Remote Audio GRIP (Rycote sells the same one)

MattinSTL

MattinSTL

Sound Modulator
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So does anybody use one of these? The construction is nitrile foam grip, black delrin core, and 3/8" stainless stud. All I need to know is whether or not the outter grip is actually fixed in place with an adhesive? Can you feel any play? I would assume that you could, because with a friction fit there's no reason to complicate construction with glue!

Also, the bottom threaded mount... those threads are formed directly into the black delrin correct? The only metal part of the entire assembly is the 3/8 stud on the top?

Those grips are $35.

I've got several mounts and I don't need one of these things, but since I've been encouraging people to get K-SSM shockmounts for so long I wondered just how many people ended up with one of these since it's actually the best affordable option short of making your own.
 
So nobody uses anything like this? What do you use for handholding a mic that must be in a mount? I've got a couple Rycote solutions... but as I'm usually inclined to do. I think I have a nice solution for you guys on a super-tight budget.

How about this?

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Is this perfect? Uh no... I'm considering an adhesive between the grip and the black delrin bushing. As I have it now there is none... I did these with tight tolerances so friction does pretty good, but there is no actual adhesive (yet?) so the grip could be pulled off. I wonder if on the Remote Audio Grip or on the Rycote Grip (the one of this design) if they are fixed in position? The foam sleeve is pretty solid anyway... but it is NOT glued in position. I couldn't decide if it matters. My grip is actually longer then the other guys... and that's where the extra tenth of an ounce comes from... but still... not too shabby 'aye?

Introductory and possibly permanent offer for DVXuser members?

How about $10.95 plus $4 USPS Priority? (insurance is optional at $1)
 
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Matt,

Looks interesting. Nice shorter alternative to the K-Tek wired pistol grip I'm using now (lighter weight too, though when I'm using the pistol, weight is much less of a factor than at the end of a 10' pole.) I might be interested in giving one a try. ;-)

Phil
 
I guess I should have just posted this in the marketplace. I put a post there now... so this can probably be deleted. When I first put this up I wasn't sure if I was going to try this or not.

I just figured it's a pretty darn simple device... considering some of the other stuff I've been doing this was nothing. It's black delrin, 3/8" stainless steel stud, and nitrile foam grip... then tap the delrin with a 3/8 Whitworth at both ends.

Eventually I'm going to figure out how to make blimps and everything else that seems drastically over-priced.
 
MattinSTL said:
Eventually I'm going to figure out how to make blimps and everything else that seems drastically over-priced.
Click to expand...

Great to hear Matt.

And boy are there EVER some really over-priced things in this department. Blimps, furries, boom arms, shock-mounts (to a slightly lesser extent) all so STUPIDLY over-priced.
 
To be fair... I HAVE been trying a blimp every now and then... and so far it usually ends up in the trash.

Also I think the K-SSM is actually a fair price considering it's machined aluminum construction. I like that mount so much that I have TWO of them! One for each Oktava. Also if you want a cheap shockmount that's actually very functional then the SabraSom K-SM (where'd they get those initials?) at $49 is pretty darn cheap... and effective.

Maybe I'll eventually get into shockmount territory... but honestly I don't think those are very much out of line. I guarantee I couldn't make anything as nice as a K-SSM for LESS money.

But a plastic blimp cage for $300? That is just BEGGING for a home-built solution.
 
I just got my Oktava (love it - thanks again to DVXuser - MattinSTL especially) and it seems to work fine with my AT8415 mount plus K-tek bands. I'm using it with a BBG and I've been happy with the tests I've done. Granted, there is no room to spare anywhere, but everthing just fits with no problems.

I might get a KSSM one day, but for now, I'm pleased with the AT8415 (and K-tek KSUS bands) at almost half the price.

What really drove me crazy was the BBG price, though. Damn, that's one expensive piece of plastic and foam (and it's WAY cheaper than a zepplin kit for a shotgun). I know R&D is expensive and supply and demand is not in our favor here, but it still hurts to shell out 100 bucks here, 300 bucks there for things that would be well under $30 if they were produced for home improvement or sporting good markets. The only thing that makes me feel better is that these goods are not produced in sweatshops in 3rd world countries - at least someone is making a living wage to assemble most of the equipment I use.

MattinSTL, I would be interested in one of your grips. You haven't had the foam slip around the cylinder in your tests, have you?
 
No... but I'm going to do 3M Super 77 or else some foam tack adhesive... I figure why give anybody even one tiny thing to complain about. I'm guessing the Remote Audio Grip or the Rycote version is not glued... but whatever... I'm gluing it.

So then there's really nothing bad you can say about it... even if it wasn't LESS then 1/3 the price!

Freakin' Home Depot was out... I just got home and all they had was the general purpose 45... not good enough for me. Lowe's tomorrow and all grips will be fixed in position.

Again, I'm doing these 20 at a time... like the other stuff I do (with the exception of cables) my supply will surge and deplete, but I'll try to keep everybody happy.
 
Those blimps are cool but yes way too costly for what they are in material. I'd love it if one of the several MattinSL could make one of those for a resonable cost.

I say one of the Matt's because I have finally figured out what is going on. There are obviously at least three people working under this one name. It is just not possible for one person to be thinking of and making all these things as well as working and being on these boards. No one mortal could be this productive.

