In this article, we share our initial thoughts on the Elgato Wave Mic Arm LP (Low Profile). Keep reading to discover the pros and cons of the Elgato boom arm and find out how it performed when we tested it with various mics and cables.
Quick Answer: The Elgato Wave Mic Arm LP is a well-designed, easy-to-use boom arm that works well with various mics, including the Wave 3, RE20, and SM7B. It looks great and has an effective cable management system; we just wish we didn’t need to use an Allen key for some adjustments.
Elgato Wave Mic Arm LP Unboxing
Opening the Elgato Mic Arm’s unassuming cardboard box, the first thing you’ll see is a single booklet containing installation instructions, compliance information, and dimensions.
It’s worth noting that the boom arm is designed to sit at a height of 6.3″ (160 mm) above the mounting surface. So if you’re planning to route the boom arm under your monitor, it will need to have at least 6.3″ of clearance from the desktop.
There is no plastic packaging; a small paper bag holds an Allen key and 2 x thread adapters for the mic mount. Allen keys are always a red flag for us as we prefer to minimize tools in our workflow; let’s face it, they’re too easy to lose.
Elgato Wave Mic Arm LP Clamp
The Elgato Wave Mic Arm comes with a single crank-down style clamp; no recessed flange mount or other permanent in-desk solution is offered. A few details we noticed right away include:
- Ratchet lever to tighten the clamp in confined spaces.
- Allen key fastener to secure the boom arm within the clamp.
- Plastic fitting to protect the boom arm connector pipe.
- Protective rubber on both clamping surfaces.
- Large Elgato logo.
Elgato Wave Mic Boom Arm
The boom arm opens up into two sections, with a pivot point allowing you to raise the second portion of the arm. At the microphone end of the boom, a ball joint gives you 360° of movement for your mic.
How To Install The Elgato Wave Mic Arm LP
Time needed: 2 minutes.
- Mount the clamp on your desk.
- Tighten the clamp until it is securely fastened to your desk.
- Drop the base of the mic stand into the clamp.
- Drop the base of the mic stand into the clamp.
- Tighten the base mount using an Allen key.
- Tighten the base mount using an Allen key.
- You may notice that the boom arm tends to droop until the camp is tightened.
- Mount your microphone.
- Mount your microphone.
- Use one of the supplied thread adapters if necessary. More on this below.
- Run your cable through the stand to your mic.
Elgato Wave Mic Arm LP Cable Management
The Elgato Wave Mic Arm boom sections each have a removable magnetic plate giving access to the hollow space below. These channels allow you to route your cable and keep most of it hidden from view.
The cable is exposed at either end, as you would expect, and also at the central joint. We think this is a fair compromise when you consider the speed and ease of this cable management system.
We found that the Elgato Wave Mic Arm’s cable management solution worked equally well with USB and XLR cables, and overall we were pleased with it.
Elgato Wave 3 & Wave Mic Arm Test
The Elgato Wave 3 USB microphone is the flagship microphone for Elgato right now, and we suspect the Mic Arm LP was designed with the Wave 3 in mind.
The Wave 3 screws to the 1/4″ mount on the Wave Mic Arm, so there is no need to use any of the included thread adapters. We were able to get the Wave 3 into all of the popular mic positions with ease, so this is clearly a flexible pairing.
Electro-Voice RE20 & Elgato Wave Mic Arm Test
Mounting the Electro-Voice RE20 to the Elgato Wave Mic Arm LP requires the use of the included 1/4″ to standard mic thread adapter, which is easy enough to install.
The RE20 is heavier than the Wave 3, but the Mic Arm LP still does a great job supporting it. We did notice a little bit of bouncing, but we feel this setup is stable once the mic is in position and settled.
We were able to get the RE20 into comfortable low, mid, and high positions, and there was no cable conflict at any practical mic orientation. Overall, we think the Elgato Wave Arm works really well with the RE20.
Shure SM7B & Elgato Wave Mic Arm Test
The Shure SM7B is one of the heavier microphones available, and its integrated cable management system is notorious for bumping into other boom arms. So, it’s a good benchmark test for the Elgato Wave Mic Arm.
The tightening knob on the top section of the boom arm does bump the XLR connector on the SM7B, limiting the range of movement in theory. In practice, the 360° ball joint means it’s possible to keep this knob behind the SM7B at all times. So no need for the Shure 3″ extension tube accessory.
The SM7B requires the same 1/4″ to standard mic thread adapter as the RE20. We had to tighten some of the joints a little more than with the RE20 due to the extra weight, but the Wave Mic Arm still did an excellent job of holding the SM7B in all the positions we asked of it.
Check out our “Best boom arm for the SM7B” guide to see how other mic stands compare.
Elgato Wave Mic Arm LP Pros & Cons
Pros
- Good build quality.
- Well designed (looks great and no reflective chrome components).
- Practical, fast cable management.
- Intuitive, flexible positioning.
- 360° mic orientation.
- Thoughtful clamp features.
Cons
- Allen key adjusters for tensioning certain joints.
- We’d prefer if the cable management trays were hidden on the underside of the boom arm.
Elgato Wave Mic Arm LP Pricing & Specs
- Elgato Wave Mic Arm LP: https://currentprice.io/mic_arm_lp
- Elgato Wave 3 USB Mic: https://currentprice.io/elgato_wave3
- Shure SM7B: https://currentprice.io/shure_sm7b
- Electro-Voice RE20: https://currentprice.io/re20-black
- XLR Cable: https://currentprice.io/xlr_cable
Elgato Wave Mic Arm LP | Unboxing, Setup & Test Topics
- 0:00 – Introduction
- 0:46 – Outside Of Box
- 2:03 – Contents Of Box
- 3:00 – Clamp
- 4:06 – Boom Arm
- 4:38 – Install Clamp On Desk
- 4:50 – Install Boom Arm On Clamp
- 5:32 – Cable Management System
- 5:50 – USB Cable Demo
- 6:50 – XLR Cable Demo
- 7:35 – Elgato Wave 3 USB Mic Demo
- 8:45 – Electro-Voice RE20 Demo
- 10:32 – Shure SM7B Demo
- 13:08 – Recommended Accessories
- 13:55 – Pros
- 16:00 – Cons
- 17:18 – Final Thoughts
