New to balcony clamping here and for the life of me I can't figure out what I need from all these threads. I'm looking to clamp to the rail in front of the seating in the picture below. I see the superclamp also linked should fit the rail itself, but what do I need in addition to extend the mics upwards? I thought this would be easier to figure out, but no matter what I search for ("mic extension, mic boom", etc) I cant find just a basic extension for the mics. To clarify, I already have a clamp and clips for the mics, I just need something between the super clamp and the mic clamp. Any help would be apprecaited!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kcfan/3342692942
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018LQVIA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
The reason you aren't finding what you need is that you need to search for
lighting accessories (extension pole, or what have you); not
mic accessories. One of the first things I learned after joining up here is that professional, portable lighting rigging equipment is often better made and more versatile than products made specifically for microphones. A big benefit is that the screw connections are typically 3/8"-16, which are much more beefy and less prone to cross-threading than 5/8" mic stand threads.
At any rate, here are some options:
1. I have and use the ever-popular
Manfrotto 099B (B&H) (Amazon), linked many times in this thread. This will get you some serious height, up to 7.6 ft if necessary, though it is not a very compact option. I typically use this for clamping onto a stage lip, or as a long boom pole (see my post earlier in this thread).
Note that you need a 5/8" stud to attach this pole to your SuperClamp, but if appears the version of the clamp you bought comes with one (not all of them do).
2. For a more compact option, I like the
Impact Back Light Stand (B&H) (Amazon). On the occasions I am clamping to a rail (at football stadiums recording marching bands), this is what I use. The Impact setup is a great value, as you get a short extension pole and also an extremely strong folding base. The updated version of this product allows you to mount the 5/8" stud at a right angle at one end, adding even more versatility. No additional 5/8" stud necessary here, as there is a captive stud on one end and a removable one on the other.
3. Many people here like the
Matthews Baby Stand Extension (B&H) (Amazon). The advantage here is it collapses down very short and also extends quite far. The disadvantage is that the top 5/8" stud is not threaded, so you will need to use a
Rapid Adapter (B&H) (Amazon) to mount a threaded mic mount. You also need a separate 5/8" stud to mount the bottom to your clamp, as is the case with the 099B pole.
4. If flexibility of angles is more important than height, consider a Articulated Arm, in
two (B&H) (Amazon) or
three (B&H) (Amazon) sections. You will need a Rapid Adapter once again, but no lower stud. Note that these are not rated to support very much weight.
If balcony rail is going to be your typical recording setup, I would go with option 2 or 3.
IMPORTANT: No matter what you get, don't forget a
safety cable. This should be considered mandatory for balcony rail setups. You may think everything is clamped tight, until it suddenly isn't. Don't risk the safety of people below, and damage to your mics.
EDIT: I just saw the other thread you started where you said that you need this quickly, and you are looking to buy from Amazon, so I went back and included Amazon links as well, if available. FWIW, B&H ships very quickly if you are relatively close to the NYC area.