How To Set Up A Boom Arm

Boom poles can become heavy chop-chop. And for some types of filming similar sit down interviews, there's very little reason to manually agree them up by hand. Luckily boom pole stands and rigs exist to append boom poles and microphones above the speaking person's head exist. In this article we're going to circular up several solutions for how to concur a boom microphone on a stand.

Boom microphone stands & mic stand holders

Low-cal stand up with boom arm kit

This is a simple kit that consists of a lighting stand, a nail arm with a clamp for mounting it, and a counterweight. The stand up extends upwards to 6.5 anxiety tall (most 2 meters) and the smash arm telescopes up to 7 anxiety long (2.13m). The adjustable counterweight weighs near 12 pounds which is enough to residuum shotgun microphones at near any length extended. You'll likewise want to pick up a pair of moving picture sandbags to weight the lighting stand's legs down for condom so the whole matter doesn't tip over or come crashing down on your interviewee.

To adhere your microphone to the end of the boom arm, yous'll want a shockmount with a standard 5/8″ screw thread, like this one.

Pros: Simple setup, lightweight kit (except for the included only optional 12 pound counterweight!). Tin can besides be used for pocket-sized lights or other purposes. Doesn't crave y'all to already have a blast pole.

Cons: Not quite as versatile or rugged as a heavy duty C-Stand. Also can't arrange quite as much weight. Doesn't employ a boom pole so if you need to quickly reconfigure and switch into "run and gun" mode y'all may desire to consider a C-stand with a smash pole holder attachment.

Boom pole holder for C-Stands

If you're filming in a state of affairs where you demand to easily switch between handheld blast use and putting the boom pole on a stand, this is the ideal solution. Information technology's a smash pole holder that attaches to a heavy duty C-stand. Because it doesn't have whatsoever moving parts, information technology allows for quick and fluid mode switch which is useful for run and gun shooting.

To utilize this boom pole holder with a stand up, you'll demand: a heavy duty C-Stand up, a grip head mount to clamp the holder to the C-stand at an angle, and of grade a blast pole, shotgun microphone, XLR cable, and film sand bags to weigh downwardly the C-Stand legs for safety. The length that you tin extend this solution to is yet long your boom pole is.

Pros: Works with your existing nail pole, allows for quick release, doesn't generally require a counterweight on the nail pole, works with a standard C-stand up if you already accept 1 handy, due east.k. for lighting

Cons: Requires more accessories, the C-stand will likewise by and large fleck a scrap bulkier to set up (although it'southward not hard, simply heavier).

Rode VideoMic Complete Boom Kit for DSLRs

If you have a DSLR and y'all need a way to hold a shotgun microphone above an interviewee while filming, this is a swell possible solution. It's a complete kit with almost everything you demand, ranging from a stand to a Rode Videomic for DLSR cameras or camcorders, a wind muff, a 25 foot audio extension cable, and all the mounting gear you'll need to set it up. The just thing you lot'll want to pick up in add-on to this all-in-1-kit is a couple of XLR cablevision, and film sand bags for safety (to weigh down the legs of the stand and so information technology doesn't tip over – peculiarly if someone trips over the audio cable). The stand extends upward to vii feet tall (2.xiii meters). The boom arm is only nigh 3 feet long and does not extend however.

Pros: Includes only well-nigh everything you need to hold a nail mic for an interview, including the microphone itself!

Cons: Just works with DSLRs or camcorders with 1/eighth inch sound inputs. Doesn't work with larger cameras that have XLR inputs (though this may not be a con if you're using a DSLR to brainstorm with). The smash arm does not extend past well-nigh 3 feet in length and then you won't be able to get the stand besides far away from the person speaking, which means your shot will need to be relatively shut upwards (not a full torso shot).

Frequently asked questions virtually rigging a nail microphone and pole to a stand

Is it better to become a C-stand with and outfit it with boom pole mounts, or merely get a dedicated boom pole stand?

Information technology depends. While C-stands are certainly more versatile and can be used for lots of other things beyond just holding nail poles, they're also heavier, larger and they may have up more infinite. On the other manus, C-stands are certainly the sturdiest, most rugged pick. Dedicated boom pole stands may be less expensive and easier to send but they won't be quite equally durable and might not last as long.

Another factor to consider is whether you already have a boom pole that you want to use, or if you lot're without a pole to begin with and you just have the shotgun microphone to start off with.

Is there a maximum weight load for these boom pole holder solutions?

Generally speaking, any shotgun mic you utilise will be light plenty that it won't need much of a counterweight nor volition information technology be too heavy for the boom arm in general. Notwithstanding, if yous're planning to also use the boom arm on a light stand up to hold lighting or other items, y'all'll probably desire to use a C-Stand since that's the virtually versatile heavy duty solution.

Superlative Photo credit

Source: https://documentarycameras.com/boom-pole-holders-and-stands/

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