Wrapping Cable around the Boom

N

nomorechecks

Member
What is the proper way to wrap the cable around the boom?

I had some mild handling noise in some takes I did for a shoot some weeks prior... I've pegged it down to the way I tied the cables around the boom, and I can't seem to find any proper information online on how to do it (I hate having to write for help, but if I need to...).

I had them wrapped around the boom as tight as possible, and I held my grip over the cables that were on top of the grip cushion. In retrospect, that seems like the completely wrong way to do it but everyone was running on, "Let's get this shot before the world explodes!" logic.

So any help would be excellent.
(Preferably any photos of what a proper cable wrap on a boom looks like to use as a guide).
 
Did you properly decouple the cable from the mic?

A lot of handling noise is transmitted up the cable to the mic.

The best solution is the Rycote ConnBox (if you have a Rycote) or to use a short XLR cable that is soft and flexible to avoid transmkitting handling nois eto the mic.. This is more importand than how you wrap the cable round the pole.
 
Did you have the top end of the cable anchored to the part of the schock mount that attaches to the boom, with the last few inches of cable going to the mic itself remaining slack or did you plug directly into the mic and bring that down the boom? The classic arrangment is for there to be an inline XLR connector incorporated into the base of the shock mount. The main cable coming up the boom plugs in that, then a short flexible pigtail goes from there to the mic itself. Other arrangments, like the Rycote Invision, don't have the XLR/pigtail arrangement but they DO have a clamp to hold the cable to the shockmount base so that it provides the same function of allowing the last few inches of cable going into the mic to be relaxed and loose.

Don't wrap the cable tightly around the boom by rotating the boom to wind the cable around it - that introduces a twist into the cable and leads to tangles. Just flip the cable around the boom two or three times while holding the boom extended away from you and hold it against the base of the boom with your right hand to keep it gently taut (assuming you're booming with your right hand on the base and the left up the boom in the direction of the talent.) the cable is held against the boom by the palms of your hands wrapped over it. Two or three loops around is all that's required. It should be firm enough against the boom to prevent slap and rattles but not pulled quitar-string tight. This arrangment of just a couple of throws is flexible enough that you can easily keep the cable under slight tension as you adjust the length of the boom itself. The connector pigtail or the cable clamp arrangement at the top prevents the tension on the cable from your hands from being transmitted to the mic.
 
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I've always wrapped it around the boom by twisting and used a bunch of gaffer's tape. It know its not the proper way but it works for me.
 
using gaffer tape on your boom is one of the worst thing you can do, you are you making the cable stiffer , hard to adjust the length on the fly and making your boom pole useless getting all the sliding parts sticky and dirty.
Steve is describing the best way to do it and the only thing you need is to fix the top part of the cable to the pole with enough loop before connecting to the microphone, so when you pull the cable it doesn't go to the microphone.
 
Also, make sure the cable is secure at the top of the boom. I put a half hitch in the cable at the top of pole with a small loop to the mike.

Cable noise is avoidable, with proper practice/technique and monitoring. Gaffer's tape is a good idea for an externally wired boom, I prefer velcro strips though. Makes for a quick change if the pole needs to be lengthened or shortened.

It takes practice.
 
I use those elastic pigtail thingies with the balls on the end that little girls use in their hair to hold the cable to the pole.
 
rafaeldelauz said:
... the only thing you need is to fix the top part of the cable to the pole with enough loop before connecting to the microphone, so when you pull the cable it doesn't go to the microphone.
Click to expand...

Yes - but - if you use stiff cable it can still transmit handling noise to the mic.

Best to use a short flexible mic. tail to decouple the mic. and then plug into that. If you have a Rycote with ConnBox, this is what the ConnBox does.
 
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