Cymbal Boom IPad/Music Stand

I'm a Musician ... or a Drummer ... it's a matter of perspective really. I play in clubs, at weddings, recording sessions, etc, and sometimes I use charts. Recently I switched from paper charts to using an iPad.

Of course I don't want to use a full size music stand. It takes up stage space, doesn't look very nice, and I'm already lugging a full drumkit around. There are an abundance of iPad clips/clamps/stands on the market, but most of them have one major design flaw as far as I'm concerned ... they are all made to perfectly fit the iPad, but not with a case. I personally have an aluminum case for my iPad because I'm carrying it around and I want to protect it.

I did manage to find an adjustable clamp, but it's more for a table and doesn't clamp tightly to my Hi-hat stand, due to the fact that it's not designed for round mounting surfaces. It also has a long flexible gooseneck and I have to bungee it to the stand so that the weight of the iPad doesn't make it slowly sag to the floor.

Long story short ... I tried it. I don't like it. I want a better solution.

I stumbled across a cymbal iPad holder made by a major Drum Company. However, it is plastic (cheap), it doesn't accomodate a case (sucks), it won't hold anything other than the iPad (I don't like it), and it's $30 (I'm WAY too cheap for that).

I'm making my own using scrap plywood and a washer. 1/2" ply for the main body [11" x 9"] and laminated 3/4" ply (making it 1 1/2") for the mounting block [3" x 3"]. Some random fender washer I had that fit my need.

First step was to mark the center of these parts by drawing lines from corner to corner and then drilling those holes on the drill press.

I used these holes and the aid of a drill bit to keep everything aligned during glue up, as well as a few pin nails to keep things from sliding around.

Block was glued to this back stretcher part (few pins), then the stretcher glued to the main body (few pins).

Once the glue set, I drilled a recess from the front using a fortsner bit. This hole is just big enough for the wingnut and my fingers, which will vary depending on your cymbal boom. I also have girly fingers ... you might not.

At this time, I also added some screws for extra insurance. This thing will be hauled around in my hardware case, so it needs to be sturdy.

Lastly, I drilled the rest of the way through with a bit comparable to post of my cymbal boom.

For the actual shelf, I used a scrap of Poplar, which was ripped to just a little wider than my iPad + case. I split it into two sections to accomodate any charging cables. On top of that, I used a strip of the 1/2" plywood, which is just tall enough to keep the iPad from falling off, but still gives me access to the menu button. All parts were glued, pinned, and then clamped while the glue dried.

The colors of the different wood types didn't match and I don't want to draw a lot of attention to this on stage anyway, so I spray painted it black and topcoated with a few coats of spray lacquer.

Just slide it onto the post and secure the wingnut from the front. I actually epoxied the fender washer in place to avoid the frustration of it falling off and being lost every weekend.

As you can see, it comfortably holds an iPad in a case, as well as a phone. In the rare event I need to use actually sheet music, it'll hold that as well.