Kurt Ballou [Tape Op #76] showed me these gadgets a few years ago. They’re simple, 7’’ boom arms with a clamp that securely holds the boom on the shaft of a mic stand (or pipe, railing, etc.). Next to the clamp is On-Stage’s trademark Posi-Lok knob, which allows the boom to be rotated 300°. I use these regularly on snare drums — attach one of these to the stand that’s already holding the snare-top mic, then mount the snare-bottom mic without having to squeeze in a second stand. Same goes for mics under toms. My one complaint — adjusting the clamp location and arm rotation is usually enough to get me where I want, but once in a while, I’d like a telescoping boom. And, of course, Andy Hong has a hack: buy an On-Stage MSA-9505 Posi-Lok telescoping mini-boom, and swap the boom sections. There are lots of places you may want to create a mic stand where one doesn’t exist (cool trick: drill a hole in a $3 spring clamp, and attach a gooseneck), but for $15 a pop, these are worth it just for the simple drum application.
Microphones | No. 49
AT2020 cardioid condenser mic
by Garrett Haines
With inexpensive mics seemingly as common as guitar picks, one must ask, "Does the world need another cheap mic?" But after testing the AT2020, my answer is a resounding, "Yes!" Because the AT2020 is...