Shockmount Basics

This video is all about shock mounts. Shockmounts are all about taking a microphone and suspending it, rather than clipping it onto a boom pole or stand. It is all about isolation and ensuring the microphone does not endure and shocks or bumps while being maneuvered around.

What is Vibration?

Vibration and microphones are just bad news. When things are vibrating, it causes the “noise” of said vibrations to travel up and into the diaphragm of the mic. Our goal as microphone operators is to ensure the microphone is safe at the end of our boom poles and free from vibration or handling noise.

Varieties

There are many different kinds of shock mounts that are made by different manufacturers. Ensure that you purchase shock mounts that are made for your specific microphone. If you have questions, just ask your local sound retail shop, or us below for a few recommendations.

Generic Shockmount

Sometimes the best shock mount is the mount that comes with your microphone. Not all, but some manufacturers will supply a shock mount with the microphone. Our favorite microphone branded shock mount to date is the Sennheiser MKH series (MZS-40). They have a special clip and ring suspension that works incredible and is very quiet.

Shockmounts

These types of shock mounts encapsulate the microphone in a cage suspended with rubber mounting bands that secure it in place.

Precision Shockmounts

Professional shock mounts like the K-Tek KSUS and the Cinela Lineup are pivotal when working on extremely high-end narrative and film shoots. The isolation that these mounts bring are unrivaled.

Universal Shock Mounts

The idea of a universal shock mount is one that can house any microphone of any size. It uses rubber bands in a different way to wrap the microphone into the suspension. We will show you this in more detail in the next lesson specifically with the PSC M5 Pro.