Actually, "mortal" may be the key word here. If he is one person then there is more going on here. But I'm not going to question the roots of these fits of productivity. In fact I'm going to selfishly encourage them because I benefit from them. I just wish he'd open a website store so I can do one stop shopping. I have to hunt all over the place on this site to find his projects.

How many other things are there that you make Matt that I could use? I'm going to get some cables, this grip, waiting for the MattRig. What else is there?

On the subject of K-Tek. I had the opportunity to meet the owner at the DV Expo in LA recently and he was extremely nice. I told him about how many products have been sold because of Matt and he said that he heard from a lot of people about Matt.

If it matters to anybody all his products are made basically from scratch right here in California. Machines all the parts and even forges the poles. He was very cool, even invited me down to have a tour of the factory. So if you do buy from them it goes to a family run company in the U.S.

But then again, all of Matts products are made here in the States too. Maybe someday I'll get an invitation to visit his factory as well.
 
OMG I've never laughed so hard in my life.*

This little post above just puts the surreal cap on this already surreal day... and yes... Manfred Klemme is one of my heros... my inspiration perhaps...?





*or used the stupid internet-thingy, "omg".
 
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matt, one day im flying out to the states just to shake your hand for being one crazy guy. :)

Im REALLY excited by you mentioning looking into making blimps. as far as im concerned, thats the area we're getting screwed most... i dont mind paying for mics, they are complicated things that help us do our jobs. and like you say, i dont really think some shock mounts are TOO badly priced. but blimps!!! i just got an 816 minus blimp for a steal off ebay, but now its gonna cost me a flippin fortune to rig it for any kind of real use!

bummer...
 
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Yeah I've always been at a total loss for words when it comes to blimp-buyin' time. How can you not hold that bit of plastic and think, "WOW! Three HUNDRED dollars!?"

I've bought more wire-mesh CRAP then anybody... I keep thinking I can take two pencil cups or something odd like that and turn them into a BBG. Sooner or later I'll figure something out. With all these little projects going my confidence in building from scratch has been going up. I have some ideas for forming mesh... now all I have to do is figure out the tongue and groove tabs... or some other lightweight way to screw a tube together. I'll crack that nut eventually.
 
Don't know... but I did establish ONE FACT today... both the Rycote and Remote Audio Grip do NOT have adhesive on the foam... the foam can be slipped off... just like on mine.

I spent an hour this morning experimenting with various adhesives and I found a way to more or less fix the grip w/o making it permanent... but honestly, if Rycote and Remote Audio don't think it's a problem then I don't think I'm going to worry about it either. Adhering the foam was not my original preferrence anyway. The grip foam can shimmy slightly... but it's not like it's LOOSE... it's still friction tight.

Adios adhesive... just like Rycote and Remote Audio... so if anybody wants to ***** about the foam being removeable then they can send the letters to those guys also.

Oh yeah... and (at least for now) you can get THREE of my grips for the price of one of those... with over $2 left over... so let's appreciate the fuctionality and the gesture. Shall we? We shall. Thanks.
 
Matt,

I made a bunch of blimps before I lucked into a set. The last thing I was playing with is plastic mesh used to keep leaves out of gutters. It looks just like the Rycote mesh (except black) and it's a thermoplastic so you can heat it up and mold it around things. Something I was going to try but never did was to stretch some cloth (like nylon stockings) over a form and heat up some mesh in the oven and see if molding it hot over the cloth would get it to adhere. That was one of my construction problems, if the cloth is on the out side it gets beaten up... but how to stick it to the inside?

SK
 
That's a good idea... I'll look into that. Actually nylon stockings are made from... uh, NYLON! And most plastic polymers are compatible... at least if they're petroleum derivitives... sooo that means that as long as you don't melt the underlying nylon fabric... that the two materials may just fuse together really well anyway.

Hmm... something to think about... and try of course. Now what about the thread solution? Something like the junction of the two halves of the BBG or the endcaps on a blimp.

Do you have any good ideas for that? Throw anything out there and I'll try it.
 
Well the old Rycote's used clips that were mounted on one side and hooked over the other. One could use PVC pipe of the tight size for the rings. It machines easily and holds up OK.
The Rycotes I had to "refurbish" needed everything outside the zep. So I made the under sled from aluminum angle stock, a bit wasteful but I can't weld aluminum here. And cut a maple handle. I modified the inside mounts to work with my strange double Oktava setup, and will probably redo it again closer to the new Rycote suspension when I get some time.

You should check out Lindsay Technical books, if you havent gone there befor (ver cool). http://www.lindsaybks.com/HomePage.html
SK
 
"Do it Your self" for your self is OK.

Copying and selling to others, May get you in trouble...

You are clever enough to do better then plain copies of others creations.

Innovate don't just Imitate.
 
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One of the blimps above is Rycote... one is Sennheiser. The little orange button and molded pistol grip gives it away instantly... as does the color of the blimp.

Okay now wait a minute... I'm not done yet.

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Can you tell the two above apart? Check where each pic came from if you want to know...

Still not satisfied?

How about these two here:

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Did you wag your finger at those guys?

Some days it sure seems like there's lots of sticks in the mud...

Speaking of mud... I happen to think offering something to forum members for DIRT CHEAP (about 30% of that item's retail cost) IS innovative. (The two grips pictured above are exactly the same price).

You can't please everybody... so it's a good thing I'm not trying to.
 
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