How to choose a microphone stand?

A microphone stand is an indispensable attribute of a professional or home recording studio. Stands are commonly used for microphones designed for professional microphones for announcers, rehearsal rooms and other similar institutions. The answer to the question of how to choose a microphone stand is actually not as simple as it might seem at first glance. First of all, you need to know that all microphone stands are divided into two main categories - floor and desktop.

As the name implies, desktop microphone stands are designed to be placed on a tabletop. Such stands are perfect for installing a microphone for video conferencing, video chatting (for example, Skype or other video communication application), streaming while playing online, and so on. As a rule, desktop microphone stands are connected directly to a laptop, computer or other gadget through a standard USB connector. Desktop microphone stands come in fixed shapes and those that change the length and slope of the stand itself. In the latter case, it is more convenient for simultaneous use of the rack by several participants in a conversation or recording.

Now let's deal with the question of how to choose a microphone stand that is installed on the floor. Their designs are much more varied. Microphone floor stands are divided into three large groups - telescopic, crane-type stands and straight. Straight stands usually have a vertical shape, at the end of which a microphone is fixed. Such stands are suitable for use in the studio or on stage for artists who do not use musical instruments in their hands and do not move around the stage.

The pantograph stand allows you to adjust the height and position of the microphone to suit the needs of the artist or recording participant. The design involves the use of a clamp, which usually allows you to rotate the microphone in almost any plane.

Cranes floor stands are very popular when used on stage. They allow you to adjust the angle of the top of the stand in order to make using the microphone as comfortable as possible. Often microphone stands such as "crane" are used to support the microphone near musical instruments - guitar, drum set, piano and others.