5 Best Tablet Holders for Mic Stands 2024 (iPad & Android)
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If you use an iPad or Android tablet within your music setup, the most useful way of mounting it is by using a tablet holder that mounts to a microphone stand. There are a few other methods, but I don’t think any of them work as well.
There are some fantastic tablet holder options out there, so I’ve compiled a list of five of the best ones. Check them out.
Contents
IK Multimedia iKlip3 – Best Overall
The IK Multimedia iKlip3 (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) is one of the most popular tablet holders on the market. Musicians love this holder due to its reliability and easy maneuverability, but there are a few more things that make it a fantastic option to consider.
It’s made from rugged thermoplastic that is very light. However, it’s surprisingly durable for something that doesn’t weigh all that much. You’ll feel very safe placing a heavy tablet on it as long as the stand it’s attached to is sturdy.
The rubber grips latch onto your tablet effortlessly, and they make it feel very comfortable when you mount it. With the grips being so large, you don’t need to worry about carefully positioning the tablet, as they grip onto it very quickly.
The mounting mechanism of this tablet holder is incredibly well designed. It can basically clamp to any part of a microphone or music stand, giving you several placement options.
The tablet holder section is on a ball-and-socket joint, giving you extended freedom in how you can angle your tablet. You can also rotate the holder, letting you easily have your tablet in portrait or landscape positions.
The one downside this tablet holder has is its size. While it comfortably holds most tablets, you can’t fit larger tablets with cases. You’ll need to take the cases off, which leaves your tablet exposed. That’s not such a bad thing in a home environment, but it’s not something people want to risk when playing live shows.
Triad-Orbit iOrbit Universal Tablet/Phone Holder – Premium Option
The Triad-Orbit iOribit Universal Tablet/Phone Holder is one of the best options available. It’s quite pricey, but it offers fantastic features and impressive durability.
It works best when attached to ORBIT microphone stands, but you don’t need to worry if you don’t have those. The tablet holder comes with an IO-C Quick Change Coupler that basically allows you to attach it to any stand or surface.
I found the overall design of this tablet holder to be very beefy. That’s a good thing for musicians who want something big and secure, but it may not be the best thing for people that want something a little more low-key.
You can fit any size of tablet onto this holder, even if you have a thick cover protecting it. The attachment design also allows you to mount a smaller smartphone. I’ve even seen people use this clamp to hold a small recording interface.
The one issue I have with the holder section is that it’s made of plastic. For a tablet holder at this price, I’d expect it to be made from a more durable metal.
Don’t get me wrong, it works very well. I just think the much higher price tag should be reflected in the build design a bit more. That shouldn’t stop anyone from getting this tablet holder, though!
The last thing to mention is the ball-and-socket joint that allows you to angle your tablet in a variety of ways.
Peavey Tablet Mounting System III – Best Budget Option
The Peavey Tablet Mounting System III (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) is an excellent affordable option for musicians that are looking to save as much money as they can.
While this tablet holder is inexpensive, I found that it works just as well as all the others on this list. It just doesn’t have the same sleek appearance, and there are a few bells and whistles on the others that you don’t get with this one.
The Peavey Mounting System is a bare-bones option that is still highly reliable. The clamp allows you to mount it to any microphone stand, no matter how thick or thin.
The rod that gets mounted to the stand is incredibly sturdy and secure. In fact, I think it’s a bit sturdier than some of the plastic options that cost slightly more.
The tablet holder part is plastic, and this is the area where you’ll notice the quality dip compared to the other options. It works reliably, but it doesn’t feel as luxurious. With that being said, you’ll have no problem mounting tablets of all sizes.
Like the others, this holder also has a ball-and-socket joint to angle your tablet how you like it. I just found that this particular one feels quite rigid and hard to move, which can be frustrating when you’re trying to get the perfect positioning.
K&M 19744 Mic Stand Thread Tablet Holder
The K&M 19744 Mic Stand Thread Tablet Holder (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) is a great option if you’re looking for something very heavy-duty. This holder feels like a tank, making it one of the most reliable options to take with you to live gigs.
The design is a bit different from the other options, though, as this holder has a thread to attach it to the top of a microphone stand. It doesn’t clamp onto a boom arm like the other holders do.
This means that you’ll need to have a dedicated stand for this thing, but I think it’s highly worth it for having a solid and durable tablet holder to use.
It fits all tablet sizes, and it has a handy wing screw that allows you to adjust the angle. You can only move it up and down, but you’ll already have plenty of maneuverability from the microphone stand.
K&M is a fantastic company to look at when in search of gadgets like this one, and this particular tablet holder is made from renewable plant-based materials. So, it’s great for the environment.
This won’t be a good fit for everyone, though. Most musicians are in search of tablet holders that clamp to stands instead of sitting at the top of them. It’s also a bit pricier than many other options. However, this is the heaviest and sturdiest tablet holder on this list, so it’s definitely an attractive choice.
