Lowering the boom.

O

olindacat

Well-known member
Who is booming mics on stands and what are you using for a gear solution? I am looking to boom three mics. I want good gear that'll outlast me, but don't want to be stupid about it. I want the mics out of the shots but as close as possible. I guess I'll be using shotguns, e.g., 416 or NTG3s. (That's probably another thread.) Can you post a shot or link to what you use? I am also curious what mics you use for indoor scenes in rooms that are acoustic nightmares: four sq glass walls, hardwood floors, a/c rumble, reverb galore, etc. (Yes, I know Barry's video tells us that location location location is everything.)
 
Reflective interiors usually call for a hypercardioid rather than a shotgun. Interference tube 'guns don't behave particularly well in the presence of high levels of short-term reflections.

Guns and hypers are directional enough that they can be problematic if mounted on a static boom. It only takes a few inches of movement on the part of the subject for the timbre of the sound to change as he starts to drift off-mic. You really need a boom operator on each mic skilled enough to follow the subject and keep him in the mic's sweet spot as he moves.
 
Use a "pole holder" inserted in an adjustable knuckle on a C-stand. The holder is essentially a fishing pole holder but without the threads. See http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/596490-REG/Pearstone_8121290_Boom_Pole_Holder.html . The knuckle and C-stand allow vertical height adjustment. Be careful with counterbalancing the pole and use sandbags on the legs.

For calming a room try hanging moving blankets on opposing walls to minimize reflections. They're not a perfect solution but help a lot. Don't put them directly on the wall but leave a little air space between them and the wall. C-stands can be used to hold them up.
 
I purchased this studio boom stand about a week ago:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...SMS7650_SM7650_Hex_Base_Microphone_Stand.html

Already used it in three scenes in a feature and it does the job well. For obvious reasons it can't always replace a boom person but when movement of the subject is limited it works great.

Don't make the mistake of trying to use a shotgun indoors, hyper only. Shotguns hear reflected sound as well as they do distant sound- bad thing inside. I use an AT 4053a (b is the newer modei). I think it's the best indoor mic around under $1000.
 
mainstreetprod said:
I purchased this studio boom stand about a week ago:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...SMS7650_SM7650_Hex_Base_Microphone_Stand.html

Already used it in three scenes in a feature and it does the job well. For obvious reasons it can't always replace a boom person but when movement of the subject is limited it works great.

Don't make the mistake of trying to use a shotgun indoors, hyper only. Shotguns hear reflected sound as well as they do distant sound- bad thing inside. I use an AT 4053a (b is the newer modei). I think it's the best indoor mic around under $1000.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this. I will boom whenever I'm not in the scene, or Marie will. But there will be those times, and I'll make sure we all have our heads in vices if we do lock things down, which, of course, we will.
 
Let me take my pathetic thread a step further: how to I attach the mic to the boom pole? Do I get a shock mount or what? How about the cable? Lastly, say I get the AT 4053a/b, RU saying neither the 416 or the NTG3 will work?? 9God, I thought they were very similar, and have read many threads saying the Senny is a good indoor dialogue mic.) Sh--! Even more detestable, is this: can I use my newly acquired Neumann TLM-103 Condenser Mic on a boom as well, or should I stick with one kind of mic for all three of us? Now for my last trick: what about wired lavs? Forgetting the booms, in hair or under shirts?
 
I use a Manfrotto Super Clamp on a C-Stand and counterweight, when I do a one man band talking head.
I have a blimp for normal booming wit Lyra suspensions, I just leave it on, doesn't hurt.
But any suspension will do the trick of isolating the mic from the rest of the world.
Just don't use a hard mount.

My mic for interviews (indor) is a Octava with hyper capsule - quite happy with that.

Frank
 
"the Senny is a good indoor dialogue mic"
-- You likely did NOT read that here, or anyplace else that pro location audio folk frequent. The 416 is generally not good for small rooms. It would work in a large sound stage or maybe in a smaller acoustically 'dead' room.
You could try the Neumann, but LD studio mics don't usually work for boom-mounted on-camera interviews. Great for VOs and other off-camera work.
Shock mount? On a stand, a doughnut type shock-mount would work, for a boom op, the Rycote Invison shock-mount is highly regarded.... you'll also need wind suppression accessories for exteriors.
Cables: Canare, Belden or Mogami star-quad type are recommended.
 
