Topic: shockmounts for AKG 460?

[T140V]

Hi ya'll, I need a new pair of mounts to hold the 460's...I sometimes use the ck-8 shotgun caps so that needs to be considered...looking at the AT8410/8415's...which one would be preferred or make a suggestion..thanks!

[DigiGal]

Rycote INV7

[darby]

Joe Meek JM27

I use a pair of these and run my shotguns in them with no trouble

[vanark]

Joe Meek JM27

I use a pair of these and run my shotguns in them with no trouble

I run a set like these that I got from Busman Audio.

[Fried Chicken Boy]

Rycote INV7

Seconded.  The InVision series of shockmounts are the best I've used.  Should work great for your 460's or any similarly sized SDC.

[F.O.Bean]

I ran the AT8415's w/ the heavy-duty K-Tek K-SUS rubber mounts for them. Thats about as shock-proofed as you can get. I ran 480's w/ them and they fit nice and snug

[acidjack]

Rycote INV7

Seconded.  The InVision series of shockmounts are the best I've used.  Should work great for your 460's or any similarly sized SDC.

Third on the Rycotes.  Low-profile, not horribly expensive, versatile, and effective.  Can't recommend them more highly.

[vanark]

$125 per pair at B&H, just to give some perspective on "not horribly expensive".

[ziko]

http://www.fullcompass.com/product/237061.html


run those i believe with nak guns-460 ck8 and so on

edit-very tight at first but loosens up the more you use them

[John Willett]

Rycote INV-7 - no contest!

[John Willett]

Joe Meek JM27

I use a pair of these and run my shotguns in them with no trouble

These are horrible mounts - they are available from several manufacturers.  They twist, bounce and droop, they are not very good at all.

The only inexpensive mount that comes close to the effectiveness of the Rycote is the Shure Donut, but this is no good for a gun mic. as it's too small.

[darby]

I have NEVER had them twist, bounce and droop 

some of us on this board do this for a hobby and feel like spending $125 on a pair of shockmounts ridiculous... enjoy your rycotes 

[jkbyram]

Joe Meek JM27

I use a pair of these and run my shotguns in them with no trouble

These are horrible mounts - they are available from several manufacturers.  They twist, bounce and droop, they are not very good at all.

The only inexpensive mount that comes close to the effectiveness of the Rycote is the Shure Donut, but this is no good for a gun mic. as it's too small.

i have one that is drooping a little bit but the thing is almost 5 years old and it is from the band stretching a little bit. For the cost, 5 years is great in my book.

[acidjack]

I have NEVER had them twist, bounce and droop 

some of us on this board do this for a hobby and feel like spending $125 on a pair of shockmounts ridiculous... enjoy your rycotes 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that $125 / pr is less than half what many of the branded shockmounts are (one Schoeps A20 is the same price as a pair of these), so while it is more than some of those other mounts, for the quality and versatility the INVs are pretty great.

But it also depends how much you really need shockmounts. I do a lot of clamping and need something small that works really well with all my mics.  The Rycotes I have fit that bill; the Joe Meek mounts wouldn't, as they wouldn't fit the 4021s. 

I agree that the Rycotes are more expensive than the least-expensive options and are probably overkill for a lot of people.  But they are fairly priced compared to the house-brand mounts of Schoeps, DPA and to a lesser extent AKG (it looks like their SDC mount is $90 each).

[SmokinJoe]

99% of the time when I run AKG 460/480's I haven't used shockmounts at all, I use plastic mic clips.  Smaller, lighter, cheaper, no drooping, I've never had an issue with an audible thump in my tape from someone kicking my stand, and I'm pretty sure the stand must have been kicked a few times.  Frequently I use AKG brand clips that come with the mics, but other times I've used those cheap generic clips that come with low end mics, or clips that came with Nak300's.

The point is... if you have some plastic mic clips, try them and see if you have a problem with vibration.  If not, don't worry about it.  When it comes to guns, stiff clips are probably the best option.

