Rode boompole: I'm dissapointed

maarten_smeenk

maarten_smeenk

Active member
Hi,

I bought a rode boompole (3metres lenght). I attached a mic and tested it. It's a really noisy boompole, if i move from left to right it makes sound, when i turn the mic direction it makes an awful sound! Is it me stuck with a f*cked model or is that common?

I tried a friends gitzo g556 (2 metres) and that pole is just silent!

Guess i return the mic for cash back
 
After some research and scratching my head i decided to spend some extra cash and go for a k-tek ke89. It's shorter and alot lighter!
 
Hey there,

I also bought the Rode Boompole (3M) because I was on budget. It's the only pole I've got for all occasions besides mic stands. I don't get much vibration problems or movements in between takes or off takes. It really depends on how you hold and your position. When swinging the boom, you've got to move your body slightly with your arms so that you don't get fatigue as much. It's all about smoothness. I've always placed myself in all situations thinking that I am the hunter of the prey. You've got to be very quiet while walking, very agile, flexible, and in shape. Matt and many of others have mentioned about being in shape that will certainly ease you during a set.

How are you holding the pole?
 
ke89 goes to 7.2'... cost: $190 (inc. shipping) from B&H.

ke110ccr goes to 9.2' (28% MORE REACH) and has a side exit for the XLR... a great feature if there ever was one! cost: $240 (inc. shipping) from B&H.

(and comparing apples to apples you can get the same pole with rear exit for $10 less then the ke110ccr... then it's only $40 diff.)

28% more reach and a side exit for 28% more money? Bargain in my book.

I don't know dude... I'd rather have length I don't need then need length I don't have.

Frankly I think 9' is almost too short... it's borderline for sure. 7.2' is gonna' get short really quick outside of anything other then doc and news stuff.

If you can swing the extra $50 I'd do it. I've been through this with a lot of people... just remember that 12 inches is a lot when you're talking mic to mouth distances... listen to somebody while booming... now move the mic 12 inches farther away... can you see how a 2 FOOT handicap could cost you more then $50 in the long run?
 
Matt is spot on as usual. Better to come up long then short. Poles under 9' are really only useful for indoors when you need to collapse down smaller. For people on a budget and only looking to get one pole, go long.

You already learned once what trying to cheap out on a pole got you, don't get bonked again.

Cheers
 
Of course it depends on what kind of shooting you do... but I gotta' say that the gitzo 7680c at nearly 13' long is really becoming the pole I recommend most in the sub-$250 price range.

I hate to throw that option in this discussion because I'm a huge fan of Manfred's creations... but I want to be known for unbiased truth more then anything else... and that gitzo is really nice at that price. The collars, action, and tubing are surprisingly decent... and the construction is reasonably forgiving of handling noise. You still need to TRY to fly the boom smoothly and quietly... and K-Tek's stuff is lighter weight... but read what I already said about length.

The gitzo doesn't have a cable... but you can run a straight cable through it as long as you can solder or have the XLR plug soldered on... thin starquad or thin musilux (instalux) works for this... otherwise you can just wrap the cable around a time or two after you get your length. Yes I LOVE the convenience of internal cabling... but there's a substitute for internal cabling... it's called external cabling... now what's the substitute for length?

Chew on this idea for a day or so before you buy another pole. I think the 9' K-Tek will make you happy... but again... it depends on what you shoot... it's amazing what you can cover with a 13' pole. I hate to be redundant, but the bottom line is that for fit and finish K-Tek rocks... it's just a question of what you want to be able to do once the money runs out.

I have a 9' graphite K-Tek... I use that for run 'n gun type stuff... like a convention or news situation where I may need to change lengths frequently and I have people all around me and I just need to be fast and compact... I may also use this pole for any ordinary situation where I know I don't need the length (single person interview)... but generally I have both poles... and if I take only one pole then it's going to be the longer one.
 
I just cabled my Gitzo pole over the weekend. It was a lot easier than I though it would be. I just got a 20-40 soldering iron at Radio Shack and within ten minutes, I had a straight wire going through my pole. I was scared to death at first, but soldering a cable is a lot easier than a PCB board.

I'm saving up for a longer K-Tek pole, but for now, the Gitzo rocks. It's f'ing cheap for a carbon fiber pole.
 
I don't know dude... I'd rather have length I don't need then need length I don't have.
Click to expand...

Dear Mattin,

Although I have always heard the above, I have also heard that those that procure our services also place a premium on our pole's width, but that they are reluctant to tell us this.

Is this true?

Signed,

Curious
 
maarten_smeenk said:
I bought a rode boompole (3metres lenght). I attached a mic and tested it. It's a really noisy boompole, if i move from left to right it makes sound, when i turn the mic direction it makes an awful sound! Is it me stuck with a f*cked model or is that common?

