Microphone arms

A microphone arm holds your mic above the desk exactly where you need it: in front of your mouth, but clear of the keyboard and out of the camera shot. It mounts on the edge of the desk with a clamp, and the springs in its joints keep the mic in the position you set. Podcasters, streamers and YouTubers reach for one, and so do people with a home studio or lots of online calls. Here you'll find articulated and broadcast arms such as the Rode PSA1+, Shure SH-Broadcast, Gator Frameworks, König & Meyer, Samson MBA, Maono, Alctron and others. Small stands with a base and floor boom stands are on the neighbouring pages.

Which microphone arm will hold my mic?

What matters is the weight of the microphone together with its holder and shock mount. Each arm lists its load capacity: the König & Meyer 23840 holds up to 0.8 kg, the König & Meyer 23865 up to 1.5 kg and the Rode DS2 up to 900 g. Most arms will hold a light USB microphone, but a heavy broadcast microphone needs an arm with stronger springs so it doesn't sag once you've set it. The length of the arm determines how far from the edge of the desk you can reach with the mic. Shorter models measure around 35 cm (LUUCCO ARM1, Soundking SD146), longer ones reach over 80 cm (König & Meyer 23868, Shure SH-Broadcast 2) and the Samson MBA38 extends as far as 96 cm.

Classic microphone arm or low-profile in front of the camera?

A classic arm with the joint above the mic (Rode PSA1+, Gator Frameworks, Samson MBA) suits almost any setup, and when you don't need the mic, you simply swing it out of the way to the side. If you film yourself on camera, consider a low-profile arm: folded down, the Rode LPA1 sits just 150 mm above the desk, and the Shure SH-Broadcast 2 stays below your shoulder line, so the mic doesn't cover your face. The Gator Frameworks BCBM4000 also has an “On-Air” light that shows others in the room you're recording right now.

How does the arm mount, and where does the cable go?

• Desk clamp: the Gator Frameworks BCBM3000 and LUUCCO ARM1 fit desktops up to 55 mm thick, the Gravity MS TBA 01 up to 54 mm and the Platinum MPC1 up to 4.5 cm.
• Heavy base: the Rode DS2 stands on the desk without a clamp, which makes it a good fit where the desk has no free edge.
• Cable in the arm: the Revoltage MA-40 has a hollow tube for routing the cable, the König & Meyer 23860 has a 6 m XLR cable running inside it, and the Gator Frameworks BCBM1000 comes with a 3 m XLR cable.
• Thread: both the Revoltage MA-40 and the König & Meyer 23865 have a 3/8" and a 5/8" thread, so you can screw a standard mic holder onto them.

An arm often pairs well with a shock mount, which absorbs vibrations from the desk, and with the podcast microphone itself. If a small stand with a base is all you need, take a look at our desk microphone stands.