Gator Frameworks GFW-TABLET1000
The Gator Frameworks GFW-TABLET1000 (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) is another fantastic affordable option.
It’s a bit flimsy when you first look at it, but it holds tablets of all sizes surprisingly well once you have them locked in.
I love the design of this holder, and I’d rank it a bit higher if it wasn’t for the fact that it doesn’t work too well when you want your tablet in landscape mode. The arm sits quite close to the microphone stand, so adjusting it to landscape doesn’t leave much room for your tablet.
So, it’s not the best option if you’re someone who purely uses your tablet in landscape mode. If you stick to portrait, you’ll love this holder. You’ll also love the fact that it costs far less than most of the other options we’ve looked at.
It comes with both a thread and mounting clamp. So, you can either mount it to the side of a mic stand, or you can place it at the top as the main focus point.
What To Look For In a Tablet Holder
Sturdiness
The biggest feature to look for in a tablet holder is sturdiness. Tablets are quite heavy when you think about them being attached to a light music stand, so you need to get a tablet holder that can support their weight.
You’ll see a few tablet holders being sold on Amazon for very attractive prices, but most of them are incredibly flimsy. A flimsy tablet holder will most likely work fine when you get it, but they start to sag over time, which is what you don’t want.
So, stick with known brand names, and you’ll be sure to get a tablet holder that will happily support the weight of your device for many years to come.
Materials
As long as the tablet holder is sturdy, you don’t need to worry too much about what materials were used to make it. However, it can be interesting to know.
Companies like K&M sometimes use plant-based materials to create their small hardware pieces, and it’s great to know that your gear is supportive of the environment.
One thing you do need to take note of is whether the holder is made of plastic or metal. Typically, the part that holds the tablet is made from plastic, and the part that clamps to the stand is made from metal.
Some tablet holders are made entirely of plastic, but those ones aren’t as sturdy as the ones that have metal construction.
Size
There seems to be a regular size that most tablet holders can support, and that’s any tablets from 6” to 15”. However, those numbers may differ depending on which tablet holder you’re looking at.
Many of them don’t accompany anything smaller than 10”, so they’re not designed to hold smartphones. Others can’t hold anything bigger than 15”, so they can’t hold a large tablet with a protective case.
If you want to use your tablet with those, you’ll need to take the protective case off, and that can be a bit risky in busy gigging environments.
Attachment Design
There are two attachment designs you get with tablet holders. The most common one is a clamp that locks the tablet holder onto an arm of a microphone or music stand. You can then still use the top of that stand for other purposes.
The second design is a thread that lets you place the tablet holder at the top of a music stand. This design is a bit less commonly used, as it takes up an entire music stand.
Most tablet holders come with both attachment designs, but some only come with one or the other. Just make sure to check that out before buying a tablet holder, and be sure to get one with the right attachment method.
Price
Tablet holders cost anywhere from $20 to $150. The ones that cost over $100 are a bit excessive, as most of the ones under $100 are more than perfect. However, the higher-priced options tend to last a lot longer.
I wouldn’t recommend getting anything that costs less than $20, as those ones are all incredibly flimsy and unreliable.
The holders that cost between $20 and $40 are budget options, but they’re relatively reliable. Anything that costs between $40 and $100 is a solid choice.
Best Tablet Holder Brands
There are dozens of brands that sell tablet holders. Some of them are big and well-known, while others make them from very cheap materials to keep costs low as possible.
I suggest sticking with known brands, as they have reliable build quality, and you don’t want to put your tablet in the hands of something that may break it at some point. Here are a few good brands to take note of.
IK Multimedia
IK Multimedia is an audio brand that makes physical and digital audio products. They also make a range of useful tools that musicians can use, including tablet holders.
The company is based in Italy, but you can find their products being sold all over the world.
Triad-Orbit
Triad-Orbit is a company that specializes in creating pieces of hardware that set up all your lights, cameras, computers, and other technology.
If you’re looking for something very good, this is the best brand to go with, as they offer a range of different tablet holders that cater to various needs.
Peavey Electronics
Peavey Electronics is another popular audio brand. They’re mostly known for their amps, but they make a few gadgets that musicians tend to love, with tablet holders being one of those.
Their gadgets tend to be a bit more affordable than the ones from the last two brands that I mentioned, so Peavey Electronics is a good brand for musicians on a budget.
Top Tablet Holders for Mic Stands, Final Thoughts
A tablet holder is one of those small pieces of gear that you don’t think too much about until you need one. Once you have a good one, using your tablet will become so much easier when you’re playing an instrument. Make sure to get a high-quality one so that you don’t need to constantly get new ones after they break. All the options I mentioned above are highly reliable.
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