Ultimate Support VSIQ-200B 2nd Tier for V-Stand Pro and IQ-3000 Reviews

I had the original V stand and was searching high and low for the second tier attachment which I was never able to find. I eventually sold it, and after consulting with Phil Schwan, decided to buy the upgraded version with the new second tier attachment. I also have the On-Stage KS7365 which is solid, but takes such a big production to set up. I’ve always liked the V stand and I’m so happy with this new setup, and it looks awesome! Certain features on the new V stand were improved, and the second tier attachment works perfectly for me. It has brackets that secure to the back end of the V stand, and then you place the second tier arms onto the brackets and adjust everything which eventually makes it so easy to set up and take down. The brackets are made with a built in leveler (to make sure your adjustment is accurate) and a quick release locking type mechanism to hold everything in place (make sure this is tightened so that the brackets won’t shift when locked.) The second tier arms don’t actually secure to the brackets, you simply choose the height that you want and then attach a collar which keeps the second tier arms at a certain height, you could then easily grab them and pull them out, and there are grooves to hold them in place and keep them from moving from side to side. I have two full size 88 weighted keyboards and the stand holds them easily. Kudos to Phil for helping me with this purchase! In addition, I also picked up the On-Stage MSA8020 Clamp On Boom Arm which works perfectly with this setup.

I have owned an Ultimate Support V-Stand for a couple of years now and have sought a solution to adding a second keyboard. I was pleasantly surprised while doing a search that Ultimate was now making the second-tier Keyboard stand. I have to say that this is one of the best thought out products that I have run across. The way that it attaches to the V-Stand, the bubble levels, the adjustability of every parameter and the overall fit and finish of the product well exceeded every expectation. Although, in thinking about it, I am really not surprised because the V-Stand itself is a very well engineered and built product and Ultimate Support speaker stands that I have owned for 25 years have been able to withstand use and abuse and still look and perform like new. Ultimate Support is one of my favorite brands of music products.

Looks good but a little to light for the equipment I have
It's not as firm as the original.
It will work fine

Overall this works great as an addition to my V-Stand Pro. There are a few problems, though. Here are the pros and cons.

Pros:

A highly adjustable 2-tier.

Strong enough to hold my heaviest keyboard.

Cons:

Turns a quick keyboard-stand gig-setup into a longer ordeal. The V-Stand cannot be properly folded up with any of this 2nd tier connected, and transporting the 2nd tier requires taking it apart into four pieces.

The collars that secure the vertical pieces come with a M5-80x12 screw. This screw isn't long enough to easily bite the nut after slipping the collar on the tube. I had to buy M5-.80x16 socket head cap screws from Lowe's to make the installation more manageable.

There is some play in the 2nd tier where the vertical collar rests on the part that connects to the stand. However, when a keyboard is on the 2nd tier, it doesn't wobble and is secure enough.

At first it is difficult to slip the quick-release collars onto the stand, but with time it becomes a little easier.

Conclusion:

A decent product with a few non-deal-breaker design flaws.

I already had two of the original first-gen V-stands,and one of the original first-gen 2nd-tier stands before buying a new V-stand and this new 2nd tier. I wish that I had bought a second original-gen 2nd tier stand when I had the chance before they vanished from the market. IMHO the newer products just simply are not as good as the previous generation, and it's discouraging to see a new product not improve on the previous one. Specifically the arm lift locks on the main stand are a very different new design and seem less stable on the new V-stand, and the 2nd-tier attachment makes me very nervous about the potential for an arm support to fall off the back of the stand as the entire unit does not fit onto the back of the tube (the back of the tube extensions are too short!), or to swivel. Put simply, while I have 100% confidence in the structural integrity of the original-gen V-stands and 2nd tier (all proven rock-solid over many years of use, they're my favorite stands!) , I only have maybe 50% confidence at best in these new products, and don't expect them to hold up the same. Plus, the level on one of my 2nd-tier arms arrived broken, but no big deal as it's not structural. There are some improvements however in the new V-stand - there are now some locking pins on the lower legs that keep them from moving once they are at full-width extension (a potential problem with the first-gen), and unlike my original stands the new one came with a carry bag. Bottom Line: I wish that Ultimate would drop the current product (except for the locking pins!) and bring back the original product again.

I purchased this hoping that ultimate support and finally released a second-tier option for the IQ 3000 series and V stand keyboards. Although the idea is excellent, the execution is absolutely not. I had no issues using the stand attachment straight up-and-down, but once you angle the actual tiers ( The part that physically attaches to the back of the stand ) it all becomes extremely unstable, and I nearly dropped a DSI Prophet 12 keyboard this way. I purchased the K and M Omega along with the stackers because this is the single most sturdy two-tiered set up you can buy. After the incident with my Ptophet 12, immediately placed an order for a second K&M stand and stacker. What you may not be able to see here in this photo, is that the second tier option does not actually secure to the main stand, you simply choose the height that you want and then attach a collar which keeps the second tiers at a certain height, you could then easily grab them and pull them out, or tilt them side to side. Sorry Ultimate, you need to go back to the drawing board on this one.

I wanted a second tier for the excellent v-stand pro but this model is very bad. The materials and finish were great but someone designed a very screwy system to attach it to the stand. The clamps user friction instead of a mechanical notch to prevent rotating and I couldn't get it tight enough without stripping the screws. Plus the risers that fit into the clamps have the flimsiest of connections with a twist lock. Even with the twist the risers move about 3" either way. Nothing I did tightened it up. After my MatrixBrute fell (I caught it so no damage to it), I got my return authorization number and it's going back this weekend. What a miserable experience.

I just got the second tier. The vertical tube just fall inside the whole and is hold by an external ring but this ring is not part of the whole. Basically you can pull the harm up because is lose, that means is not attached and it wobbles, it is unstable. It is not like other stands where you tied the tube and gets rigid. Not this one. You keyboard will be bouncing all the time. Super mediocre system. I have been using Ultimate since the 90's with the Apache. I had several Apex and V stands and this one is mediocre at best. Not to mention you have to put together a load of pieces that does not make any sense and at the end, the harm is lose any way. Do not buy ANY of those stands until they fix that.

I have an IQ-3000 that I've used as a single stand for more than 12 years. The original 2nd tier stripped and locked up a decade ago. I've waited a long time for a new version. This one isn't even close. I'm sure it works well for the V-Stand model, but the claim that it works on the IQ series is completely false. The tubing diameter on the stand isn't even the same as the attachment to mount the 2nd tier. I had to use the rubber spacer on the stand inside the coupler to make it fit, but that doesn't create a stable grip. Aside from that, the review above mine is all correct about not being able to use the tier at an angle other than straight up and down. Tired of waiting for you, Ultimate Support. You'll get no more of my business.