Mic stand adaptors

[timd]

Hi all,

 

Google/eBay fu is letting me down at the moment, so I come looking for suggestions.

 

I've got hold of a zoom h4 that I want to use for recording stuff (sketch and panel shows for radio broadcast mainly) from the top of a mic stand pointing down at the action. Annoyingly the mounting sled it comes with has a 1/4in thread on it, which is pretty rubbish for mic stands.

 

I'm looking for a 1/4in male to 5/8in female thread adapter, but have so far drawn a blank. I've looked on studiospares and found a 1/4 to 3/8, but since we already have a couple of 5/8 stands and I'm not entirely happy with the idea of stacking two reducing adapters on the stand I'd prefer one which goes up to 5/8. That way I can easily also use it with a 3/8 stand with an expanding adapter.

 

I also know of the universal joints studiospares sell, but they're somewhat too expensive for what they are.

 

Any leads very much appreciated,

Tim

[TomHoward]

Thomann sell an Alesis part that's the same as the universal joint for £8 - it's the Alesis Protrack Mounting Adapter. It's still not cheap but it's cheaper than the Studiospares one - we have a couple of these but we generally use them for mounting fixed cameras on mic stands (as they have a smaller footprint than tripods).

[Seano]

Have you looked into getting some made for you?

I've no idea about the economics of it, but a thread adapter would be a relatively simple thing for a turner to make up for you.

 

eg: I found this by putting "brass turning prototype" into Google.

[Alec]

Don't see what's so wrong about stacking adapters, should work fine...

 

Also, wasn't the idea that the funny handle the Zoom comes with can be stuck in a mic clip - or am I remembering wrongly? Mine just gets gaffered into place wherever I want it.

[Bobbsy]

The thread on the H4 is for mounting on a photographic tripod rather than mic stand. Searching Google for "tripod to mic stand thread adaptor" I get lots of hits--mine are all Australian but doing the same search in the UK might yield something.

 

For example THIS ONE in the USA.

[dbuckley]

I thought that cameras used the same thread as the smaller mic stand thread, which is a 3/8ths BSW? Certainly my cameras happily pop onto a small mic stand thread. I also have a 3/8 BSW tap and have mad things that go on mic stands, so I'm fairly sure the size is correct.

 

So I think this is a USA / rest of world difference - I'm sure I read on PSW that the Americans use a different size smaller mic stand thread than everyone else, but everyone uses the same 5/8ths thread.

 

Seano's right - if you want a custom size then any metal fabricator will knock something like that up quite cheaply from little more than a sketch on the back of a fag packet. I've got some 10mm to 3/8ths BSW adapters which are very handy for suspending mics (or speakers) on 10mm stud from a hook clamp, and thesde adpaters cost just a few bucks each to have made.

[Bobbsy]

A standard camera tripod is 1/4 inch BSW thread but some larger cameras use the 3/8th size. The quick release plate on my old Sachtler video tripod had one of each! But the smaller size is what is used on most cheap tripods and cameras.

 

The small mic stand thread can be either 1/4 inch or 3/8 inch but the 3/8th size is rather more common in my experience.

 

FYI, neither of the smaller threads is used very often in the USA...they're pretty much standarised on the 5/8th size.

[timd]

Thanks all, some good ideas there. For future reference, the Thomann part is this (item no: 256992), currently at £8.20. That should be acceptably cheap now that I've found enough other stuff I need from them to dilute the effects of postage.

 

I have seen the mic handle mount thingy. I'm not sure I like the look of it given that I suspect the recorder could be spending a lot of time at the maximum extent of a few mic stands.

 

Tim

[Rob_Beech]

As I've said before.........The person that decided upon the 2nd size for mic stands, whichever came 2nd, 3/8 or 5/8 or both of the above, should be shot, and then shot again.

[dbuckley]

I've lived through my entire entertainment technology life (which is a goodly number of years) and never knew there is a size other than 3/8th BSW and 5/8ths. Where the hell did that quarter inch thing come from?

[paulears]

Grampian mic stands had 1/4" threads, and a few adaptors were about for 3/8 - but I remember starting to see 5/8 in the late 70s. The adaptors had 1/4 one end 3/8 on the other and an overall 5/8 thread. I actually remember making some in my final year metalwork lessons - lathes and cutting threads were handy skills (well, perhaps interesting - as I've never used them in 30 yrs!)

I've just ordered the 1/4 inch knuckle - because the bodge I'm currently using can be replaced by something much neater.

[Simon Lewis]

Where the hell did that quarter inch thing come from?

 

Mainly the camera tripod... ! If you check out the Canford Audio adaptor pages, you'll see some 1/2" legacy designs as well.

[Alec]

As I've said before.........The person that decided upon the 2nd size for mic stands, whichever came 2nd, 3/8 or 5/8 or both of the above, should be shot, and then shot again.

 

Agreed - how many times have I needed to fit a 5/8 clip to a 5/8 adapter, only to find a non-slotted 3/8 adapter tightly screwed into the clip...

 

Incidentally, some of the cheaper CPC mics I've had recently have dual size threads - a section of 5/8 followed by a section of 3/8. This is magic, as they'll mate with either stand. The only drawback I can see is that you end up with a reduced mating area. Any idea if you can get generic mic clips thus equipped - or has anyone come undone using these?