Table top mic stand recommendations
 

Hi All - I use 3 of these to support and angle my Zoom H1 recorders for speeches

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

But they are very poor - the thread almost being non-existent on one of them - can anyone recommend something better - but not black as that would defeat the object of my white zooms

Ta

Pete

Re: Table top mic stand recommendations
 

Peter i just put my two on the table near the speaker or behind the flowers, same sound as a tripod.

Re: Table top mic stand recommendations
 

Hi Steve - I've noticed a better separation between the speaker's voice and the surrounding guest noise if I point them up in the general direction of the speaker. I seem to get more 'table' noise if they're laid flat, especially the 'thud' of bottles and glasses being put down. Maybe I'm being finicky though :)

Pete

Re: Table top mic stand recommendations
 

Hi Peter,

I shot my one and only wedding with two Tascam DR07 MKIIs and two Manfrotto Pixi Mini Tripods.

They're £17.30, but they're built well and are perfect for this (I believe at least).

Here's a link to them at Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They're perhaps slightly bulkier than what you're used to, but I used the older version whilst travelling around Asia and got some amazing shots from Taiwan 101 using a 4 second shutter at night, and the images were crisp using an OM-D. Therefore, these little things are sturdy enough for a recorder and won't do what the cheap tabletop has been doing for you.

They might be slight overkill for H1s, but I'd still recommend them for doing the job and they're still plenty capable of being hidden too.

Re: Table top mic stand recommendations
 

You can get those Manfrotto stands in white as well:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...pf_rd_i=468294

but they are a bit too large for my liking, both in their footprint on a table and for transporting.

Getting a white stand of any description is problematic though. I guess you could spray a dark stand but whether the paint would peel who knows. However since the H1's will be mostly seen from a higher angle the white body of the H1 should mask a small stand somewhat.

I use a special concoction for stands as everything has to serve as many purposes as possible for me as i aim to travel light and setup fast.

I use these:

http://www.ashtonlamont.co.uk/images/h1-tabletop.jpg

The base is a flashgun stand. Get them with long legs not the short ones that typically come with Canon and Nikon guns. That gives you extra stability if you mount a larger H4n, or a handycam or GoPro on one - great on window ledges :- ) Also make sure they have a metal thread on the base, not just plastic. They are very cheap on Ebay.

The screw is Kaavie dual nuts:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The ball head is the smallest FLM. Incredibly strong and stable for its size:

FLM CB18 Ball Head - Ball Socket

Obviously you can use the components individually with your other equipment when called for e.g. the ball head on your main cams hotshoe to hold a wireless receiver.

Pete

Re: Table top mic stand recommendations
 

Some great ideas here guys - just need to decide how much I want to spend (do we ever stop spending?) Now if those FLM heads came in white....

Re: Table top mic stand recommendations
 

I use these. Hama 00004010 Mini Tripod with Flexible Legs: Amazon.co.uk: Camera & Photo

Not to bad once they are stretched a bit. Real small and light weight so they don't take up much room in the kit bag.

Re: Table top mic stand recommendations
 

I plan to get the 250 version for my small pocket recorders, the advantage is that it can stay attached to the recorder and folds up nice when not in use or just to easily put in the gear bag:

Re: Table top mic stand recommendations
 

I always carry a couple of Gorilla pods which I use for portable audio recorders and the GoPro. They can be used as an ordinary table top tripod, or the legs can be wrapped around just about anything to hang recorders in all sorts of places. I recently wrapped one round a church candlestick to mount the GoPro for a different angle.

Lots of different sizes available at many stores and online. I bought my first one last year in Sams while on holiday on Florida and here is one from Jessops in the UK Joby Gorilla Pod - Original - Jessops - Tripods

Roger