Topic: Stereo bars

[John Willett]

Thanks for the photo John, any idea when it will be available?

It's available now - it's just that they have not got around to putting it on the website yet.

[johnw]

The Superlux MA-90 is $104 so still outside your budget, but is much cheaper than the very similar Schoeps UMS20 ($450)

http://www.superlux.us/accessories.html

[johnw]

I don't think the Vark Bar got mentioned yet. It's $49. I owned one but ended up selling it because it can be hard to turn the 3/8" screws in the bar. I now have one made by Darktrain that works much better, but I don't think they are made any longer.

http://www.posthorn.com/Macvk_4.html

[Todd R]

might be a dumb question, but how does the Shure one work?  None of the cheaper models have any flexibility in positioning, except side to side spacing (not a huge fan of the bendable bar, its ok).  why you have to spend $400 or more to get simple features they all should have sucks.


Thanks for helping me with my research.

I don't really understand why you say you have no control over positioning.  Your mic mounts go on the stereo bar, and then your mics go into the mic mounts.  Angle the mic mounts differently on the stereo bar and you have different mic angles, push your mics forward or backward in their mic mounts and you have different near-coincident mic spacings, or with the K&M bar I linked, you can get different mic spacings by moving the mic mounts along the t-bar.


Without pictures, but using keyboard symbols as seen from above (horizontal line being the t-bar, angled or vertical lines being the direction the mics are pointing):

\_____/   can give you a 90 degree angle between the mics (maybe less than 90 using these symbols, but you get the idea)

|______|   point your mics forward and get 0 degree angle between them, but with some spacing (adjustable on the K&M bar)


__/_\___   move your mics towards the center and point them each in at 45 degrees and you get 90 degree XY (might need a riser or put one mic on top and one below)


Don't pretty much all of the t-bars give significant flexibility on angles between the mics and mic spacing?  I can see that the cheaper t-bars don't show you what angles and spacing you have, but they all seem to allow a wide array of angles and spacings.

[newplanet7]

Don't pretty much all of the t-bars give significant flexibility on angles between the mics and mic spacing?

Yep.
I think that the OP is confused. Rotating the mic mounts will Get you the angles
not just side to side spacing.
It seems to me that he is setting up the mounts in an AB fashion without rotating them and tightening them to
get the desired angle.

TO THE OP: Look at the small diaphragm mics in my avatar. They are on the adjustable AKG bar that was linked to you earlier.
Those are about din(ish). You can get any standard config with that bar and a riser or two to elevate one mic over the other so they don't hit.. 

[Chuck]

The Superlux MA-90 is $104 so still outside your budget, but is much cheaper than the very similar Schoeps UMS20 ($450)

http://www.superlux.us/accessories.html

That Superlux bar would be very nice, if it was just half as long.

[DigiGal]

The AKG bar is a classic and works wonderfully, here's another option just to spice things up. The good ol' Shure A27M, it's not light, but it works well and is certainly bombproof. I have both the AKG and the Shure in my bag when I run full bodies but I tend to run the A27M.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/68616-REG/Shure_A27M_A27M_Stereo_Stand_Adapter.html

(this is a little over the 50$ limit specified but close enough)

might be a dumb question, but how does the Shure one work?  None of the cheaper models have any flexibility in positioning, except side to side spacing (not a huge fan of the bendable bar, its ok).  why you have to spend $400 or more to get simple features they all should have sucks.


Thanks for helping me with my research.

From another thread... Here is a Shure A27M mounted on an AKG 235/1 with a windtek clamp, not a typical usage of the AKG unit but a creative one.    Thanks, Darby!

[darby]

glad you like it 
even more pix here:
http://s1108.photobucket.com/albums/h413/akgmike/4sale/my%20AKGs/

[Chimney Top]

Don't pretty much all of the t-bars give significant flexibility on angles between the mics and mic spacing?

Yep.
I think that the OP is confused. Rotating the mic mounts will Get you the angles
not just side to side spacing.
It seems to me that he is setting up the mounts in an AB fashion without rotating them and tightening them to
get the desired angle.

TO THE OP: Look at the small diaphragm mics in my avatar. They are on the adjustable AKG bar that was linked to you earlier.
Those are about din(ish). You can get any standard config with that bar and a riser or two to elevate one mic over the other so they don't hit.. 

I get that, my problem is when i screw the mounts on to the 'generic' (i'll say) stereo bar all the way tight one ends up pointing north and the other southwest.  So, i have to loosen them to angle then they end up flopping or moving around.  a stereo bar -should- have something that rotates the mounts with a click-in-place mechnism which is about 5 cents to manufacture... then you don't have that issue.

[johnw]

with the akg and vark bars, you just hold the mic still and turn the screw until it's tight, repeat for the other side and then secure the cables. the shure bar has a washer you spin to meet the mic clip/shock to keep it from turning.

[H₂O]

For $250 Just give me a Grace Spacebar
http://gracedesign.com/products/spacebar/spacebar_stereo.html

http://gracedesign.com/products/spacebar/spacebar_modular.html

And with the modular parts and an unlimited wallet you could probably build a geodesic dome mount 

[ero3030]

with the akg and vark bars, you just hold the mic still and turn the screw until it's tight, repeat for the other side and then secure the cables. the shure bar has a washer you spin to meet the mic clip/shock to keep it from turning.

^^^ what john said.  keep at it, u will get it, and then laugh at yourself when u find how easy it is.  ed

[DigiGal]

A copy of this thread could make a great sticky in the TS Knowledge Base / Archive...

[Chimney Top]

with the akg and vark bars, you just hold the mic still and turn the screw until it's tight, repeat for the other side and then secure the cables. the shure bar has a washer you spin to meet the mic clip/shock to keep it from turning.

^^^ what john said.  keep at it, u will get it, and then laugh at yourself when u find how easy it is.  ed

i've tried it with that bendable bar, but didn't work so well.  I will try it again...

[John Willett]

For $250 Just give me a Grace Spacebar
http://gracedesign.com/products/spacebar/spacebar_stereo.html

http://gracedesign.com/products/spacebar/spacebar_modular.html

And with the modular parts and an unlimited wallet you could probably build a geodesic dome mount 

The Grace SpaceBar is the best there is 

But it's certainly not cheap.