Are Microphone Arms Universal?

Microphone arms are a very good way to support your microphone if you use a mic at a desk or if you want to have a greater range of motion than what a mic stand can provide. However, mic arms are expensive, and it is important to get an arm that fits your mic. This leads many mic owners to wonder if microphone arms are universal. 

Microphone arms are not universal. Mic arms are made to be compatible with specific mics within a specific weight range. If you find a mic arm that is compatible with the weight of your mic, and if your mic clip will fit on the arm, then the arm will work well for your mic. 

Microphone arms are becoming very popular in the age of podcasts, streaming, gaming, and video conferencing. This means that there are many mics arms on the market, and knowing which to use for your mic, is important. Let’s explore the universality of microphone arms to find out if any mic arm will suit your microphone. 

Are Microphone Arms Universal?

A microphone arm is made to provide excellent support for a microphone while providing a larger range of motion and adjustability to suit any mic requirements. However, these benefits are nullified if your mic does not fit on the arm. Are mic arms universal? Can you use any mic arm with any mic?

Microphone arms are not universal. Microphone arms are far more complex than basic mic stands and therefore have several prerequisites for the microphones they can be used with. 

Fortunately, there are many mic arms easily available, which means that there is sure to be a mic arm that will work well with your microphone. 

A microphone arm is not designed to be compatible with all microphones, and several restricting factors determine which mics can be used with which mic arms. 

For example, mic arms are made with spring tensioners inside them to balance the microphone and keep it safely held in place. If a microphone is not heavy enough to counterbalance the tensioners in the arm, the arm will not function correctly with the microphone. 

Mic arms are also made with threads to attach a microphone clip to. If the mic arm has threads that are incompatible with the threads on your mic clip, there is no way to attach the clip to the arm and, therefore, no way to attach the mic to the arm. 

However, as we have already stated, there is a myriad of microphone arms on the market, and there is sure to be a model that will work well with your microphone. 

All you need to do is simply find the right mic arm for the weight of your microphone and ensure that the thread on the arm is compatible with the clip for your microphone. 

If these parameters are met, the arm will work with your microphone. 

Check out: Are Microphone Stands Universal?

Will Any Mic Clip Fit On Any Mic Arm?

Another important consideration regarding the universality of microphone arms is their compatibility with microphone clips. 

A mic clip is the best way to mount a microphone onto a mic arm, and every good microphone comes with a good-quality clip that is specifically designed for that microphone. 

Unfortunately, there is no universal microphone clip thread size, which means that not every mic clip is compatible with every mic arm or every mic stand. 

There are two main microphone clip thread sizes: 3/4″ and 5/8″ threads. 1/4″ mic clip threads are becoming more widespread as well in the modern audio industry. 

Most microphone arms are made to accommodate one or two of these thread sizes, and very few are made to fit all three. Some microphone arms are made to work with as many mic clip threads as possible, but no mic arm has a thread that will suit every mic thread. 

This means that if the thread on your microphone clip is not compatible with the thread on the mic arm, the clip will not fit on the arm, which means the mic will not mount to the arm. 

However, there are mic clip thread adapters that can be used to step up or step down the thread on your clip to the right size required to fit onto the mic arm securely. 

This means that if you end up with a mic arm and a mic clip that does not have compatible threads, it is possible to use an adapter to make the threads compatible. 

While no mic arm has universal mic clip threads, the addition of the right mic clip thread adapter means that you can use any mic arm with any microphone, so long as the weight of the mic is compatible with the mic arm. 

How To Know If Your Mic Will Fit On A Boom Arm

Not every microphone or mic clip will fit on any mic arm, but there are ways to tell if your mic will be compatible with a specific mic arm before you buy it. 

Every microphone manufacturer publishes the dimensions, weight, and clip thread of their microphones on their website. This information is easy to find by looking up your microphone in a search engine and navigating to the appropriate page on the manufacturer’s website. 

Once you have obtained the right information regarding the thread size of the clip for your microphone, it is a simple matter of looking up the thread size of the mic arm you want to use. 

In the same way that mic manufacturers publish clip thread sizes and mic weight, so do mic arm manufacturers. Every mic arm is made with a specific mic clip thread and weight compatibility, and this information is always published in the specifications of the mic arm. 

Finding this information is the easiest way to know if your mic will fit on a particular mic arm. If the microphone’s weight is within the required weight range of the mic arm, and the thread for your mic clip is compatible with the clip thread on the arm, then the mic will fit well on the mic arm. 

If the mic is too heavy or too light for the arm, there is no other option but to find a different mic arm with a compatible weight range. However, if the mic arm clip thread is not compatible with your mic clip, all you need is a thread adapter to make it work. 

All the information you need to determine if your mic will fit on a mic arm is available online. Even if you have to look at some forums or some reviews to find out what you need to know, it should be fairly easy to find out which mic arms will work with your microphone or vice versa. 

