add up to professional-level audio and
video footage.
So, while my tips won’t magically
turn you into a pro-level boom op, I
hope this article helps you get a better
sense of how to improve using a boom
mic on your own productions.
A helpful way to understand audio, at
least as far as gear goes, is to trace the sig-
nal path from the subject to the camera
and/or recorded audio. With an audio
boom pole setup, we generally have five
different components that make up this
signal chain, which includes the follow-
ing devices and pieces of gear to produce
a signal:
- Microphone: Since we’re talk-
ing boom microphones in this article
(and not lavalier microphones), it’s
safe to say that in professional sound
for picture work, generally, the signal
chain will begin with a shotgun or
cardioid-variant (cardioid, super car-
dioid or hyper cardioid) microphone.
Usually, the shotgun microphone will
have a narrower angle of acceptance
of sounds than a cardioid variant,
rejecting more noise while recording
more signal. There’s a lot more to it
than that, but for this article, I won’t
go into specifics. Just know that there
are many effective and high-quality
microphones that are typically used
on boom poles at many different price
and sound characteristic levels.- Wind Protection: Most boom micro-
phones used in video and television pro-
ductions are powered condenser mics
that are typically very sensitive and can
pick up even subtle or nuanced sounds,
including HVAC, wind or other air
movements quite easily. So, it’s always a
good idea to use a foam, softie or micro-
phone zeppelin when recording with a
boom pole. These condenser micro-
phones generally come from the man-
ufacturer with a foam microphone
cover. You can use them for interiors or
exteriors, but once you move outside,
you’ll need to use a softie or micro-
phone zeppelin. A softie is generally
a fur-covered slip-on cover that cov-
ers the front two-thirds of the micro-
phone, offering a dramatic reduction
in wind noise. The fur on a softie
breaks up wind and greatly reduces
or even eliminates most wind buffet-
ing. However, a softie leaves the rear
of the microphone element uncovered
For the maximum protection from
wind noise, a plastic capsule that
completely encloses the microphone
is preferred. The zeppelin has a foam
windscreen over the entire surface
of the mic, and sound mixers can
also add a fur-covered windscreen,
often referred to as a “dead cat,” to
the zeppelin. This adds even more
wind reduction without dampening
high frequencies.- Microphone Mount: Most sensitive
condenser microphones will pick up
and amplify handling noise. But a high-
quality microphone mount lets the boom
operator manipulate the microphone into
position while significantly reducing han-
dling noise. And remember that some
mics are very sensitive to handling noise.
So use a good microphone mount help to
limit those sorts of unwanted sounds. - Audio Boom Pole: Audio boom poles
are designed to easily and efficiently
allow a boom operator to quickly and
precisely move a microphone into posi-
tion above the talent’s head, just out of
frame line. It’s why you wouldn’t just use
Gaffer tape to stick your microphone
onto a house painter’s pole that costs $5:
Your DIY pole just won’t allow you to
place a microphone in a specific position
precisely, easily and quickly.
Audio boom poles come in many
K-Tek is one of the more popular boom
pole brands on the market, but there are
dozens of others as well.The Rycote Lyre design microphone mount is a popular design and
comes in several different mount styles for different situations. digitalphotopro.com July/August 2019 | 61