Shure A53M Isolation and Swivel Shock Stopper Microphone Mount

I recently tested a lineup of shock-mounts on my new and much-loved Gefell M930Ts, including Rycote's USM-L and INV-7HG MkIII and this Shure A53M. The Shure was not only the best performing (neck and neck with the USM-L), but also the best at maintaining the diminutive profile of the microphone. It also closely resembles Gefell's own shock-mount for this model, while costing a hefty 200 less. They are so similar, in fact, that I've read the Shure is capable of accepting the Hakan filters specially designed to clip onto the Gefell EH93 mount. I'll be ordering one of the filters as soon as I can find a dealer who can source it.

You know the drill: You clamp your small diameter mic into a suspension mount, as one of the rubber bands pops loose. Your client watches as you struggle to get the band back into place, only to have the other side of the mount pop loose as well! No such problem with this little beauty. My Shure A53M mount will take any 20mm diameter mic (most small diameter dynamic and condenser mics, it would seem.) Besides the Shure KSM137, it fits my Oktava MK012, Neumann KM84/KM184, and some other mics. The trick to using it is to twist a mic a little as you insert it. Otherwise it will stick a little bit as you slide it in. Either way, it is quick to set up, doesn't use up as much space as the traditional suspension band mounts, and doesn't seem to deflect as much in use due to the weight of an XLR cable. I haven't done any scientific tests as to the amount of transmission of noise from the floor up and into a microphone (the whole point of a suspension mount, right?) but it seems to do as good a job as most any other mount. Oh, and I can store two of these into the same space as one typical suspension mount. Plus they don't snag as easily onto to other gear in my kit bag, as I try to remove them during setup. Nice!

As a replacement for the stock microphone clips, this works beautifully. It holds the mics securely, and protects against vibrations. I couldn't be happier with them. If I were to suggest any improvement, it would be to engineer the base to accept European 3/8" standard as well as USA 5/8" to avoid having to use an adapter.

I bought a pair of these for our Shure KSM-141's and so far they're working great. The construction seems to be sturdy and the mics fit in nice a snug. A friend has been using these for years with no problems so I'm hoping we have the same luck.