I'll be shooting a documentary in the next month and was wondering if anyone could recommend a good mic stand. I want to boom above the interviewee and have the ability to adust distance, height, location, etc. Obviously, the stand should be stable / sturdy / strong. Also, if the boom itself can be used separately that would be great as well. Thanks.

I like a C - Stand with a knuckle and arm. I use gaffers or duct tape to tape my mic boom to the arm. I have seen some fittings that hold a boom, but am currrently sticking to the tape. :)

Video crews use C - Stands to hold lights, flags and various other parts of a video kit.

The tripod base folds flat for easy storage and transport.

Regards,


Ty Ford

I recomend a good C stand with a set of knuckles and clamps. ALso, a good small boompole with shock mount. This will allow you to position the mike at just about any angle High or Low. Put sandbags on the c stand legs when you extend the arm and boom out a long distance, and you are good to go.

Do you guys have a link for some place carrying these "c stands"?
Bruce yarock
Thanks
Bruce yarock

C stands are a standard piece of grip (film lighting) equipment, used to hold up lights, flags, and just about anything you can think of.

See what's available online (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?BI=155&ci=1161&sb=ps&pn=1&sq=desc&InitialSearch=yes&O=SearchBar&A=search&Q=*&shs=c+stand&image.x=9&image.y=8) from B&H Photo and Video (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/?BI=155) (B&H are good people). However, shipping will be at least $10 per stand to Florida, so you may want to look for film and video rental houses in your area.

To get a better idea of how they work, check out this exploded view of a C-Stand (http://www.msegrip.com/30cstandparts.html) from Matthews (one of several manufacturers).


Michael

Thanks, Michael.
Bruce yarock

Thanks for the excellent advice. I wonder if anyone could recommend a specific boom pole and a specific C stand and what a person could expect to pay for a good setup.

Well the prices run all over, depending on exact specs. But figure a good boompole with shock mount to run two hundred dollars (For a short one) and another two hundred for c-stand with grip head and arms. Figure 300 to 400 for a setup.

Can you point me toward one?

I use a sturdy but rather ordinary heavy-duty light stand instead of a C-Stand. It's lighter, less expensive and much easier to transport.
I use a small sandbag on the stand and a small sandbag on the boom itself. This achieves the balance without having to use something as heavy as a C-Stand with heavy sandbags.
The boom sits in a "Y" and "S" type holder, similar to what a rod and reel can rest in when fishing.
This holder's shaft is clamped with a Manfrotto 2905 lighting swivel.
I can simply lift the boom out of the holder and release the sandbag to go mobile in just seconds. Plus using the sandbag on the boom allows me to go out 10 to 12 feet and still stay very stable.

I've been using THIS STAND...CLICK... (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=152015&is=REG) for the last 2 years for interviews and it's been GREAT! I use a "Piggin' String" (3 for $14) on a 5# wrist/ankle weight from Walmart (yeah I know, but that's the only place I've seen 'em) and it makes a perfect 5# sandbag to clip onto the other end of the boom-arm. With this setup you can boom a mic about 7-8' away from the stand, which stays completely out of frame.

Sure this is only practical for interviews like you see on 60 Minutes or The Daily Show... but I also use a regular boom and support for other stuff.

I just thought this may help some people who are on a really tight budget. You still need a decent shockmount, but as for the stand and boom I can't think of a cheaper way to get this job done. Using one of these $117 stands makes it possible to run an interview all by yourself and not worry about the sound.

If you don't want to do the Walmart thing you can get this stand with a clip on sandbag for only $140 total. Considering my normal boom is $415 w/o any stand I have to laugh at how effective this alternative is for the dirt cheap price. In a seated interview I'd take this over any pole and boom op.

Thank you. That's exactly the advice I was looking for.

I use the same stand. I also have a Van Den Burg carbon fiber with a "boom boy" attached to a manfrotto master stand. A sandbag on the manfrotto steadies things up.

