My high-tech set up involves a desktop mic stand and a stack of books.
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It would be easier with a boom, but I’ve managed to get by like this so far.
Bluegrass Backing Tracks
I have built a stand to hold my tablet from an old music stand. As I’m out in the bush I’m used to having to jerryrig things. I don’t have it with me (I’m at the cave) so can’t photograph it but I’ve done a quick crappy sketch of something with the same principle that may help.
Of course it depends on how the collar round your mike is attached to the tripod. If it is bolted on you could remove it from the tripod, bolt it onto the top of a metal rod (tube might be easier as you could flatten the top to put a bolt through) that will fit into the top of the stand.
Otherwise make another collar out of a strip of metal and bolt that to the rod.
Whoops, I don’t know how to upload an image. Notice you are online Mike - waddyado?
Have it as a jpg on my desktop now.
Just tried something out - uploaded it to my website. Let’s see if it worked …
Woohoo, it worked! Well that’s one way at least! 
Nice engineering ozzie. For “the hard bit” I would think the easiest thing would be a shock mount. I have seen them stocked at guitar center. They just kind of hug the mic and have a female threaded end for a mic stand. I’d go try one out to ensure it fits the mic in question.
Looks like it comes with a threaded mic holder (albeit not real obvious). Found this on an amazon review via google (text pasted below):
“Why won’t my AT-2020 USB fit on my mic stand?”
I teach VO to professionals in Los Angeles (via vo2gogo.com), and highly recommend this mic for their home and travel use, and use it myself.
I got not one, but two emails and a frantic phone call in the last couple of days, all asking the same question. The most desperate of the calls came on Friday morning. Leticia was beside herself.
“I just don’t get this - I got the desktop mic stand you said I should get, which is great, and I got the AT2020-USB, which is great, but I can’t figure out how to attach it to the mic stand. The hole is too small for them to fit together! I’ve tried everything - I’ve even disassembled it and put it back together to see if there’s a part missing.”
She started to sob, and said under her breath, “I’m embarrassed to tell you what I resorted to - duct tape. And it looks completely stupid! What am I doing wrong?”
I told her that everything was going to be OK, and that it was a simple, but not-so-obvious solution.
It’s all about adapters and not-so-obvious instructions.
Let’s look at what comes in the AT-2020 USB box: the mic itself, an instruction booklet, the warranty registration, and the carrying pouch, which has three more things packed inside: the USB cable, the tiny, almost useless three-legged mic “stand”, and the bracket that connects the mic to the almost useless three-legged mic “stand”.
And, let’s also take a look at the tips of both the almost useless three-legged mic “stand”, and the one I recommend you purchase to go with your mic (the On Stage DS7200B Adjustable Desk Microphone Stand, Black). Let’s call that the “good” stand.
You’ll notice that the threaded top of the two stands are different sizes. The smaller one, on the almost useless three-legged mic “stand”, fits the bracket perfectly.
But if you use it, there’s a good chance your mic will fall over. Seriously, it’s an awful choice.
But that bracket will also fit the “good” stand with its larger diameter. It just takes a nickel. Or, if you can spare the change, a quarter.
Look carefully at the bracket, where the hole is that fits the almost useless three-legged mic “stand”, and you’ll notice something interesting about the metal threads - there are two notches cut into the surface of the colored metal core.
And if you take your nickel, or quarter, and insert it into those two notches, and twist to the left (with all your strength - AudioTechnica really seats this item in there tight), you’ll be able to unscrew what is actually an inner threaded adapter right out of the bracket, leaving behind a larger, threaded hole that will fit the “good” stand just right.
I so wish AudioTechnica made this more obvious in their instructions.
So, you can now put away the duct tape. And the almost useless three-legged mic “stand.” And the now-removed threaded adapter.
(I usually tell clients to pitch into the trash the almost useless three-legged mic “stand”, but it makes a great storage option for the now-removed threaded adapter.)
When I shared this little Secret of VO with Leticia, and the other 200 or 300 people who’ve contacted me about this, an audible sigh of relief was heard.
I love that.
And I hope this helps.
Nice bit of detective work, Mike. It seemed odd that the microphone wouldn’t fit a basic mic stand, but they sure don’t make the solution obvious, do they?
