquet ball. Before you do that make a hole through both sides of the raquet ball that are a little smaller diameter then your mic... and put the same size hole in the top of the ball so you can get a socket through it to tighten it onto the mini-ball head. Voila'... you now have almost the identical configuration of a Rycote Softie for $120 LESS... AND you'll be really popular at the raquet club.

(I use those 482LCD mounts for starlight cams and other goofy gear that I can't waste a tripod on... Those little jobbies are super well made, tiny, and they work GREAT.)

[Matt Gettemeier]

Get this part here http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...u=68160&is=REG

Then get this part http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...u=68143&is=REG

Or better still get this part instead http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=300643&is=REG

Or if you want a look at the EXACT item I suggested then click on this http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=256865&is=REG and you'll see the IDEAL AND CHEAP solution to your shock mount woes.

Since it is out of stock at B&H at the moment feel free to click this http://www.trewaudio.com/catalog/items/item142.htm and get it there.

To me it's a no-brainer. Here's a dirt cheap solution that accomodates your needs for a good-looking and effective shockmount. I offered other possibilities in my previous post, but this would be easiest and now even the searching is done. What do you think of those mounts? Don't they look pretty nice?

[Marco Leavitt]

I've been wondering about those polymer suspension mounts. Are they better than the rubber bands that come with AT8415? How? It does look easier to poke the mic through, but if that's the only advantage I think I'll stick with the rubber bands.

[Matt Gettemeier]

The K-Tek rubber is really "dead" in comparison to the normal bands... They'll both feel stretchy and rubbery, but the K-Tek compound is denser and less lively. (And therefor less likely to transmit vibrations i.e. handling noise.)

I've had shockmounts from almost everybody at this point and I'll probably stick with K-Tek from now on.

The Rycote is a close second, but if you look at a couple mounts in comparison there is something "right" about K-Tek's materials and designs.

Everything they make looks and feels "smart".

To get K-Tek rubber for the cash difference is surely a bargain on those AT mounts.

[Frank Granovski]

I settled with the Sennheiser MZS6 shock mount. See here for full story:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...threadid=22417