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R/E/P => R/E/P Archives => The Acid Test => Topic started by: C.Cash on March 22, 2009, 03:24:32 PM

Title: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: C.Cash on March 22, 2009, 03:24:32 PM
  I have a bunch of mic stands, some old and some new. They all SUCK!
I have`tightened them so hard that most of them simply don't work properly any more.
Hang a mike, adjust it just right over the ride, go take a leak and when I come back the mic is sitting on the cymbal!!!!

 I first came across Latch Lake stands during one of my surfs at Sweetwater. They looked really nice but also expensive.

A couple weeks ago I set up my Rode classic as a mono overhead along with a PR-40 on the snare and an ASCM310 on the toms and ride. After tweaking for a while with the mic positions I got a great sound. The drummer showed up about an hour later and sure enough when we went in the room to start, the mic was sitting on the bass drum!!

 So I ordered 2 of the Latch Lake 2200's.
These things are massive. They are strong, solid,heavy, built really well and very functional. I used one this morning for the first time with the Rode Classic on bass cabinet and percussion. They were absolutely flawless! where I set them is where they stayed, wonderful. Another really cool thing is that even though they are massively strong and heavy, the actual footprint is a lot smaller than the regular tri-pod (garbage) mic stands, and in my limited space this makes sense.They are also on wheels so it simple to move around the room.

  I must say that the CS-1 really looks nice hanging off the end of it.
Now I too can hang my mics with confidence.

I likes them.


Thanks.
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: iCombs on March 22, 2009, 08:10:07 PM
Next move for you will have to be some Xtra Booms...those are the handy-dandiest things...a couple of those go a LONG way around a drum kit, especially if you find you want to put a mic under a snare drum or your overhead stands are close enough that you can also mount your tom mics on the Xtra Booms and clamp those to the main stands.

Love Latch Lake stuff, mang.  I'm thinking that a 2200 is going to be something that I need to get into my studio soon...just had the mix stand that we use for our VO booth die an ugly cross-threaded death.
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: Kris on March 23, 2009, 08:08:06 AM
My clients and me all agree that the Latch Lake 2200 is the coolest thing in the studio.  It is hard to believe that a mic stand can have that honor... but it's true!
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: compasspnt on March 23, 2009, 11:50:44 AM
Kris wrote on Mon, 23 March 2009 08:08

My clients and me all agree that the Latch Lake 2200 is the coolest thing in the studio.  It is hard to believe that a mic stand can have that honor... but it's true!



For the time being...
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: maarvold on March 24, 2009, 01:53:02 AM
compasspnt wrote on Mon, 23 March 2009 08:50


For the time being...



Wait... what?
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: Kris on March 24, 2009, 08:03:46 AM
Probably referring to the missing something that you'd normally put on the end of a sweet mic stand like this and sing into... starts with a "Lucas"... ends with a "cs-1" Razz
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: C.Cash on April 18, 2009, 09:15:46 AM
2 Latch Lake 2200's with 2 ACM 900's, we later switched to the 1200's.Both sound awesome.
No problems, my el cheapo stands could never do this;

http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/1429/latchlakestands.jpg
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: Silvertone on April 19, 2009, 10:25:59 AM
Now this is the real acid test...

My Latch Lake 2200's are the only thing that survived the studio fire... even the drum hardware burned up...

index.php/fa/11999/0/
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: bobybayo on June 29, 2009, 08:20:58 PM
Well, here is another satisfied customer.  Recently got my MicKing 2200 and 2 Extra booms.  Amazing construction and quality.  Plus, the Latch Lake sales/customer service team is great.  Thanks Sandy, Todd and of course Jeff for your personal touch.  I will get another 2200 when my 2 CS-1 mics arrive.
Robert
 
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: kats on September 22, 2009, 06:39:41 PM
Man, I have a pair and I love them. I love using things that people actually thought hard about designing. It's refreshing.
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: leonardo valvassori on September 22, 2009, 07:39:28 PM
compasspnt wrote on Mon, 23 March 2009 11:50

Kris wrote on Mon, 23 March 2009 08:08

My clients and me all agree that the Latch Lake 2200 is the coolest thing in the studio.  It is hard to believe that a mic stand can have that honor... but it's true!



For the time being...



Do I smell a mic pre?
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: compasspnt on September 22, 2009, 11:35:13 PM
Leonardo Valvassori wrote on Tue, 22 September 2009 19:39

compasspnt wrote on Mon, 23 March 2009 11:50

Kris wrote on Mon, 23 March 2009 08:08

My clients and me all agree that the Latch Lake 2200 is the coolest thing in the studio.  It is hard to believe that a mic stand can have that honor... but it's true!



For the time being...



Do I smell a mic pre?