[vanark]

The question was specific to AKG 460's, so the versatility of the Rycote INV's doesn't necessarily come into play.  They are worth it to you because you are using different mics.  There are any number of effective solutions for the AKG 460/480's that are less costly than the Rycotes.  Just a point of information, not meant to be a contradiction.

[newplanet7]

99% of the time when I run AKG 460/480's I haven't used shockmounts at all, I use plastic mic clips.  Smaller, lighter, cheaper, no drooping, I've never had an issue with an audible thump in my tape from someone kicking my stand, and I'm pretty sure the stand must have been kicked a few times. 

This x2.

[acidjack]

The question was specific to AKG 460's, so the versatility of the Rycote INV's doesn't necessarily come into play.  They are worth it to you because you are using different mics.  There are any number of effective solutions for the AKG 460/480's that are less costly than the Rycotes.  Just a point of information, not meant to be a contradiction.

Agree, fair enough. 

[DigiGal]

The OP never stated a budget and was originally looking at 2 different AT model mounts that are only about $10 less each than the the INV-7's.  From my past experience I'd definitely forgo the AT8410's for the INV-7's but have had no personal experience with the AT8415's.  The INV-7's are virtually indestructible whereas the AT8410's will not stand up with time (i.e. elastic bands wear out and their cast parts are prone to breakage).  For the Rycote's money you'll have a versatile compact shock mount that should last a lifetime and provide excellent isolation.  Regarding the Joe Meek variety they are pretty cheap and cheaply constructed, there are similar versions by several manufacturers Schoeps even sells a nearly identical version for $112 each yikes!  Those all have elastic bands that stretch out and are constructed of a cheap plastic.  None of those type especially the Schoeps come close to Rycotes long term cost/performance value of their INV-7's imho, that is why I use and recommend Rycote.

[Fried Chicken Boy]

As SmokinJoe pointed out, and has been discussed in other threads on this board, the necessity of using shockmounts if you fly your mics on a stand is questionable.  From anecdotal evidence it would appear that all but the most serious of knocks and bumps are attenuated by the stand itself and will show up only slightly, if at all, in one's recording.  As he suggested, experimenting with the plain plastic mic clips before dropping money on shockmounts could be worth trying.

Conversely, if you clamp your mics to railings, soundboard cages, drink shelves, etc, and don't use a good set of isolating shockmounts you can be pretty screwed.  Especially if you have some ADHD case beating away on whatever you're clamped to like it's a drum head.  Your pull will sound like you recorded the show during an earthquake.

As DigiGal noted, the mounts that the OP is looking at are each within $10-$15 of the Rycote InVisions.  If the OP is already planning to spend $100 or so on the mounts, are the Rycotes worth the additional $25?  In my opinion and from my experience, I believe they are.

[willndmb]

i use $7 windtech "rubberband" mounts
its a little tight but it fits

[jibooer]

My .02 : Joe Meeks or the Avatone SSM....both are not costly, and do the job. The bands can be replaced easily as well.
.

[thunderbolt]

I tried the Joe Meeks and sent them back.  I also had generic AT8415s--they're huge, and are very difficult to use on a Shure vert bar. 

My two choices now are either the Avantone SSM or simple AT8405 clips, which work great with the Shure bar.

[T140V]

Thanks for all the replys/advice...as usual there is no shortage of opinions on ts.com and thats a good thing......I think I'm going for a pair of the Rycotes...a bit spendy but a small percentage of my rig on the whole, they will last and hold a fair amount of thier value....Cuthbert here we come

[SmokinJoe]

Serious question.... I'm not trying to start a flame war. 

You are setting up, and while screwing a mount to a tbar, you bobble it, and the shock mounts hits the concrete floor with 6' worth of kinetic energy.  I know from experience AT8410's will survive, they are metal with very little plastic.  A little bend in one of the metal pieces, easily straightened with a leatherman.  I've seen a Rode plastic mount lose an ear that holds the rubber bands when dropped.  If you drop an ADK-TL supermount, I bet it will break your toe.  AKG414 plastic mounts... I've always been extremely careful not to let that happen.  I expect it will break at that S-turn like many pictures I've seen.

