Topic: What type of mic bar do you use for Omni spread? Mounts?

[Twenty8]

While I have seen the tube-style bars for omni spreads, I have a couple questions:
What specific brand are you using?
How are you mounting them to your stands?  (that's an important question)
Viable alternatives to tube-style?

I am considering making a collapse-able bar using aluminum or mild, low grade steel: bar stock, cut into pieces, slotted with torch/grinder and then fabricated to slide/collapse for a small footprint.  I am an Ironworker, this should not be a problem to cut/grind/put together.
I will be using sdcs, not ldc omnis.

However, first I would love to hear what the options are that you consider good ones currently on the market.

[DavidPuddy]

With the 853s, you can use some telescopic antennaes like these: https://imgur.com/a/NQCtChx

Find a way to attach them to a 5/8" thread and you can use a windtech clamp.

[rocksuitcase]

kindms discovered the camera rail as a useful tool. He bought several 12 inch bars and connectors as well as mounting clamps.

Small rig is the brand.    https://www.smallrig.com/shoulder-rigs/rods/15mm-rods.html      https://www.smallrig.com/shoulder-rigs/rod-clamps.html

Pics shown of us using them (top pic is 4 12 inch bars making a 4 foot spread) (bottom pic is sideways shot - looking down the main spread -  of 3 12 inch bars to spread the omnis 3 feet, plus one 12 inch bar for the fwd/rear)

[kindms]

kindms discovered the camera rail as a useful tool. He bought several 12 inch bars and connectors as well as mounting clamps.

Small rig is the brand.    https://www.smallrig.com/shoulder-rigs/rods/15mm-rods.html      https://www.smallrig.com/shoulder-rigs/rod-clamps.html

Pics shown of us using them (top pic is 4 12 inch bars making a 4 foot spread) (bottom pic is sideways shot - looking down the main spread -  of 3 12 inch bars to spread the omnis 3 feet, plus one 12 inch bar for the fwd/rear)

it mounts to the stand with a threaded version of one of the clamps. The clips are the nbob clips for the actives. and they are connected to the rail clamps with male adapters

for actives and small mics its fine, i dont think i would put LDs on our bar. There was a manfrotto bar that a taper at Albany phish had recommended, He had several sets of LDs on it but I dont recall the model. Maybe rocksuitcase does.

[rocksuitcase]

kindms discovered the camera rail as a useful tool. He bought several 12 inch bars and connectors as well as mounting clamps.

Small rig is the brand.    https://www.smallrig.com/shoulder-rigs/rods/15mm-rods.html      https://www.smallrig.com/shoulder-rigs/rod-clamps.html

Pics shown of us using them (top pic is 4 12 inch bars making a 4 foot spread) (bottom pic is sideways shot - looking down the main spread -  of 3 12 inch bars to spread the omnis 3 feet, plus one 12 inch bar for the fwd/rear)

it mounts to the stand with a threaded version of one of the clamps. The clips are the nbob clips for the actives. and they are connected to the rail clamps with male adapters

for actives and small mics its fine, i dont think i would put LDs on our bar. There was a manfrotto bar that a taper at Albany phish had recommended, He had several sets of LDs on it but I dont recall the model. Maybe rocksuitcase does.

Pic of that Manfrotto bar- (Dead center)

[mfrench]

While I have seen the tube-style bars for omni spreads, I have a couple questions:
What specific brand are you using?
How are you mounting them to your stands?  (that's an important question)
Viable alternatives to tube-style?

I am considering making a collapse-able bar using aluminum or mild, low grade steel: bar stock, cut into pieces, slotted with torch/grinder and then fabricated to slide/collapse for a small footprint.  I am an Ironworker, this should not be a problem to cut/grind/put together.
I will be using sdcs, not ldc omnis.

However, first I would love to hear what the options are that you consider good ones currently on the market.

first thing that comes to  my mind, is,.. what are you trying to mount?

[IMPigpen]

first thing that comes to  my mind, is,.. what are you trying to mount?

That's my question too.  I've got a nice DIY for my Naiant omnis but won't work for full size omnis.

[Twenty8]

first thing that comes to  my mind, is,.. what are you trying to mount?

