how to get good audio using a boom pole?

G

gutterball321

Well-known member
I have always done interview type shots where my pool pole is secure and not moving. Running my NTG-1 with an xlr to my tascam dr-40 and my rode videomic with a 12 foot 3.5mm cable down my boom pole has always left me with terrible results. Even gaf taping the chords at the top and bottom of the boom pole to prevent the chord from rubbing has not helped. Whenever someone moves at all with the boom pole or touches the audio recorder noises are picked up. So I am curious how you are suppose to set up a mic on a boom pole to get good audio. I have always used a shock mount as well.
 
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It is not clear from your description whether or not you have actually COFIRMED that the noise problem is from the cables?

You keep saying "pool pole". Are you using some sort of pool-cleaning equipment to hang your microphones on?

You talk about both an NTG-1 and a Videomic, but it is not clear what you are talking about?
Are you running BOTH of them? HOW? Or are you running one or the other on the pole and they both produce the noise?

You descriptions almost create more questions than they answer.

Specific make and model numbers for the pole and the shock mount would be very helpful if you want practical advice.
Photos would be helpful also if you are doing something unconventional (like using a "pool pole").
 
sorry, i meant boom pole, im a little dyslexic. Here is my boom pole, cheap but i figured it would work: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007V5J5QC/ref=oh_details_o09_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I either use my rode ntg-1 or rode video mic. Not both at the same time. I put the mic on my shock mount then attach it to the boom pole. I have tried just wrapping the cable around the pole and using gaffers tape to tape it to the pole but i still get the noises. I know its the cable and audio recorders because when I tap the recorders or move the pole around I can hear the sounds of the recorder being tapped and the cables moving. I dont get this problem if I have everything on a c-stand and its not moving.
 
What shock-mount are you using?

I use a Gitzo carbon-fiber boom with a Rycote pistol-grip with Lyre shock-mount, then I gaffer tape the cable to the boom, and the boom-op wears a pair of cheap gardening-gloves with the fingers tips chopped off. ( these are the gloves with the tiny rubber dots that are light-weight but give a very good grip )
 
There really isn't a need to gaff tape the cable to the pole on the outside. Most people will wrap the cable around the outside of the pole tightly enough that it doesn't move around, but yet loose enough that they can adjust the length of the pole easily.

That being said, if the pole is on a stand, and nobody is touching it and you are getting some noise, then there is something else going on. Do you have a bit of audio you could post that we could listen to?
 
when I tap the recorders or move the pole around I can hear the sounds of the recorder being tapped and the cables moving.
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Huh? When you tap "the recorder" you hear noise? Are you SURE you aren't hearing the internal microphone on the recorder?
I think you need to do more testing to determine exactly where the problem is. Your description sounds very strange.
 
In addition to the other's questions.. do have proper shielded cables? And if they're unbalanced mic level, length is a serious issue.. and could cause noise when touched.
 
So many potential causes. I have one 3m guitar jack-jack that not only sounds like a drum kit when you tap it, it can even hear you shout at it. You can't understand words, but it's so dreadful that it can hear shouting as a noise! I don't run cables down the inside of boom poles like some people do, because that can flap a bit if you move from over to under. Like the others, I just use a twist to wrap the cable - I may use a cable tie at the top. Decent shock mounts often get compromised by stuff cable - so many people use a short length of thinner, flexible cable between the mic and the boom, then use normal cable from there on. Tell us more, or maybe even show us a picture of the mic end so we can look for problems.
 
i will take a pic when I get home from work and try to upload a scene.

** and I am not getting the noise when I use the setup and leave it on a c-stand, only when we are moving.
 
gutterball321 said:
i will take a pic when I get home from work and try to upload a scene.

** and I am not getting the noise when I use the setup and leave it on a c-stand, only when we are moving.
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Then something is wrong somewhere, unless it is just regular handling noise. It would be helpful to hear a recording of what you are hearing.
 
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