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OK, so Santa brought me a workhorse Shure SM58 mic....now what?

I'll need cables from it to my MOTU 828MK3 interface XLR/quarter inch combo jacks. Do I go with standard mic cables or balanced quarter inch plugs?

Then I'll need a stand to get it over my keyboard. There is no room on my DAW desk for a desk-mount. Seems like a floor mounted stand with a boom would be in order but am concerned about the whole contraption tipping over.

Any recommendations for cabling and a stand from the experienced group here?

Jeff


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The cabling you could do that way but I have a preamp with XLR in and 1/4" out so I never had to go that route. That being said I DO have one of those conversion things that looks like a big metal hot dog in case I run out of XLR sometime.

You can go with a floor stand and boom that has a round base rather than a tripod but if you are nervous about it tipping, watch for someone selling weights and buy a 10 pound weight plate to put on the floor base.

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I personally would go with XLR for the connections. In regard to a stand the tripod stands are fairly stable, however it does depend on how far you need the boom to reach. The farther out you have to place the boom the less stable the mic stand unless you get recording studio type equipment that are heavy and balanced. Those will set you back a few more pennies. I have an AT2020 mounted on a boom stand about half way and if I went any further I would have balance problems.

Hope this helps.

Merry Christmas,

Terry


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If you are jut using the mic at the desk, then get a desk boom mount like at radio sstatios. Full Compass audio sells them. But sitting while singing is less than optimal asnd the acoustics at the desk will be not so great.

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Concerns about the modern tripod based boom stand design tipping over are unwarranted.

I've used them for years, never experienced tipping over or even seen one accidently knocked over when used onstage. The legs open to a wide enough footprint to make that a non-issue IMO.

And, these mic stands are very inexpensive these days due to the proliferation of imports.

don't spend an inordinate amount of money on something that solves a problem that isn't there.


--Mac

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You didn't really say much about floor space, only desk space. Do you have room on the floor for a tripod? I have both tripod and round base stands and you can MAKE the tripod trip over but you really need to try, like extending the boom ALL the way and having the boom at too flat of an angle to the main base axis. The closer you are to 90 degrees the more likely you will have a tip. I keep mine as low as I can and that is usually where the boom to center spar angle is 45-ish degrees. When you get up toward 90 you will tip.

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Quote:

Concerns about the modern tripod based boom stand design tipping over are unwarranted.

I've used them for years, never experienced tipping over or even seen one accidently knocked over when used onstage. The legs open to a wide enough footprint to make that a non-issue IMO.

And, these mic stands are very inexpensive these days due to the proliferation of imports.

don't spend an inordinate amount of money on something that solves a problem that isn't there.


--Mac




Ditto! Never an issue here.

Which I had all the money I spent on items to insure against "what if" scenarios. As stated above in the majority of cases the "what if" never happens.

Later,

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Thanks a good point Eddie. I don't have much floor space and the boom would definitely have to be a 90 degree from the stand....sounds like tripods are out and that I need to be sure to get a heavy base....any recommendations on those?


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Well, let me describe a bit more.


This will tip easily.



This will less likely tip.




What I was speaking of was the angle of the boom. That 90 degree in pic 1 will tip when you just look at it.

Any round base stand will be fine as it will only take 1 foot of floor space. $20 at your nearest music store. The boom may be $25 more. I would watch your local resale newspaper or craigslist. I found my last one for $10.

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Great advice for someone new like me to vocals, mics and stands. Appreciate everyone chiming in here...thanks.


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The second example Eddie posted is very much the same as the "tripod" boomstands I use all the time and referred to above.

They work well, both for home studio use live, and as I stated earlier, I have yet to knock one over. And if anybody could, that would be big ol' Mac the Dancing Bear...


--Mac

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Google Heil Sound PL2T if you are really pressed for floor space. Then go buy a desk lamp with the same type of spring loaded system and mount your mic clip to it.

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We use tripod stands at church and point one leg the same direction as the boom. We use heavy wireless mics and the keyboard player's is extended all the way, no problems.

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