SDCs. 
My first set of omnis will be Line Audio OM1s.  Just ordered today (along with CM3s).

[heathen]

There was a manfrotto bar that a taper at Albany phish had recommended, He had several sets of LDs on it but I dont recall the model. Maybe rocksuitcase does.

I wasn't there, but I assume you're referring to the 154: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/503258-REG/Manfrotto_154B_154_Triple_Microphone_Holder.html

[heathen]

I'm interested in this as well because the Manfrotto 154 is on the bulky side, and I'd like to find something more portable for setting up OCT arrays with the Sennheiser e614 (a light and small SDC).

[rocksuitcase]

There was a manfrotto bar that a taper at Albany phish had recommended, He had several sets of LDs on it but I dont recall the model. Maybe rocksuitcase does.

I wasn't there, but I assume you're referring to the 154: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/503258-REG/Manfrotto_154B_154_Triple_Microphone_Holder.html

No

[mfrench]

OK,... 3/8-16 thread rod stock.
Also, build tourself a baffle for between them. I like bringing them in closer together, with a baffle between them, rather than spreading them. It also helps in mixing, as therre is less time delay betwen the mics to muddy things up.

[Gutbucket]

Good options for modular off the shelf options has been posted above by the others, so I'll address more of the DIY fabrication aspects.

Some SDCs are super lightweight, some are pretty heavy. That in combination with the spacing distance you wish to achieve are the primary constraints.

Steel can quickly make for excess weight aloft, so consider aluminum if using bar-stock, or going with tubing (round, square, whatever) if you decide to fabricate something yourself. Variable bar length can be useful to stay narrow when you need to do so, and go wide when the situation allows it.  Nesting or screw-together pole sections can achieve that by adding sections to increase spacing. Think tent poles. Fatter tubing will be stiffer and able to support more weight. One member here uses very thin sectional carbon fiber tubes (think kite struts) as both spacing bar and vertical support pole for miniature mics, getting them 3' apart and something like 15' or so up in a quite visually discreet arrangement allowing use at the front of the audience without huge visual impact. I've looked into both large and small diameter carbon fiber tubes and connectors in the past and far more options are available now than just a few years ago. Different fabrication skills of bonding rather than metal working are required there. I repurpose black set-top telescopic TV aerials to support lightweight microphones which I started doing a decade ago and have yet to find a better solution as they provide variable spacing (coincident out to about 2 meters), quickly retract into into a very compact format for transport, have no loose parts to loose, and are nearly invisible. I can keep things tight, then quickly extend out to 5' or whatever once the lights go down.  The arrangement allows me to run stealthier and record using wide-spaced configurations in situations were I otherwise would not be able to do so. 

These kind of setups may or may not be appropriate for you, yet hopefully provide some ideas to run with.

[Edit- To make the telescopic antennas work, I fabricate parts out of aluminum bar-stock to which the antennas with integral hinges are mechanically fastened, which fit the stud on a stand, clamp or other mount]

[kindms]

There was a manfrotto bar that a taper at Albany phish had recommended, He had several sets of LDs on it but I dont recall the model. Maybe rocksuitcase does.

I wasn't there, but I assume you're referring to the 154: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/503258-REG/Manfrotto_154B_154_Triple_Microphone_Holder.html

No

To elaborate Heathen. No we own that manfrotto bar. Its a really nice bar just kind of bulky. The one in the albany pics was pretty much just a straight bar. almost like an extension.

Funny we never had an issue with that bar but i always thought it was going to draw attention going in to the show. So thats why i wanted the 12" sections in the 15mm bars. They fit in the back pocket of my nova5 bag and you wouldnt really know they are there. Or they might even look / feel like solid lumbar support.

I have seen Noahs pics of fob phish where they use it for clamping. Great use for that bar

[mfrench]

This is a bar that I made from a trailer backing/sighting rig. It spreads out to a ~7' span.
In the pic, I've got the L.A. CM3, and their small diameter Belden stubby XLR cables to show how much load the rig can take. Yes, it bowing, but, it handled the load.

4817 is the bar with the CM3 pair dangling from the ends.
4819 is the collapsed bar, next to a smaller TV antennae pair.

In the pic, the bar is held in place with a Manfrotto mini-clamp that the bar passes through.