Sans "pre..."
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: leonardo valvassori on September 23, 2009, 04:14:06 PM
compasspnt wrote on Tue, 22 September 2009 23:35

Leonardo Valvassori wrote on Tue, 22 September 2009 19:39

compasspnt wrote on Mon, 23 March 2009 11:50

Kris wrote on Mon, 23 March 2009 08:08

My clients and me all agree that the Latch Lake 2200 is the coolest thing in the studio.  It is hard to believe that a mic stand can have that honor... but it's true!



For the time being...



Do I smell a mic pre?



Sans "pre..."



Sheesh, you are a teaser Terry...
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: Fibes on December 17, 2009, 03:22:08 PM
I've had a 2200 for just over two weeks now and can't echo enough of the positive sentiments in this thread. This is is well built and the engineering behind it is amazing.

It's never been so easy to mount a mic on a big stand IMO.
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: pete andrews on December 18, 2009, 09:39:23 AM
cliff (and/or others) -

what's the smallest the boom will be if it's collapsed all the way in... (iow the length from first joint near the mic back to the counterweight)?

thanks!

pete
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: Jeff Roberts on December 22, 2009, 11:58:23 AM
pete andrews wrote on Fri, 18 December 2009 08:39

cliff (and/or others) -

what's the smallest the boom will be if it's collapsed all the way in... (iow the length from first joint near the mic back to the counterweight)?

thanks!

pete



That dimension would be 45 1/2 inches for a standard micKing
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: pete andrews on December 22, 2009, 01:31:42 PM
thank you jeff!

-pete
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: Haolemon on December 24, 2009, 05:38:04 PM
Another great thing about the 2200 is that is can be rather compact, depending on how it is set up.  After getting two of these for use in my small studio, I got rid of two Atlas SW36 stands that were always in the way.
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: pete andrews on December 28, 2009, 08:12:08 AM
alrighty - you guys have sold me.
ordering one today.....

-pete
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: Fibes on December 28, 2009, 10:55:25 AM
pete andrews wrote on Mon, 28 December 2009 08:12

alrighty - you guys have sold me.
ordering one today.....

-pete



The only problem is that you'll want more.
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: Andres Gonzalez on December 31, 2009, 03:00:49 PM
I did not get a chance to talk to the Latch Lake people at AES this year as I intended to, but I have a question about these 2200 stands.

How do you compare the stability of the Latch Lake 2200 with the stability of the old triangular Atlas (M-50 ??) stands?  The base of the Latch Lake 2200 appears to be smaller than those old triangular Atlas stands. I do not know it that is actually true or not but it appears to me when I see the pictures of the 2200.  So it seems to me that the Atlas stand would have more stability because of the bigger base.

The wheels on the Latch Lake 2200 would make moving much easier, but my only concern is how stable they are compared to the triangular Atlas stands since that is my point of reference. I currently will only use those old triangular Atlas stands for any of my good mics.

-Andres
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: compasspnt on December 31, 2009, 05:22:40 PM
I have had no problem with stability. I have a lot of the Atlas ones, but they are children compared overall to the LL. The LL is actually (at first) a bit harder to move because of the massive weight, but the wheels make it much easier than it would have been otherwise once you get your modus operandi down.
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: Fibes on December 31, 2009, 05:49:57 PM
compasspnt wrote on Thu, 31 December 2009 17:22

I have had no problem with stability. I have a lot of the Atlas ones, but they are children compared overall to the LL. The LL is actually (at first) a bit harder to move because of the massive weight, but the wheels make it much easier than it would have been otherwise once you get your modus operandi down.



I'll second that with a simple, things aren't always as they appear...

The engineering and design behind this is something to behold (and my other life is in design).
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: Christopher Wilson on January 07, 2010, 09:25:35 PM
Even at full extension (or close to full extension in this case) the base is surprisingly stable.  I would re-buy these stands in a minute without bothering to explore other options.
index.php/fa/14035/0/
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: Christopher Wilson on January 07, 2010, 09:30:22 PM
index.php/fa/14036/0/
That's the Royer SF-12 up top.
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: Andres Gonzalez on January 08, 2010, 10:09:35 AM
Christopher Wilson wrote on Thu, 07 January 2010 21:30

index.php/fa/14036/0/
That's the Royer SF-12 up top.


That just looks scary to me--I would not feel comfortable putting an expensive mic on a stand extended that long without sandbagging the base.  Smile

From what I remember seeing the size of the base of those stands, it just looks like an accident waiting to happen. But then again, I am speaking without the benefit of first hand experience with actually using one.

-Andres
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: johnR on January 08, 2010, 05:59:59 PM
-
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: pete andrews on January 09, 2010, 07:42:27 AM
well i just did a couple sessions with my new mic king 2200.
i now understand.
very very well built. it addressed 2 of my biggest gripes i had with my other stands (On Stage something-or-other is one of them).