Boommaster (http://www.trewaudio.com/catalog/items/item724.htm)

(little known fact: The avenger or manfrotto sand bag will hold 8 cans of beer, 4 on each side. In a pinch you can use these for weights and have a libation following the shoot.)

beer can holder(sandbag) (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=67905&is=REG)

I see you're all making recommendations for C stands instead of normal microphone stands. I'm probably about to make a purchase on one or two microphone stands as well - is this the best way to go?

On B&H you can get two normal microphone stands for the price of one C-stand (with grip and arm). I am already going to get a K-Tek boom, but I'm just wondering, is it because normal microphone stands are really unsturdy?

Dennis

Normal mic stands are short and pretty well unuseable. What people are referring to are c stands and light stands.

The unit Matt Gettemeier provided a link for is a sturdy combo boom and straight stand. It's pretty stabil and can be used as a static boom. (fixed)

I also use a boom pole holder that I provided a link to. this can be used on a heavy light stand or a C stand.

The 3078 is $80 and can hold 20 lbs (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=NavBar&A=getItemDetail&Q=&sku=5334&is=REG&si=spec#goto_itemInfo)

<<<-- Originally posted by Bryan Beasleigh : Normal mic stands are short and pretty well unuseable. What people are referring to are c stands and light stands.

The unit Matt Gettemeier provided a link for is a sturdy combo boom and straight stand. It's pretty stabil and can be used as a static boom. (fixed)

I also use a boom pole holder that I provided a link to. this can be used on a heavy light stand or a C stand.

The 3078 is $80 and can hold 20 lbs (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=NavBar&A=getItemDetail&Q=&sku=5334&is=REG&si=spec#goto_itemInfo) -->>>


Matt's solution is lighter in weight and not as sturdy as a C stand. If you have to carry gear a long way, that may be an issue. If you want something solid that you can also use at some point to hang good lights or flags from, get a c stand. Actually I'm a mite shocked that more people here are unfamiliar with them.

On mic stands, I got a pair of Atlas stands with long arms for my audio studio. http://www.fullcompass.com/Products/pages/SKU--18566/index.html

I could have used lighter weight stands, but I didn't want to worry about them falling over and when clients see these stands, it makes an impact on them.

The gear you use tells a story.

Regards,

Ty Ford

Most people are fully aware of what a c stand is. At this time I have no need of the added support and I'm not going to buy one to impress people.

The master stands are light and sturdy, I already own them. With a well placed sandbag they're solid. Just because C stands are available and some one says they're great doesn't mean everything else is cr@p.

Oh ok, so basically, light stands (such as C stands) are a sturdier alternative to standard mic stands, so it'd probably be worth the extra cost of getting one (so it can double up as a light stand and mic stand if necessary)...

I guess its the compromise between weight/sturdiness, but I might as well just get the C stand now than have to deal with mic stands that keep falling over. I was just wondering, if C stands are so good, why do standard mic stands still exist/are not redesigned, that's all. But you've answered my question.

Thanks,
Dennis

Hmm... maybe I'm not getting this right, and I certainly took no offense at any comments, but just in case I want to add that I also use a lot of high-end gear. (Over the last year I've owned about $8K in mics alone.)

The only reason I mentioned this Manfrotto stand is 'cause it's the easiest way to get a simple job done. I happen to do a lot of 1 on 1 interviews in the style of The Daily Show or other shows like that and in those circumstances you only need to get a boom over the head of the guy on camera and that cam is shooting over the shoulder (or next to) the interviewer. In these situations a really light stand like this sets up in about 1 minute and can then be abandoned. Quick, easy, light, effective. You simply point one of the three legs directly under the boom arm and then that, combined with a 5 lbs sandbag for ballast, results in a completely solid, cheap, and easy solution.

I've interviewed doctors and authors straight off Oprah Winfrey's show with this setup and nobody ever blinked twice at it.