REVIEW LATCH LAKE XTRA BOOM MIC STAND ACCESSORIES, WORLDS FINEST MIC STAND PRODUCTS

 

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Latch Lake Music Products makes innovative and extremely heavy duty microphone stands, booms and accessories. The Latch Lake Xtra Boom provides a unique add-on boom arm that works with virtually any existing mic stand (you don’t need an expensive Latch Lake stand).

The Xtra Boom arm comes in three lengths, 12”, 18” and 24”. The 12” model is a big problem solver for me in my amplifier room where I record guitar speakers and my Leslie 147. I own a lot of mic stands but there is limited space for them near the cabinets. At times it changes into a forest of mic stand trees. The 12” arm provides plenty of mounting flexibility and does not have a bunch of xtra pipe sticking out where it can be bumped.

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The Latch Lake Xtra boom uses a proprietary mounting clamp mechanism that attaches around a stand rather than being threaded on to anything. This method of mounting allows you to add multiple boom arms to a single stand which frees up a lot of floor space.

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A second proprietary mechanism called the “Latch Lake Lever Lock” allows free positioning of the boom arm by releasing a single clamp-lever. 

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A quarter-turn flip of the lever is all it takes to make adjustments, clamp it back down and that arm is not going anywhere. If you’ve struggled with weird screw adjusters or strange clutch mechanisms on typical stands the heavy duty Latch Lake products will be pure joy.

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I like to mic speakers with two microphones. In the past it was difficult to place enough stands near the speakers, this is not a problem with the Xtra Boom. Now I can easily put a pair of microphones on a single cabinet and have full control over the placement of both mics. The way the Xtra Boom is designed, the parts all stay out of the way and it encourages artistic experimentation in mic placement. 

Latch Lake products are EXTREMELY HEAVY DUTY! Back in the 80’s I relied on a bunch of Atlas studio booms to place mic’s over drums. We were always fighting to get the stand placed and then get it to stay in that position. Latch Lake stands use unique clamping mechanisms and technology that makes them very sturdy and safe for your expensive microphones plus they stay put. The parts of a Latch Lake product feel very solid, the clamping mechanisms grip very tight and preserve careful alignment. If you use a Latch Lake stand you can precisely mount a pair of microphones, position them for minimum phase cancellation and relax knowing your mic’s will stay put until you move them. 

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If you’ve grown up on typical music-store-quality mic stands then you’re going to be shocked by the price of the Latch Lake products, they’re NOT cheap. Likewise, if you’ve grown up relying on inferior stands and you’ve got the cash to buy Latch Lake products, you will LOVE them. They are the definitive, heavy duty studio booms and won’t crap out or wear out when used professionally on a daily basis.

LIKES

Heavy duty construction

Solidly mounts heavy microphones and accessories

Easy to use positioning mechanism

Holds position until changed, never droops or sags

Smooth threads; 5/8-27 threaded mic holders attach easily

Universal clamp mounting system attaches to virtually any vertical stand

Available in chrome or black metal finish

100% designed and made in USA

DISLIKES

Expensive

EPILOGUE

There is a reason that Latch Lake stands and booms have taken over as the de facto standard in professional studios around the world. These products provide unique and complete solutions to age-old studio, microphone, mounting problems.

The Xtra Booms have allowed me to mic my Marshall cabinets like never before. Finally I can get all the mics I want positioned exactly where I want them and they stay there. Rock on!

Thanks for reading High on Technology. Good Music To You!

©March 2022 by Mark King. It’s not ok to quote or copy without written permission. 

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UPDATE MAY 14, 2022

Can't get enough of the XTRA BOOMs, they've been continuously sold out. Finally I put in an order for four and just decided to wait. Three weeks later, four 12" Xtra Booms arrived. 

With XTRA BOOMs counter-weights are replaced with serious clamp mechanisms

I've been working with some large heavy microphones like the AMI-47 and the WA-47. At over two pounds the WA-47 is a heavy beast. XTRA Booms have the staying power to hold big heavy microphones solidly and safely. I like these 12" models because they don't stick out in the room and catch on passersby.