I haven't seen how the others hold up?  Experience?  I've never held a Rycote in my hand, but if that suspension mount thing is plastic I figured it would shatter.

[DigiGal]

I've never held a Rycote in my hand, but if that suspension mount thing is plastic I figured it would shatter.

The Rycote's will not shatter, they are made from a virtually indestructible thermo-plastic polyester elastomer material developed by DuPont called Hytrel.

[acidjack]

^^^ and the screw-on part is metal.  I've dropped mine a few times (not with a mic in it, of course).  They're pretty sturdy.

[DigiGal]

Below is a thread quoted from the [TS Knowledge Database] about shockmounts.

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=2457.0

and most durable shocks per dollar.

Are they durable? I have not had one in my hands.
To me, it looks like it would be easy to break the clips or the support structure under them easily.

The Rycote are the best and most durable around.

I have now ditched all my shock mounts and gone over to Rycote for everything.

You can put a Rycote on the floor, jump up and down on it, turn the Lyre inside out and tie it in knots.

No harm is done and it all returns to its normal shape.

They are perfect - and much much cheaper - and much better than the manufacturer originals.

I would use nothing else, whatever the mic.

(And, yes, I use the Rycote on my Neumanns as they are better than the Neumann suspensions).

[Fried Chicken Boy]

You are setting up, and while screwing a mount to a tbar, you bobble it, and the shock mounts hits the concrete floor with 6' worth of kinetic energy.

Perfectly valid scenario.  If it was one of my stock 414 shockmounts, I'd be holding my breath and saying a silent prayer while I watched it (in slo-mo, no doubt ) take the tumble.  With an InVision mount, I wouldn't think twice about it (as long as it didn't have a mic in it on the way down ) and just make sure I didn't kick it across the venue before I could pick it up.  Pictures of the Rycote mounts are pretty deceiving; they look as though they couldn't stand up to a stiff breeze, as the saying goes.  In the flesh, however, it's a different story.  Very durable and well made.  I've dropped mine more than a few times and have accidentally stowed them under heavy equipment in my gear bag on occasion without incident.

The first time I saw an InVision in action was at one of my local shops.  They manhandled it right out of the box and weren't particularly careful with it in the least.  When they showed me the isolating properties by rattling a mic around in it at the end of a boom pole like it was a fishing rod, and then clamping one to a table and pounding on said table (all the while I'm listening to the mic through a pair of headphones and can hear no jarring or thumping unless they actually hit the mic), I was impressed.  I bought a pair on the spot.

There's a number of people on this board that push Rycote equipment and I like to take fluffing with a grain of salt, but this was an instance (for me) where the gear lived up to the hype.

[John Willett]

I have NEVER had them twist, bounce and droop 

some of us on this board do this for a hobby and feel like spending $125 on a pair of shockmounts ridiculous... enjoy your rycotes 

The Rycote INV series are £30 in the UK and cheaper than most other mounts - and better than those costing 5 or 10 times the price - it's a no-brainer.

I started as a hobby and never bought cheap - even at the very start.  My first microphones were a months wages at the time!

Normally I find that the hobbyist now has better equipment than the professionals.

Doing it as a hobby does not necessarily mean doing it cheap.

[thunderbolt]

I have NEVER had them twist, bounce and droop 

some of us on this board do this for a hobby and feel like spending $125 on a pair of shockmounts ridiculous... enjoy your rycotes 

The Rycote INV series are £30 in the UK and cheaper than most other mounts - and better than those costing 5 or 10 times the price - it's a no-brainer.

I started as a hobby and never bought cheap - even at the very start.  My first microphones were a months wages at the time!

Normally I find that the hobbyist now has better equipment than the professionals.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Doing it as a hobby does not necessarily mean doing it cheap.

Tell me about it!  Yesterday, they did a video shoot at my agency.  Two guys arrived carrying big boxes and lots of gear, and ended up shooting with....an EOS digital SLR and a Zoom!