1) nice small base that doesn't take up a ton of room. Andres - it does look really small, like how in the world is that going to be stable enough?! but it really is working perfect. now granted, i have not attempted a hang like chris is doing there...  but for normal everyday stuff (in a smaller studio) it's been great. you're in jersey - if you're in the middletown area and want to drop by to get a looksee and mine... give me a holler.

2) QUICK and EASY positioning. this for me was huge. the latches are so well thought out and elegant.... just release and you're off and running. Push it back into place and done. it's the thing that i hated the most about the other stands i own... ESPECIALLY the On Stage thing... it had those interlocking teeth type joints (like drum and cymbal stands have at the boom points). that always meant loosening till the teeth disengaged and fumbling around trying to get the assembly to "move" while the mic is bouncing around in the client's face or into an amp grill, etc etc.. The Latch Lake is so smooth and easy (and QUICK) to re-position and move.

thanks everyone for the encouragement to invest in a great tool!

-pete
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: compasspnt on January 09, 2010, 08:54:22 AM
And two other big positives:

3) When you place the microphone...IT WILL STAY THERE. No coming back and finding a drooper.

4) The cool built-in cable channels, exactly where you need them, makes it easy peezy lemon squeezy to elegantly keep the cabling straight (rice and cheesy).


I am sure that many see the price and decide to cheap out, but there are few better investment to make your recording life better.


Disclaimer: Jeff is a good friend, and is associated with our Lucas microphone ventures (making the bodies and swivel mounts).
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: pete andrews on January 18, 2010, 04:43:47 PM
sorry to keep gushing about this thing....

another golden feature i love: the last length of tubing that threads into the mic/mic mount ... (about 6 inches long or so?).. rotates freely when the last joint latch is disengaged, so no more winding the entire shock mount around in circles, possibly buggering the threads trying to get it on. hold the entire shockmount stationary and rotate the threaded tube on the stand! 5 seconds later it's done. this seems so minor and stupid but it makes changing mics so much easier.

i just ordered an Xtra boom for ye old sing-and-play-at-the-same-time-people.

-pete
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: Fibes on January 18, 2010, 04:49:42 PM
I feel ya Pete!  That is perhaps the best part, changing ics is a breeze and foolproof.
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: compasspnt on January 18, 2010, 08:30:41 PM
We have a HUGE drum kit here in the studio now on a client's session (9 toms +).  The LL2200 is merely holding a CS-1 back about 6 feet looking down on the kit for "overall" sound.

Because it is back a bit, the Xtra Booms were of no other use, so we took them off (easily) and attached them to other, lesser stands, and it was helped tremendously.

For example, the bass drum hole is at the bottom, and no stand would do properly on its own...but a normal short stand (AKG, already there holding the 47 fet for the "outside mic") with the Xtra Boom attached perpendicular to and about 3 inches from the floor, pointed straight in, was perfect for the "inside mic."

This thing has so many uses.
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: maarvold on January 19, 2010, 10:41:46 AM
compasspnt wrote on Mon, 18 January 2010 17:30


...For example, the bass drum hole is at the bottom...

...the Xtra Boom attached perpendicular to and about 3 inches from the floor, pointed straight in, was perfect...


I can not, for the life of me, understand why BD heads often have the hole down so low--even the ones that are manufactured with the hole pre-cut.  The Xtra Boom thing is a great idea.  
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: Hank Alrich on January 19, 2010, 10:51:18 AM
That's so the low notes can get out of the drum. HTH
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: Jeff Roberts on January 26, 2010, 10:53:10 PM
compasspnt wrote on Mon, 18 January 2010 19:30



For example, the bass drum hole is at the bottom, and no stand would do properly on its own...but a normal short stand (AKG, already there holding the 47 fet for the "outside mic") with the Xtra Boom attached perpendicular to and about 3 inches from the floor, pointed straight in, was perfect for the "inside mic."




Back when I was first sending prototypes to Fletcher, I was surprised when he told me that it was the best kick mic holder ever, (and that I would never see it again). A real "Duh" moment for me.

It never dawned on me that Xtra
Title: Re: Latch Lake 2200
Post by: Jeff Roberts on January 26, 2010, 11:18:09 PM
Andres Gonzalez wrote on Fri, 08 January 2010 09:09

Christopher Wilson wrote on Thu, 07 January 2010 21:30

index.php/fa/14036/0/
That's the Royer SF-12 up top.


That just looks scary to me--I would not feel comfortable putting an expensive mic on a stand extended that long without sandbagging the base.  Smile

From what I remember seeing the size of the base of those stands, it just looks like an accident waiting to happen. But then again, I am speaking without the benefit of first hand experience with actually using one.

-Andres

First of all, that is not a 2200 in the photo, it is a MicKing