Cheap DIY Microphone/Stand Quick Release

[JimJhn]

I used to have some of the OnStage and Atlas cheap hardware microphone/stand quick-releases with the little tab on the side.

Great idea, but for heavy mics they weren't reliable and the things would just come apart and potentially damage the mic., so I gave them away.

The new breed of them from Gator, Gravity, Triad Orbit, etc. (the Gravity seems to work the best IMHO), really do work well, but are pretty expensive even for a modest mic and stand collection.

These things are basically like $1.00 garden-hose quick releases, or what they use for air-compressors (no don't get excited..."air-compressor" is not some new audio compressor to join Opto, Tube and VCA!!!).

I went to Home Depot to see if there were any cheap pipe thread-reducers or couplers so I could patch something cheap DIY together, but it got into the zone of threads-per-inch, metric vs imperial, etc.).

I keep thinking, though, that there must be some inexpensive DIY way to do this with brass garden-hose connectors where you could do your entire studio for $50.00 instead of $750.00???

 

[Khron]

I could be wrong, but at least most(?) air quick-connects are designed for free rotation, which is not necessarily useful for this purpose.

Mic mount threads are routinely 3/8" 16 threads per inch, and 5/8" 27tpi. No idea if any "domestic" or "industrial" stuff happens to use the same sizes though...

 

[JimJhn]

Thanks I had not known that!

I have to go outside and see if the garden-hose connectors rotate freely also?

That would make this idea impossible!

 

[Khron]

Some might still have a tight enough grip to not spin around freely with an SDC, but i wouldn't trust them long term.

 

[ubxf]

this could be another option to look into
https://www.triad-orbit.com/product/io-quick-change-coupler-head-stainless-steel-12-pack/

 

[JimJhn]

Hey that's a pretty good deal!

Still need the bottom parts for the mic stands, though I guess I could pick and choose the most-used stands.

Triad Orbit is great stuff. I have a few of their things that work great.

Not cheap, but then quality I guess is never cheap!

I don't know if the Gator, Gravity and Triad-Orbit are interchangeable. Probably not!

 

[Wordsushi]

I was recently thinking about this as well. I'm very interested in a DIY solution for this.

I just ordered some garden hose quick connect couplings to tinker with. If anything comes of it, I'll post results.

 

[JimJhn]

Hey!

I hope you are successful!

Please keep us informed?

I would think this could be a terrific Instructable too!

I spent a few hours one day searching AliExpress for things like thread connectors reducers / enlargers / couplers etc.

Also "tap and die" stuff.

And then other types of couplers that aren't garden-hose types.

I learned something about plumbing fixtures!, but not about anything else useful.

One thing I did see was that the brass garden hose things are really inexpensive, and that they are also pretty hefty compared with air-compressors or whatever, which would be a plus I would think.

I keep thinking there is some super-simple solution I haven't thought of.

Just looking around this small studio, it would still be a few hundred dollars at least of Gravity or Triad-Orbit couplers just for the few mics and stands here, and it's hard to justify that expense for me.

 

[Wordsushi]

Making some progress. Just got the couplers last night. The Thread adaptor fits onto this flange that pops out and I can stabilize it with a 3/4" tophat washer. The adaptor is pretty tight on there but I'd still epoxy everything. Next step is to figure out the other end, which is an .80" wide opening.

 

[JimJhn]

You are totally my hero!

It's completely cool you are figuring this out / inventing this!

 

[Wordsushi]

Ran down to Home Depot after my last session. Spent an hour scouring the nuts and bolts aisle and found the solution. Cap end for a garden hose fits the top side. Drill a hole. Washer and bolt. Attach it to another mic stand adapter and Bingo. That's solid and I'd trust it with weight, but now it's a matter of making sure the other end is really on there well enough to hold a pound or two.

 

[Khron]

Looks like it still rotates freely though, doesn't it?

 

[Wordsushi]

The fit at the coupling joint is very snug, so I wouldn't say it rotates "freely", possibly "unwillingly" is more apt. The way it is oriented in the above photos, with the threaded adapter making the connection to the boom arm definitely restricts lateral movement at that point as well, so I think I have to invert it and try something that will give it greater range of motion at the point of contact with the stand. I have a couple of ideas how to improve it.

 

[JimJhn]

Totally!

I am trying this on the weekend.

Thanks for this!!!

 

[JimJhn]

Hi! Can I ask which type of 3/4" top-hat washer you mean?

https://www.homedepot.com/s/3/4" tophat washer?NCNI-5
Thanks!

 

[baribari]

Watching with interest.

 

[Wordsushi]

Hi! Can I ask which type of 3/4" top-hat washer you mean?

https://www.homedepot.com/s/3/4" tophat washer?NCNI-5
Thanks!

It was this one from Amazon
https://amzn.to/44WNAPd
But I'm pivoting away from the idea of using epoxy to hold the threaded adaptor onto the flange and changing to something where the weight is carried by a 3/8-16 bolt mounted through the cap end. The end that connects to the boom arm will require a few photos to best explain. I have parts coming that should help me finish a version of this in the next couple of days.

 

[JimJhn]

Hi thanks for that!

I got a kick out of your description of walking the aisles of Home Depot trying to be inspired by some sort of epiphany.

I can't think of how many times I have done that...walking the aisles of Home Depot to come up with some sort of studio solution that is not obvious but eventually perfect.

And each time it is in some weird area I would have never thought of...maybe hardware, but more likely plumbing, or wood-trim, or fence-building, HVAC, or something equally bizarre!

 

[JimJhn]

I was at Home Depot this weekend and ended up in the garden-hose section for about ten minutes. Plastic, brass, steel!

 

[Wordsushi]

There's something very therapeutic about losing myself at Home Depot trying to figure out a scavenger solution to it, I totally agree. It's a good mental exercise.

However, I'm starting to think this may not pan out because the weight of this quick release hack is starting to concern me. Maybe there's a hose coupling system that's robust but not made of brass?