Parts of a Mic Stand – Labeled Boom and Straight Stands

All 11 parts on the diagram

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Tripod boom stand 6

Tripod legs They fold up for carrying. They make the stand lighter than one with a round base. They reach out further than a round base does, to keep the stand steady.
Telescoping tubes The tubes fit one inside the other. So the height of the stand can be changed quickly.
Clutch It locks the two tubes together. Loosen it, slide the upper tube to the height you want, and tighten it again.
Cable clip It holds the microphone cable against the stand. That stops it hanging loose.
Boom arm It carries the microphone out to the side. So the upright of the stand is not in the performer's way. Some boom arms telescope.
Microphone clip (holder) It screws onto the end of the boom. It can be taken off. Some microphones screw straight onto the boom instead.

Straight stand and thread 5

Round base A heavy metal dome that the post screws into. Its weight keeps the stand upright.
Gooseneck A flexible tube with a core of spiral-wound steel. It stays where it is bent, for small changes in where the microphone sits.
Shock mount The microphone hangs in a frame on elastic bands. The bands keep knocks and floor rumble in the stand from reaching it.
Mounting thread The top of the post ends in a screw thread. So does the end of a boom. The usual size is five-eighths of an inch.
Thread adapter A sleeve with one size of thread inside and another outside. So a holder made for one size fits a stand with the other.

How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30, a name kept only where two independent sources use it. (1) Wikipedia, text only: Microphone stand (round base, tripod base, telescoping tubes, clutch, boom arm, gooseneck, microphone holder, 5/8 inch thread, male/female adapters) and Shock mount. (2) Three unrelated makers: a stand maker's product page, https://www.ultimatesupport.com/products/mc-40b-pro (tripod base, tripod legs, clutch, boom arm, cable management clips, tube); a second maker's product page, https://www.atlasied.com/ms-10c (circular base, tubing, clutch, 5/8 inch 27 thread); and a third maker's user manual, https://archive.org/details/innogear-weighted-base-microphone-stand-user-manual (boom arm, weighted base, microphone clip, height clutch, screw adapter, cable management clip). (3) Gary Davis and Ralph Jones, The Sound Reinforcement Handbook, https://archive.org/details/YamahaSoundReinforcementHandbookByGaryDavisRalphJones (mounting clip, shock mounts). A fourth maker's instructions, https://archive.org/details/aokeo-ak-58i-microphone-stand-instructions, also name the adapter and the shock mount. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no maker's stand, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

The parts of a microphone stand in two views: a tripod boom stand, and a straight stand on a round base with a gooseneck, a shock mount and the thread that holds them on.

Read the full guide

Boom stand, then straight stand

Numbers 1 to 6 are on the boom stand, from the floor up: tripod legs, the two telescoping tubes, the clutch that locks them, a cable clip, the boom arm and the microphone clip on its end. Numbers 7 to 9 are on the straight stand: the round base, the gooseneck and the shock mount. Numbers 10 and 11 are in the enlarged box: the mounting thread on the end of a tube, and a thread adapter.

To change the height, loosen the clutch, slide the upper tube and tighten the clutch again.
If a microphone clip will not screw onto a stand, the two threads are different sizes: a thread adapter joins them.

Questions and answers

What is the clutch on a mic stand?

The clutch is the mechanism that sets the height. It grips the narrow upper tube where it slides into the wider lower one. Loosening it frees the tube; tightening it locks the stand at the new height.

What is a boom arm for?

A boom arm fixes to the top of the stand and reaches out sideways. It brings the microphone close to a singer, a guitar or a drum without the upright of the stand getting in the way.

What size is the thread on a mic stand?

The most common size is 5/8 inch with 27 threads to the inch, used in the United States and much of the world. A 3/8 inch thread is also used outside the United States, and adapters join the two.

Is a round base or a tripod base better?

Each has a use. A tripod base folds for packing and weighs less, but its feet reach out further and can be tripped over on a dark stage. A round base is heavier and takes up less floor.