I tried a friends gitzo g556 (2 metres) and that pole is just silent!

Guess i return the mic for cash back
Click to expand...

Did you do this comparison with the same mic and the same suspension?

The boompole shouldn't have any noise of its own. It's just a hollow stick. But the mic should be suspended from any handlings you should do.

I have a Rode and a Gitzo 7680, and I wouldn't say they differ using the same mic and suspension.
 
Carlos_E._Martinez said:
Did you do this comparison with the same mic and the same suspension?

The boompole shouldn't have any noise of its own. It's just a hollow stick. But the mic should be suspended from any handlings you should do.

I have a Rode and a Gitzo 7680, and I wouldn't say they differ using the same mic and suspension.
Click to expand...

tell me dud , did you ever4 holded the stick in your life when it completely open with zeppin the end , every boom make bad sounds , the worse one i had is the vdb , i giess the rode exactly what you pay for .
 
Oleg 2 said:
tell me dud , did you ever4 holded the stick in your life when it completely open with zeppin the end , every boom make bad sounds , the worse one i had is the vdb , i giess the rode exactly what you pay for .
Click to expand...

True, you do get what you pay for in terms of flexibility, mobility, portability, and such. For the Rode, it's not that bad. It does have it's limits, but I've used it everytime with the KSSM that Matt recommended and noise is minimum. Sometimes, I notice there's a lot of noise coming in and that's due to me getting extremely burned and fatiguing over a very long take. It's great to have Gitzos and K-teks, but when budget comes the Rode is good. Also depends on how you hold it and move during booming. I'll learn on the hard side first, so I'll appreciate the Gitzos and K-teks when I do get a chance. Thanks for the comment Oleg.
 
Hi,

thanks for the replies! I returned the pole today. I think i had a model with a broken collar, when i turned it loose the sound the pole produced was alot less. Still i found the pole being to heavy and long, so i'm looking for something else!

I tested it with and without mic attached, it doesn't matter. Just a bad model.
 
alan it wasnt about rode but about the " boom expirience" the guy who posted before me :)
the rode is better then nothing i suppose , never worked with but can imagine the problem i had with few of my boo pols . thanks god to the better products i dont have to deal with these problems again or at least make it minor .
 
The gitzo GB1540 seems like an awesome boompole, it's 273cm and weights only 430 grams! It's a carbon fiber 2007 model. Should be 188$, not sure how to get it cheap in Holland.
 
its franch , so it cant be more then the states , check with their web who sell it in your region .
 
Hi Marrten,

When I got my 7'6" K-Tek boom w/XLR, I figured I could always add an extender (the way us golfers do to add a range extender to our water ball reteivers <wink>) Unfortunately, the plastic collar on the end of the pole attached to the XLR connector protrudes out 1/8" and about 1.5" down the pole so a range extender tube won't get a great fit.

Bottom line - golf technology doesn't always transfer to audio engineering...

Regards, Michael
 
Oleg 2 said:
alan it wasnt about rode but about the " boom expirience" the guy who posted before me :)
the rode is better then nothing i suppose , never worked with but can imagine the problem i had with few of my boo pols . thanks god to the better products i dont have to deal with these problems again or at least make it minor .
Click to expand...

I know what you mean man. Giving a trouble boompole to an experience is better than giving the best boompole to the least experienced.
 
MattinSTL said:
ke89 goes to 7.2'... cost: $190 (inc. shipping) from B&H.

ke110ccr goes to 9.2' (28% MORE REACH) and has a side exit for the XLR... a great feature if there ever was one! cost: $240 (inc. shipping) from B&H.

(and comparing apples to apples you can get the same pole with rear exit for $10 less then the ke110ccr... then it's only $40 diff.)

28% more reach and a side exit for 28% more money? Bargain in my book.

I don't know dude... I'd rather have length I don't need then need length I don't have.

Frankly I think 9' is almost too short... it's borderline for sure. 7.2' is gonna' get short really quick outside of anything other then doc and news stuff.

If you can swing the extra $50 I'd do it. I've been through this with a lot of people... just remember that 12 inches is a lot when you're talking mic to mouth distances... listen to somebody while booming... now move the mic 12 inches farther away... can you see how a 2 FOOT handicap could cost you more then $50 in the long run?
Click to expand...

Great advice Matt :thumbup: :thumbup:

The KT-KE110CCR is nice too! Goes up to 9'2"
 
I too bought the Rode pole because it was cheap and figured it was better than the painters pole i was using. To be honest i think id rather use the painters pole. I didnt have much problem with handling noise but i think the collars are terrible. It was the biggest pain in the ass to adjust.
 
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