One of the difficulties when using a straight microphone stand is that any accompanying instrument played by the vocalist may prevent easy access to the microphone itself, particularly with bulky instruments such as jumbo acoustic guitars or accordions
Therefore the boom stand was seen as a way of resolving this problem, as it deploys a boom arm which is attached to the top of a standard microphone stand and allows microphone placement to be adjusted in the horizontal plane.
This ensures that the microphone is placed in the correct position for capture of vocals and also guarantees plenty of space in front of the artist for keyboards, guitars, percussion and other accompanying instruments. Boom stands are also beneficial when space is at a premium such as when a drum kit is being close-miked.
