"screwy" mic stand

[Woody Sound]

I bought a mic stand off craigslist, and after checking it out I found it has a small male thread, maybe 1/4", with an adapter to fit standard female fixtures. I'm not really bothered by it, but I'm wondering what's the point? Why not just manufacture the thing with a standard fixture?

[Jimmy blue note]

Microphone and camera multi use.

[supersoul]

I think that might be the standard thread diameter for mic stands here in Germany. I just bought a new K&M stand and it had the 1/4" ish diameter. I also recently bought a microphone and it came with a threaded adaptor that makes it work.

It does seem like an unnecessary extra step!

[Woody Sound]

Microphone and camera multi use.

Ah thanks, makes sense. It just seems it would make *more* sense to add a camera adapter to the standard mic stand threads, rather than vv. But I guess it's all in your own perspective and priority.

[fep]

I have some adapters for the job, so that's what you need (thank you captain obvious). Not just cameras but lights also use the smaller one.

[Woody Sound]

But it's sold as a *microphone* stand, not a camera stand. Make it standard mic, and if someone wants to use it as a camera stand, offer *that* adapter.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

But it's sold as a *microphone* stand, not a camera stand. Make it standard mic, and if someone wants to use it as a camera stand, offer *that* adapter.

There are 3 separate “standards” for mic stand threads. We use 5/8”-27 UNS in the US, and it’s still common in some other countries. But much of the rest of the world uses either 1/4”-20 UNC or 3/8”-16 BSW (which is also the standard for 16mm and larger cameras). The world standard for still camera tripod screws is 1/4”-20 UNC.

UNS is a weird spec that AFAIK is slightly different in thread pitch from UNF to allow for plating.

There are adapters to go from any of these to any other and from either gender to the same or the other. Amazon has them all.

[Little Jay]

I have wondered this myself many times….. all mics and mic clips I got have the larger diameter so why not just use that on the mic stand as well…. For that single occasion once every 10 years I use it for lights or a camera I’ll use one of these:



But noooo…. Now I have to goof around with all these thread adapters and conversion bushings…. Pfff…. Thank you manufacturers!

[Woody Sound]

I have wondered this myself many times….. all mics and mic clips I got have the larger diameter so why not just use that on the mic stand as well…. For that single occasion once every 10 years I use it for lights or a camera I’ll use one of these:



But noooo…. Now I have to goof around with all these thread adapters and conversion bushings…. Pfff…. Thank you manufacturers!

Exactly. It's a MIC stand, not a camera stand.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Exactly. It's a MIC stand, not a camera stand.

Some mic makers use 1/4” carrier mounts, eg Gras Acoustics. All 3 sizes are sold as mic stand mounts in various parts of the world. And 1/2-12 is another one sold and used for mic stands that I’ve never seen. Here’s a summary from a current audio page:

”Various Thread Sizes of Mic Stand

Thread sizes come in various sizes. Their sizes range from small to large thread sizes. You can find threads of 5/8-inch with 27 threads per inch, and this is a unified special thread used in the United States. and the rest of the world. Furthermore, you will find a ½-inch thread with 12 threads per inch. Older European stands made use of this type of thread size. Moreover, you will find 3/8-inch thread with 16 threads per inch. This thread size is not standard in the United States, but other parts of the world use it. Lastly, you will find a ¼-inch thread size with 20 threads per inch. This thread size is also not a common standard in the United States, but other parts of the world use it. It is also common among photography tripods.”