From time to time I agree to write about something, that I wouldn’t consider usually an interesting review. Let’s face it, microphone stand review would probably be 2 paragraphs long. There is one use case that would make this article at least 5 and a half paragraph long. Let’s start with the intended use of this gadget from Tonor before we jump to extras.
Tonor microphone stand
Having a microphone stand is handy when your desk looks like mine. It bolts to the desk and pre-tensioned springs keep the microphone in place. It doesn’t take up extra space and the arm can be moved away when not in use. For really good audio pick up the microphone should be close to face as well. With a decent range of the arm, I can position it where I want to. In fact, for the past 4 videos, I have been using Tonor microphone stand and the Tonor mic for the last couple of videos.
The stand itself comes with a generic microphone grip which mounts onto a rod terminated 3/8 inch screw. There is a fairly large pop screen included in the set. Nothing will stop me now from looking like a radio host or a professional podcaster. As I’m neither, I decided to experiment a little with what you could do with Tonor microphone stand.
Alternative uses
Since the stand is fairly rigid, able to hold up a microphone of considerable size (Yeti mic included). I had no problems of mounting my Zoom H5 recorder as well. So I went online and purchased an extra tripod head. This head turned out to be bigger than I thought it would be, but I had no problem fixing the Panasonic Lumix camera on it.
The 3/8 inch rod isn’t ideal for this work, I wish I could stop it from twisting, but once I applied a little more pressure to lock it in place the camera was in position for the overhead shots. All my recent shots where the camera is pointing down are shot thanks to this stand. Not bad! Ey?
Another thing that I tried was using the Tonor microphone stand as a makeshift steady cam rig. If I tension the springs and the head screws just right, I’m able to glide the camera within the stand’s reach. The shots are surprisingly smooth. It takes a little skill to coordinate the camera, focus, angle and movement together but for the b-roll I need this is really good.
In case you wonder how much weight a stand like this can hold, I was able to suspend 1.5kg flour bag on it’s end without compromising the stand! I’m pretty sure I could up the ante more, but if I’m honest, this is a first tomato this year from my plant and I really wanted to eat it. Licking out a freshly made ketchup just isn’t the same.
Room for improvements
I’d like to see a different connector for the rod that would stop it from twisting when the camera is mounted. It’s something I will probably fix myself. The stand can’t be mounted upside down as the mounting bracket just slides in. It’s good for proper use I guess?
Final thoughts
End of the day, it’s a mic stand. If you are looking for one, it will do the job. If you get creative, you can use it to mount cameras, lights and other equipment too. It up to you how much use will you get out of it. It’s definitely a hot item in times where working from home requires everyone to have a semi-professional audio/video setup at home. Thoughts? Let me know in this Reddit thread.
