Topic: Shockmounts for AKG 414's?

[Jamos]

Hey all, I am looking for a pair of shocks for my newly acquired 414B-ULS pair.

The AKG shocks are pretty damn expensive (~$70/each). 

Anyone know of any more reasonably priced, well-made shocks that will work with these mics?

Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions.

 

[Teen Wolf Blitzer]

I like the Blue "Ralph the Wondermounts".  I got a pair shipped for 120 from this guy...


http://www.vintagemicrophone.com/JShop/product.php?xProd=2&xSec=1&jssCart=0b74f9186a64f321e4809991f94dad20


Hit him up.  I  got him to come down a bit on his price.

[junonato]

i got a pair of the stock mounts for the c414cls's, they are broken where the shock meets mount, but if you are handy, no problem!  ithink they are the h-70 series?  cheap!

[Jamos]

Thanks guys for the replies...t's to you both...

The wondermounts look nice.  Simple & not too big.  Will they hold the mic tightly enough to run it upside down?

Seems like I've seen a lot of the AKG H-70 series shocks that have broken...it must have a weakpoint in its design.

This reminded me that I was just reading a thread about a different kind of "shock" mount that wasn't a shock at all but was supposed to be just as effective.  I can't find the thread now...but am almost positive it was from TS.  It was a mic mount that had three adjustable screw points to hold the microphone. 
Anyone know what I'm talking about???
 

[Teen Wolf Blitzer]

Well the Wondermounts have this little plastic sheath inside each holder and that is what the screw tightens down against so as to not mar the bodies.  They are quite frankly hard to get in and out they fit so nice and snug.  No worries running upside down at all.  That mount you refer to I think Teddy pointed it out.  Here's a pic of one I believe....  Spendy   

This is macdaddy's rig.

[dactylus]

Well the Wondermounts have this little plastic sheath inside each holder and that is what the screw tightens down against so as to not mar the bodies.  They are quite frankly hard to get in and out they fit so nice and snug.  No worries running upside down at all.  That mount you refer to I think Teddy pointed it out.  Here's a pic of one I believe....  Spendy   

This is macdaddy's rig.

Enhanced Audio M600 - you can get them at las vegas pro audio -

http://www.lasvegasproaudio.com/m600.html

QUOTE from the site:

This is one of the most interesting developments in microphone technology in quite some time... and it is something you may not have considered before. Can how you mount a microphone improve its sound? We think so.

DESCRIPTION: The M600 is the opposite of shock mount, it is a super rigid mic mount. It is not a universal shock mount. It is designed to fit a wide variety of high performance recording microphones used in the studio.

WHAT IT DOES: Testing has shown that most suspension shock mounts have a subharmonic resonant frequency below 10Hz. This resonance is not audible but the effects of it are: when the mic sits in the M600, that subharmonic resonance goes away and the mic sounds different, measures different. The mic sounds audibly better. These tests show that the resonant frequency of a mic in the M600 mount moves up considerably out of the subharmonic region into the mid band, where it has far less energy and cumulative effect on the mic’s response and appears to audibly "clean up" bass and midrange (and some say top end as well). The M600 can be very effective at improving your microphones performance where mechanically induced noise is not a factor.

WHAT IT DOESN’T DO: As a super rigid mic mount, the M600 would be ineffective at eliminating induced mechanical noise, such a thump on the stand or a big bumps on the floor that could be transmitted up the stand. Shock mounts are designed to mechanically isolate a mic from thumps and bumps, the M600 does not do this. The M600 is not a "replacement" for a shock mount, it is an alternative; use the factory recommended shock mount or something like the Sabra Som SSM1 Universal Shock Mount if you need mechanical isolation. Do not use the M600 mount where mechanical noise is a large issue! The M600 can accommodate microphones up to 65mm diameter.


 

[F.O.Bean]

Well the Wondermounts have this little plastic sheath inside each holder and that is what the screw tightens down against so as to not mar the bodies.  They are quite frankly hard to get in and out they fit so nice and snug.  No worries running upside down at all.  That mount you refer to I think Teddy pointed it out.  Here's a pic of one I believe....  Spendy   

This is macdaddy's rig.

Enhanced Audio M600 - you can get them at las vegas pro audio -

http://www.lasvegasproaudio.com/m600.html

QUOTE from the site:

This is one of the most interesting developments in microphone technology in quite some time... and it is something you may not have considered before. Can how you mount a microphone improve its sound? We think so.