Oh, I had big plans to record a bunch of backing tracks. Turns out it is harder than it looks. I seem to be able to play along to stuff but just laying down an even track to play lead over is tough for me.
I did one for Black Mtn Rag, one time through. Ben probably already has a better one than this. Oh well, here it is. Sure hope I’m in tune on these. I should probably check that. 
soundcloud.com/crotchrocket-1-1/ … king-track
Testin’ her out.
I dig it. Nice playing to boot. I need to learn that Doc Watson version. I spend a bunch of time when I am recording as well. It’s hard not to get picky when you can analyze exactly what it is you played. I think it is tough to get a smooth, even track but the good news is it gets easier with repetition. Either that or I don’t care as much over time 
For an initial track I usually have a metronome going in headsets, but I (as well as some others I have played with) have trouble playing well with headsets. For me, it’s like I have to really try to stay with the thing… if it’s just running outside of headsets, I can play with it without effort. I don’t like in-ear stage monitors for the same reason. Unfortunately, I can’t do that outside of headsets without it getting recorded with the track as well. It does seem to help to try get the metronome at the right level and get the right mix of what is being recorded in the headsets. As far as a “right” level, I can’t tell you what it is… I just tweak it a bit when I am fighting it. Thanks for posting it!
I will give that a shot playing with the metronome going into a headset. I know playing along with something (anything) distracts me enough to where I’m not as nervous trying to record. One of my main problems is I don’t hear the melody in my head while I’m playing rhythm. I have to think about how long each measure is and I get really mechanical playing. I seem do do a little better on a singing song or something I have played a bunch where I have something to go by in my head instead of counting how many times I play a C chord before I go to G.
Sounds good, Shawn. I love how controlled your left hand looks. Wish I had fingers as long as yours.
— Begin quote from ____
I don’t hear the melody in my head while I’m playing rhythm. I have to think about how long each measure is and I get really mechanical playing.
— End quote
Here’s how I deal with the problem of recording a solo rhythm track.
My recording software indicates the measures on a time line when I choose a tempo, and it also lets me add flags at each measure. When I set up a recording project, I count out the measures and flag each chord change with the appropriate chord. That way when I start recording, I can concentrate on keeping good time with the metronome in my headphones while watching the chord change flags scroll across the screen as I play. Otherwise, I get halfway through a song, forget where I am, and have to start over.
That sounds like what I need Larry. What recording software are you using?
Haha! I constantly forget where I’m at in a song. I have it written out in front of me on paper, staring at it, and I can’t pay attention.
I’m using Cakewalk Sonar, but I bet other programs have similar features. I just don’t have any experience with them.
Using those chord change flags really help me focus on playing in the moment rather than getting distracted by trying to remember what verse I’m on.
Backing track jackpot! The tracks are located throughout the thread (19 pages worth), I don’t think the links in the first post work.
That’s a lot of good stuff, TNT. I don’t know how long it takes to create a track with BIAB, but someone has put in a lot of work on those tracks.
The results are impressive too. Now it has me wondering how band in a box works.
I just came across another pretty cool spot for backing tracks. In addition to having normal backing tracks for tunes, it also has tracks for different chord progressions and even single chords to practice over. It also has a built in slowdowner. Pretty cool!
Wouldn’t work for me with Internet Explorer, I had to use Chrome.
That’s a nice resource. There’s a pretty wide selection. Some of the keys were surprising (i.e. I’ll fly away in D). Maybe it’s a regional thing.
— Begin quote from "TNTaylor414"
Ther are a few backing tracks here: flatpickapprentice.blogspot.com/
— End quote
That is a very good site wow so many and they actually have the feel of the melody at least on the ones I tried . TNT you out did your self on the site very nice and thanks for that, it is now inb my favorites .
That is a great site, Shawn -lots of nice features and free, too! If it had a way to transpose keys it would be perfect.
I downloaded about 200 Band-In-A-Box backing tracks from the BHO a while back. I use slow downer software to adjust the speed and to transpose keys. It’s about a 250 MB file, but if anyone wants it, I could probably upload it to our Netgrass Dropbox.