Round based or small footprint speaker stands

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Brian Bolly

Junior
Jan 11, 2011
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Baltimore, MD
Does anyone make a round-based speaker stand that will go taller than 5'? The closest thing I've found is this K&M model, but it only goes up to 56":

K&M 26750

I don't mind counterweighting the base with sand bags, I'm just trying to minimize the footprint as much as possible over a traditional tripod.
 
Re: Round based or small footprint speaker stands

Might try looking at lighting stands, like the Altman 524-18 which goes to 9 feet.
 

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Re: Round based or small footprint speaker stands

Safety is an issue, that application of a round based stand makes me nervous. The smaller footprint is inherently much less resistant to tipping. The base only extends less than 9 inches out on each side of the axis of the pole so counterweighting the base will only reduce the instability a little bit. The taller and heavier the stand is with the speaker, the more unstable and dangerous the setup can be. It might be fine if no one can get near enough to the speaker to nudge it and cause it to fall and you are indoors with no wind. But if you have that kind of room, you can probably fit a proper tripod with wide base support.
 
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Re: Round based or small footprint speaker stands

The Altman stand uses half inch sch40 pipe for the top part and has the 25 pound 18 inch base. Altman also makes a 50 pound, 24 inch base which is tapped for 1 1/2 inch sch 40 black pipe. Another option is the square boom base, SSRC makes one (scroll down for the pdf for pipe booms) . Products Tomcat also makes a truss base which is drilled for a pipe collar for 1 1/2 inch pipe. Here is a link to BMI/Generico on ebay. Stage Lighting Tomcat 30 X 30 Truss Base 90 1 | eBay There are several sizes from 18 inch up to 36 inch. There is also the classic DIY unit, go to an auto salvage yard and buy some truck wheel drums, weld on a pipe coupler and you are good to go. In the boonies low budget athletic departments did this for tether ball and volleyball net supports. The good thing is that they are big and heavy, the bad thing is they are big and heavy. The usual safety warnings apply and the risk of people laughing at your rig.
 
Re: Round based or small footprint speaker stands

Speaker stands have wide legs for safety; I don't thing they would ever sell anything that wasn't safe or that would get them sued.

That said, why not just use a regular tripod and leave the legs in? You can easily get a 1' or less leg spread with any usual stand. There won't be much to sandbag, but oh well.
 
Re: Round based or small footprint speaker stands

For my use, I'm looking at putting a max of around 30 lbs at 6' height, but the footprint is paramount. Yes, a tripod could be more stable, but the footprint is the concern here - think indoors corporate/black tie type stuff. They'll be attacked by the foo/decor folks anyway with heavy fabric, so I have no problem adding 50-75 lbs of sand bags on the base if necessary.

Justin, are you needing to add any sleeves/shims to the pipe to put a speaker on it, or is the 1" sched. 40 sufficient? I know OD should be in the neighborhood of 1.3" or so, which is why I ask.

Edit, since other folks replied before I finished typing mine: Yes, I could scoot the legs of a tripod in, but the profile does matter - i.e., being able to slide in under the side of a small hors d'oeuvres table, etc. I have had issues with tripods being too large in the past, which is why I was looking for a flat solution.

So far the Generico base looks like the best solution. In this case, flat is good.
 
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Re: Round based or small footprint speaker stands

Brian Bolly said:
Does anyone make a round-based speaker stand that will go taller than 5'? The closest thing I've found is this K&M model, but it only goes up to 56":

K&M 26750

I don't mind counterweighting the base with sand bags, I'm just trying to minimize the footprint as much as possible over a traditional tripod.
Click to expand...

Relying on added weight (e.g. sandbags) to keep the base stable is unsafe practice unless the additional weight is securely attached to the base.

Have you considered using truss pedestals?
 
Re: Round based or small footprint speaker stands

Brian Bolly said:
For my use, I'm looking at putting a max of around 30 lbs at 6' height, but the footprint is paramount. Yes, a tripod could be more stable, but the footprint is the concern here - think indoors corporate/black tie type stuff. They'll be attacked by the foo/decor folks anyway with heavy fabric, so I have no problem adding 50-75 lbs of sand bags on the base if necessary.

Justin, are you needing to add any sleeves/shims to the pipe to put a speaker on it, or is the 1" sched. 40 sufficient? I know OD should be in the neighborhood of 1.3" or so, which is why I ask.

Edit, since other folks replied before I finished typing mine: Yes, I could scoot the legs of a tripod in, but the profile does matter - i.e., being able to slide in under the side of a small hors d'oeuvres table, etc. I have had issues with tripods being too large in the past, which is why I was looking for a flat solution.

So far the Generico base looks like the best solution. In this case, flat is good.
Click to expand...

If the Generico base looks good, go down to your local steel fab shop and have them whip up something for you with 1/2" plate scraps. They can drill and shear it to any size you want, and will cost you a minute fraction of what BMI wants. Have them powdercoated flat black once they're done.
 
Re: Round based or small footprint speaker stands

Another thing I had forgotten about was floor bases for industrial fans. As I recall they were larger diameter than the Altmans but not as heavy.
 
Re: Round based or small footprint speaker stands

i've used sandbagged 50lb bases with pipe up to 6'. i wouldn't use it outside on uneven surfaces, but for most corporate applications it's perfect. with some fabric cut over the base it looks slicker than tripods and guests/waitstaff are less likely to trip over them.
 
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