The best microphone stands are made by Atlas. They feature an extremely heavy base and chrome plated steel tubing. It's what all the professional studios use. Especially good at supporting heavy microphones and Decca tree configurations, etc. They also manufacture the best booms. Virtually indestructible.

Big bottom, like my microphone stands
Ms. Remy Ann David

Another good thing about Atlas: they can provide spare repair parts to KEEP their products in good working order. With many brands, they are really a "throw-away" product that is not repairable. Where's the value in that?
Also, checkout Sabra-Som. They are a Brazilian company ( with US distributors) that manufactures booms and shock suspensions that will fit right onto your existing mic stands. I have a couple of their shock/boom assemblies that I mounted to Atlas MS12(?-the larger triangle-base) stands. These work great, they hold the weightiest mics in position securely, and have even been run over by some drunk in a Miata and survived! Check out their website.

If you're looking for stage booms rather than studio booms, I like AKG / K&M / Beyer (Beyer and AKG are made by K&M). Sturdy, heavy enough to not fall over with a heavy mic on them, and a clutch you can trust.

jimbo_baby84 wrote: is there much around that's a more...heavy duty?

Try Hercules, I have the Hercules speakers monitor stands. They rule!!!
http://www.herculesstands.com/mics/micstands.html

Photographic light stands are healthy enough. Just about anything you find up on B&H's site I'd recommend.

Although a bit goofy... get some adapters and try heavy duty cymbal stands. Them suckers are going to hold just about anything you throw at em'... again, they'll look a bit odd, but they work... especially in an emergency!

Atlas does rule the majority of the time.

Fletcher seems to have gone ga-ga over the On-Stage Hex Base... at less than $275, it seems like a good deal. Don't have one, so can't say for sure.

Max

thanks everyone! those atlas stands look the business. anyone know any stores that might be able to work out a good deal with stands, cable and connectors?

Give Chuck Levin's Washington music Center a call at 301-946-8808 in Wheaton Maryland and ask for Gene or Carl in Pro audio and tell them Remy sent you. I've been dealing with them since 1978 and I know they can work you out a sweet deal.

Happy customer
Ms. Remy Ann David

I've got talked into a pair of the StarBird boom mic stands from Manley years ago and they have meet my needs perfectly.

http://www.manleylabs.com/containerpages/boom99.html

I don't own one of these, but I always wanted to. (it's even got tilt-back wheels.) I see them every year at AES, and they're nice folks to boot......

http://www.latchlakemusic.com/products/mk-accesories.asp

Although I really don't like most products from this brand, I do have four of these Quicklok mic boom stands, with folding tripod base and wheels. (The wheels make all the difference. They lock in place when in use, and for getting these things to/from your vehicle, they're great.) The booms are long enough to get in wherever you need to reach, and the bases are heavy enough to support LD mics on big clips, if you need to.

http://www.markertek.com/Product.asp?baseItem=QL%2DA50&cat=STANDMTS&subcat=&prodClass=MICBOOM&mfg=&search=0&off=

The K&M 21411B, with a 21231B Boom, is about the least expensive stand that I have found which will really hold up in a professional environment. Still not cheap, ~$400. K&M also has a number of much less expensive tripods, if you don't need something you can climb on.