I've got four autopoles and some pipes running across on hooks. Getting sound and light-blocking stage material from a set shop in lower Manhattan, and will put fown carpet. Sort of a Charlie Rose look, but hoping it mellows the room a tad. Thanks for the c-stand advice. I have one of those holders, and have no idea how to use it :-) 9It thought it went on a light stand, but of course, I have no way of inserting it.
 
Rick R said:
"the Senny is a good indoor dialogue mic"
-- You likely did NOT read that here, or anyplace else that pro location audio folk frequent. The 416 is generally not good for small rooms. It would work in a large sound stage or maybe in a smaller acoustically 'dead' room.
You could try the Neumann, but LD studio mics don't usually work for boom-mounted on-camera interviews. Great for VOs and other off-camera work.
Shock mount? On a stand, a doughnut type shock-mount would work, for a boom op, the Rycote Invison shock-mount is highly regarded.... you'll also need wind suppression accessories for exteriors.
Cables: Canare, Belden or Mogami star-quad type are recommended.
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You'll hate me for saying this, Rick, but there are people, here and elsewhere in pro audio forums, who recommend the 416 for both indoor and outdoor use.

Here's a thread from 2003 where a guy was asking if the 416 would work, in both environs: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/archive/index.php/t-19693.html

Here is a quite from Sweetwater's website in their "Advice" column, under the 416 page: Emmett Andrews: "You'll find the famous "L.A. Mic" in almost every voiceover studio throughout the U.S.! The 416 is THE sound for movie trailers, TV promos and radio imaging. With its tight pattern and presence boost, your voiceovers will cut right through the clutter."

Here's a 416 quote from a 416 thread on jwsoundgroup: To be very general, I think it's safe to say that the 416 is a FAR more versatile mic. It can sound more beautiful than just about any mic in the right hands or at the right distance, given the proper environment. It can be very demanding on the operator in challenging situations. It is often the favorite mic of boom operators on episodic and feature work because it doesn't require the operator to sit at millimeter's length from the frameline in order to get a voice to register properly. While it can exaggerate sibilance, it isn't an inherently noisy mic, so if you're experiencing a lot of self-noise it might be time for the mic to take a vacation to Connecticut or Germany.

I have also read it sucks indoors. I guess my point is I did my homework before buying. I shoot outdoors dialogue so this is a good mic for that, but I also was told I could use it indoors too. That's why I got it.
 
Been a while, Frank. How's that FS100 holding up? I have one blimp, with the fur (is that a dead cat?). I thought that would be too much and was mainly for outdoor wind. Maybe I'll give it a go, but hate to buy three.....

Postmaster said:
I use a Manfrotto Super Clamp on a C-Stand and counterweight, when I do a one man band talking head.
I have a blimp for normal booming wit Lyra suspensions, I just leave it on, doesn't hurt.
But any suspension will do the trick of isolating the mic from the rest of the world.
Just don't use a hard mount.

My mic for interviews (indor) is a Octava with hyper capsule - quite happy with that.

Frank
Click to expand...
 
I'm well aware of the 416 being used for VOs and some VO artists have their own.. For indoor 'interviews', generally, interference tube shotgun mics, which include the 416, are known to cause comb filtering and sound abnormalities in many indoor environments.. it depends on the room. I did not state it flat out would not work indoors. 'Generally' is the key word here.
 
Thr indoor uses you cite for the 416 such as VO or episodic shows are invariably recorded in a sound conditioned studio or sound stage environment where reflections are very well controlled. Note the phrase in the review you quote "in the proper environment." The 416 is fine indoors in a properly controlled environment. But locations such as typical residential interiors or business environments aren't acoustically conditioned and tend to be very reflective. Interference tube microphones such as the 416 don't behave well in those situations. (Reflections that can give a 'gun fits can occur outdoors as well - try shooting on a paved playground with the subject a few feet in front of a brick wall and see what happens.) It's not just a matter of indoors or out, it's a matter of the acoustics of the specific space where you're shooting.
 
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