Check out: Best Boom Arm

What To Look For When Using Mic Arms

Microphone arms are a very convenient way to mount a microphone, especially if you are using the mic for gaming, streaming, podcasting, or video conferencing. However, we have learned that there are important considerations to be aware of when finding the right mic-clip-arm combination. 

If you are looking for the right mic arm for your microphone, it is crucial to know what to look for in a good mic arm for your specific microphone. 

It is far better to find the right arm for your mic from the beginning rather than have to replace the arm with a different model after you have already bought it. 

With that in mind, let’s identify some of the most important considerations when choosing a mic arm for your microphone. 

Microphone Size

The size of your microphone, or the mic you want to use, is a vital consideration when choosing the right mic arm. 

The size of the mic is not the weight of the mic but rather the physical dimensions of the mic. 

A very large microphone will require a mic arm capable of balancing it well and an arm with a wide range of movement and adjustability. There is nothing worse than putting a big mic on a mic arm that is not versatile enough to move the mic into a good position. 

Worse still is a mic arm that drops your mic because it is too big for the arm. 

If the mic you use is small, then almost any mic arm will work well for it, but a big mic needs a strong mic arm that can move to a wide range of positions for the best results. 

Microphone Weight

The weight of the microphone that you are using is also a critical consideration when choosing the right mic arm. 

Microphone arms are tensioned, which means they need a microphone within a specific weight range to counterbalance them to ensure that they stay stable. 

For this reason, it is critical to know the weight of your mic and the ideal weight range and weight limit of any mi arm you acquire. 

If your mic is too light for the arm, it will fall over very easily and not remain stable at all. If your mic is too heavy for the arm, it will not stay clamped down, will not be stable, and will lose significant adjustability. 

A mic that is the wrong weight for a mic arm is a recipe for disaster. Always ensure that the mic that you use falls within the weight range of the mic arm that you use. 

Microphone Length

The length of the physical height of a microphone is important to consider when choosing a mic arm. 

If your mic is very long, it will be difficult to get it into a comfortable position that does not obstruct or distract your vision, and it will be tricky to find the right placement for it for recording. 

For this reason, a long microphone should be used with mic arms that are very maneuverable and highly adjustable. A mic arm with few adjustment points and hinges is not ideal for a long microphone.

The same is true for a short microphone, as a small mic will be difficult to place well without a mic arm that can easily move into any position. 

A medium-length microphone can be used with any mic arm with any level of adjustability, provided the mic can be placed close enough to the sound source to be usable. 

Always consider the dimensions of your mic and what you use it for when deciding which mic arm is best for you.  

Microphone Range

Your microphone’s range and pickup pattern are also critical to consider when choosing a mic arm. 

If your mic arm is not capable of placing your mic in the optimum position for its range and pickup pattern, it will be impossible to get the most from your mic. 

A poorly placed mic will never sound good, and it will be very difficult to attain good-sounding audio for a mix from it. 

Always be sure that the mic arm that you choose to buy can place your mic correctly. This also means that you must consider where the mic arm will clamp onto and where you will be positioned in relation to the arm. 

Mic Arm Adjustability

The overall adjustability and versatility of the mic arm you choose must be conducive to what you want to do with your mic, where you want to place it, and the type of mic you use. 

This is a critical consideration because the mic you are using is useless or will not work well if it cannot be positioned well.

Some microphone arms are not very adjustable at all. If you need an easily adjustable mic arm, look for a model with as many points of adjustment as you can find, a model with a wide clamp for the base, and an arm model that can rotate as well. 

Mic arm adjustability is crucial for all microphone types. 

Mic Arm Stability

The stability of the microphone arm you buy for your mic is among the most important attributes of the arm. 

If the arm you buy cannot keep your mic stable when in use, you will never get the most from your microphone. 

Always ensure that your mic arm is as stable as possible with the specific microphone you use with it. 

If you are unsure of the stability of a mic arm, look up some reviews of the arm and read about it on some forums. 

There is sure to be someone who has used the arm with the same microphone as you, and you will quickly find the information you need regarding how stable the mic arm is with your microphone. 

Conclusion

Microphone arms are not universal, but they are usually made to work with most microphones. Only two real factors determine if a mic will work with a mic arm. These factors are weight and mic clip thread size. 

If your microphone falls within the weight specification of the mic arm you want to use, and if the threads of the arm are compatible with your mic clip, then your mic will work well with the arm without any issues. 

References

• https://stampsound.com/are-microphone-stands-universal/
• https://www.elgato.com/en/wave-mic-arm-lp
• https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/buying-guides/the-best-boom-arms-for-your-microphone-when-vlogging-podcasting-or-filmmaking
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyvIufOaisA
• https://www.reddit.com/r/Twitch/comments/kaw0y8/are_mic_arms_universal/
• https://wetechyou.co/blogs/mic-check-are-mic-arms-universal/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN-CrSveUGs
• https://kettnercreative.com/hardware/elgato-wave-mic-arm-lp-shure-sm7b/