different lengths and diameters. Some
are internally cabled, while others are
externally cabled. And you can find
them in several different materials,
including aluminum, fiberglass and
carbon fiber.
As you might expect, since you’re the
one who will be holding the boom pole,
microphone mount and microphone
over your head, weight is the most
important factor in choosing a boom
pole. In short, lighter is always better
when it comes to boom poles.
Most audio boom poles terminate in a
male ¼”-20 or 3/8” male-threaded fitting,
and, not coincidentally, most microphone
mounts terminate in a ¼”-20 or 3/8”
female thread for mounting the micro-
phone mount and microphone to the
boom pole.
- XLR Cable: The outputs on most
pro microphones are three-pin XLR
audio outputs. We also most typically
use XLR cables with a male XLR con-
nector on one end and a female XLR
on the opposite end. Higher-quality
XLR cables are easier to coil and uncoil,
have greater noise rejection and will
generally last much longer than cheap
XLR cables.Boom Operator Tips
Now that we’ve broken down all of
the components of a boom-pole micro-
phone setup, let’s talk about some
tricks and tips of the trade to more
effectively use a boom-mounted micro-
phone system.- Most often, you’ll place the boom
above talent and point the mic
down at talent’s chest cavity, which
will yield the highest-quality audio.
There are situations where boom-
ing from underneath the frame may
work better, but generally overhead
booming is best so that the micro-
phone picks up less ambient sound
behind the talent.
A Rycote Softie for an Audix
SCX1-HC microphone.