C Stand advice for mounting boompole - HELP!

J

Jim Duggins

Active member
I find myself short a boom operator and am looking for advice on what to get. I assume I need to get a C Stand and boom pole holder along with a Hollywood grip head.

What C Stand do you recommend and is this package missing anything? :huh:

Avenger C Stand $121.95
A205SCB - Century C Stand with 40" Riser - Black, 10' 9"
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=243712&is=REG

Boom Pole Holder $29.95
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=277230&is=REG

Matthews Hollywood Grip Head -2.5 inches $29.95
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=139495&is=REG
 
Sandbags... lots of sandbags.

There are a number of studio mic stands on the market with extra-long booms, such as Atlas stands. They're generally far less expensive than a C-stand, and the boom counterweight tends to make them much more stable.

I picked up an Aphex stand for around $35 (display model, stightly scratched). It has a 6.5' boom, and a 7' mast. The four legs give it a wider footprint than the Atlas stands, and the counterweigt lets me use it for heavy stereo pairs. I also like the positive lock on the adjustment mechanisms. It is a bit heavier than the average C-stand, but its also less likely to be accidentally packed into the rental truck by an innatentive grip.
 
I use a c-stand... put a matthellini in the top arm/knuckle... and run the arm out under the pole... doing it the cheap way you can use a small pony clamp to let the pole rest in... and gaffer that in place.

At the other end... the BUTT end of the pole... I put on a 10lbs boa bag. I also still sandbag the c-stand... but this configuration allows a 13' pole to go to nearly full extension... something a boom buddy probably won't do solidly.

There are lots of ways to do it I guess... but the above has been working for me well.
 
http://www.atlassound.com

I didn't see the Aphex stand on Aphex's website, although I didn't look that hard. I just stumbled upon it over at Long & McQuade music; scratched up and missing one rubber foot, but perfect for my purposes.

Here's a few product links:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/OnStage-Stands-SMS7650-HexBase-Studio-Boom-?sku=450412
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ultimate-Support-MC125-Professional-Studio-Boom?sku=450582
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Atlas-SB11WE-Studio-Boom-Mic-Stand-with-Air-Suspension?sku=450659

The couterweights are a really good idea for booms longer than 5'. For stands with smaller bases (eg. Atlas stands), I'd be tempted to drop a couple of sanbags onto the base for a bit of extra peace-of-mind.
 
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