H4N as a Boom Mic

mscherrah

mscherrah

Active member
Hi Everyone,

Sorry for bombarding this place with so many questions, but I am trying to find out if the Zoom H4N can be used as a boom mic. What we are planning on doing is fixing the Zoom onto a monopod, and using the monopod as a boom pole. Has anyone tried this, and if so, how well does it work? Any advice will be appreciated!

Thanks!
Matt
 
Pity the poor boom op who has to swing the thing! When you have to hold something over your head with the other end in a precise position for the duration of a shot, every ounce of weight becomes important. Also, not many monopods have enough reach - I've never seen any taller than 5 to 6 feet while booms typically range from 8 to 10 feet (for tight-quarters ENG uses) into the middle teens and even longer for feature use. IMHO, it is rarely a good idea to kludge together make-shift solutions - bite the bullet and rent (or buy) the right tools for the job, in this case a proper directional mic with shockmount and a purpose-built boom.
 
someone tried this with a zoom h2 once and I believe even the entry-level ATR-55 shotgun outperformed the stereo cardioid mics built into the device which were definitely not suited to the job of recording dialogue.
 
The H4N is also very susceptible to both handling noise and wind.

Finding a shock mount that would accommodate something like the Zoom could be a challenge.

Have never tried using the H4N on a boom, but I doubt the included foam windscreen would be adequate - you could try a Red Head:

http://www.redheadwindscreens.com/
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top