DESCRIPTION: The M600 is the opposite of shock mount, it is a super rigid mic mount. It is not a universal shock mount. It is designed to fit a wide variety of high performance recording microphones used in the studio.

WHAT IT DOES: Testing has shown that most suspension shock mounts have a subharmonic resonant frequency below 10Hz. This resonance is not audible but the effects of it are: when the mic sits in the M600, that subharmonic resonance goes away and the mic sounds different, measures different. The mic sounds audibly better. These tests show that the resonant frequency of a mic in the M600 mount moves up considerably out of the subharmonic region into the mid band, where it has far less energy and cumulative effect on the mic’s response and appears to audibly "clean up" bass and midrange (and some say top end as well). The M600 can be very effective at improving your microphones performance where mechanically induced noise is not a factor.

WHAT IT DOESN’T DO: As a super rigid mic mount, the M600 would be ineffective at eliminating induced mechanical noise, such a thump on the stand or a big bumps on the floor that could be transmitted up the stand. Shock mounts are designed to mechanically isolate a mic from thumps and bumps, the M600 does not do this. The M600 is not a "replacement" for a shock mount, it is an alternative; use the factory recommended shock mount or something like the Sabra Som SSM1 Universal Shock Mount if you need mechanical isolation. Do not use the M600 mount where mechanical noise is a large issue! The M600 can accommodate microphones up to 65mm diameter.


 

so for most bands/venues/crowds we record in, this isnt what I would use if thumps and bumps can still be heard. in the the studio or more controlled environments, it can be a great thing, but most live recording situations, I wouldnt use it if thumps and bumps can audibly be heard

isnt that what yinz gather from this post?

[Jamos]

It's an interesting concept for sure...
but yeah, probably isn't really suited to a FOB or PA recording kind of environment...although if it does what it says it does, it would be interesting to hear. 

Though I didn't realize the price tag!  $200+ for one?  Damn, that's a little rediculous.

[DSatz]

"Subharmonic resonance" isn't an accepted concept in modern physics, though as I recall some 17th and 18th century music theorists believed in it--e.g. a string vibrating at 440 Hz was thought to have "undertones" of 220 and 110 Hz, etc. just as it has overtones. No one ever actually observed such a phenomenon (it doesn't exist), but that didn't stop it from being included in the learned treatises of the time.

The copywriters seem to have meant "infrasonic" resonance. Maybe they didn't think the public would know the word. Maybe they didn't know the word themselves. The thing is, an infrasonic resonant frequency is what you want a microphone mount to have, to keep mechanical disturbances out of your recordings.

The manufacturer's Web site says that the M600 is "the opposite of a shock mount." That sounds truthful--the mount is very rigid and provides a specific path for mechanical vibration to be conducted to a microphone from the stand or boom arm. It's pretty much the last thing anyone should want for live recording.

--best regards

[spcyrfc]

I like the Blue "Ralph the Wondermounts".  I got a pair shipped for 120 from this guy...


http://www.vintagemicrophone.com/JShop/product.php?xProd=2&xSec=1&jssCart=0b74f9186a64f321e4809991f94dad20


Hit him up.  I  got him to come down a bit on his price.

digging up a post from the dead...

are the wondermounts still the way to go for 414 replacement shocks?  Any problems using them with the WS87 windscreen?  From the picture, running one inverted seems fine.  How is storage on these?  are they burly?

thanks

[spcyrfc]

I like the Blue "Ralph the Wondermounts".  I got a pair shipped for 120 from this guy...


http://www.vintagemicrophone.com/JShop/product.php?xProd=2&xSec=1&jssCart=0b74f9186a64f321e4809991f94dad20


Hit him up.  I  got him to come down a bit on his price.

digging up a post from the dead...

are the wondermounts still the way to go for 414 replacement shocks?  Any problems using them with the WS87 windscreen?  From the picture, running one inverted seems fine.  How is storage on these?  are they burly?

thanks

guess i will rephrase this...

1). Are these the best replacement shocks for the 414's
2). Do they accommodate the WS87 windscreen that fits the 414's and works with the stock shockmount?
3). Are these more bulky to store than than the stock shockmounts?
4). Do they require any disassembly to store?
5). Can they be run inverted with no restrictions?

thanks for the info, i need to get some replacements asap.

[Teen Wolf Blitzer]

See here..

http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,80037.0.html

But in short...

1.  Yes I think so
2.  No.  Need to get the crappier new blue versions and use dead rats
3.  They are smaller
4.  No
5.  See pic in thread.