# Microphone Shock mount



## michael123 (Jul 26, 2008)

Hi

How many of you are using shock-mount for the micropone during measurements?
[like this AKG H 30]

I have a friend that has recording studio, he says that is important (as without a lot of noise added), and he will going to give me some spare he has..

I update anyway here if that matters..


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

The purpose of the shock mount is to isolate the mic from physical vibrations from the room (particularly the floor) that might be transmitted through the stand. However, most decent mic stands have rubber feet which serve (to some extent at least) to decouple the stand from the floor. That might not be adequate for recording live music at high levels, but it should be perfectly adequate for taking room measurements with test signals at low-to-moderate levels.

That said, it would certainly be interesting to see what your measurement with and without the shock mount show. :T

Regards, 
Wayne


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## aackthpt (Jan 24, 2011)

michael123 said:


> How many of you are using shock-mount for the micropone during measurements?
> .


I haven't tried one but also interested. I recently found an image of someone using one with a measurement mic that was fashioned from a rubber band through the mic clip with the mic hanging from it--super easy to throw together so I've thought about trying it. Though my measurements are made with the rubber feet plus carpet and padding so probably not too much difference. But never having tried I could be totally incorrect!


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## Dual-500 (Aug 1, 2010)

Wayne A. Pflughaupt said:


> The purpose of the shock mount is to isolate the mic from physical vibrations from the room (particularly the floor) that might be transmitted through the stand. However, most decent mic stands have rubber feet which serve (to some extent at least) to decouple the stand from the floor. That might not be adequate for recording live music at high levels, but it should be perfectly adequate for taking room measurements with test signals at low-to-moderate levels.
> 
> That said, it would certainly be interesting to see what your measurement with and without the shock mount show. :T
> 
> ...


True. A mechanical isolation device would serve over a elevated wood floor - on a slab the difference would be negligible. I've used them on portable podiums with mics, and DJ systems - never had a need for RTA applications.


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## Anechoic (Jan 16, 2009)

A shock mount as pictured will provide some vibration isolation, but the downside is that the geometry of the mount will create diffraction problems around the frequency range where the wavelength is comparable in size to the mount (so starting around 800 Hz and up for the pictured mount).

I did some testing on mic mounts a while back - I never got around to publishing the results, but in summary, the lower profile the mount, the better. Shock mounts and butterfly mounts generally create more problems than they solve in measurement applications.

It's a different story when it comes to recording since vibration can be problem if the artist is touching the mic stand or pulling on cables. But stay away when it comes to measurements.


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## aackthpt (Jan 24, 2011)

Anechoic said:


> A shock mount as pictured will provide some vibration isolation, but the downside is that the geometry of the mount will create diffraction problems around the frequency range where the wavelength is comparable in size to the mount (so starting around 800 Hz and up for the pictured mount).


Thanks anechoic. I suppose there similarly would be problems for this fellow's arrangement who posted on Earl Geddes' forum (see attached image for ghetto shock mount LOL).


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## Anechoic (Jan 16, 2009)

Oooookay then. I suspect the user is getting a bunch of spurious high-frequency peaks and is blaming the room.

Don't do that. If someone is really that concerned with vibration isolation, use heat to soften the factory Behringer/Dayton mic until you can pry it open another 1/8 to 1/4-inch, line the inside of the mount with foam or rubber, and slide it as far back along the mic (even over the xlr cable connector) has possible.

Edit: I just found the Geddes forum post where this picture came from. Cable noise can be a real issue, to so it in practice, just connect one end of an XLR cable into your analyzer of choice, leave the other end unconnected, and tap the unconnected end with a hard object. You see spikes on the analyzer that correspond to the taps. One of the first things I learn in my first job out of school was to minimize this noise by wrapping the cable tight around the mic stand.


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## NBPk402 (Feb 21, 2012)

I just used a small camera tripod when I did my system in my previous house.


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## Dual-500 (Aug 1, 2010)

aackthpt said:


> Thanks anechoic. I suppose there similarly would be problems for this fellow's arrangement who posted on Earl Geddes' forum (see attached image for ghetto shock mount LOL).


I don't know what you guys are doing, but I read somewhere to point the mic straight up, so that's how I've been using the RTA.

Comments?


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## Anechoic (Jan 16, 2009)

Dual-500 said:


> I don't know what you guys are doing, but I read somewhere to point the mic straight up, so that's how I've been using the RTA.
> 
> Comments?


For room measurements, yes, point the mic straight up.


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## Dual-500 (Aug 1, 2010)

Anechoic said:


> For room measurements, yes, point the mic straight up.


And for Near Field measurements on the loudspeakers point the mic at the driver(s)?


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## Anechoic (Jan 16, 2009)

Correct.


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