Need recommendations for quality boom pole at DVinfo.net

Kyle Fasanella · December 30th, 2005, 04:30 PM

Hey guys
I need a really good boom pole. I have been using a cheap mic stand for a pole and now have the money for something high quality. I only have a mic so I think I will need a holder for the sennheiser 67 mic also. I only want the best. I prefer it to not be very long when in travel form. I’m used to about 3 feet compact. So anything smaller would be awesome. I think most are. What do you guys recommend for purchase for me?

Brian Duke · December 30th, 2005, 05:52 PM

Best is Sennheiser MKH60 P48. used on all major motion picture productions. You can get one for about $1300-1500 NEW on eBay.

Dan Keaton · December 31st, 2005, 08:48 AM

The K-Tek Boom poles are very nice.

http://www.mklemme.com/pole/ktekpoles.html

I have a K-Tek 202 ccr and I am very happy with it. I use it with the MKH-60 and MKH-70 with the full Rycote setup.

Jim Feeley · December 31st, 2005, 09:53 PM

I own two carbon-fibre K-Tek, but their low-cost Avalon poles are also quite nice. As are Panamic, LTM (if you can still find them), VdB (a bit uneven), and Ambient. I guess my favorites would be K-Tek and Ambient. The new Professional Sound Corp (PSC) poles also look nice, too.

For doc/ENG use, a 9-foot pole is nice. But a 12-foot pole is handy for some episodic work.

The K-Tek 152 collapses to 3ft and extends to 12.5ft. The 16-foot 202 is nice, but is, um 3.5ft (or so) collapsed.

Hope this helps,

Jim

Ashley Cooper · January 2nd, 2006, 04:05 PM

I've only used a few different booms, but when I used what looks like a vDB model that eveyone in town seems to have I noticed it was much more susceptable to noise from handling. Not from moving in the air so much, but from moving my hands and that kind of thing. So, gloves were a must. I know gloves are adviseable in general, but are there some booms that need them more than others? Do K-Teks have a problem with this?

Jim Feeley · January 3rd, 2006, 08:05 PM

For me and my K-Teks, it depends on the conditions. If it's really cold or really hot (ie- stiff little fingers or sweaty palms)...then gloves are handy. But for much EFP/doc stuff, I'm OK without gloves. But I do wash my hands once in a while...no more than you need to avoid colds, though...

Could have been your VdB, or could be your grip, your hands, whatever. I sometimes use very thin glove liners, though. Anyway, when I need gloves bit more inconspicuous and keeps my hands from getting too hot.

But it's not much of an issue for me...

Best,

Jim

Ashley Cooper · January 4th, 2006, 01:32 AM

Jim, thank you very much for that feedback! Sounds pretty promising. Guess I'll have to audition one.
Thanks again!

Jim Feeley · January 4th, 2006, 12:26 PM

Oh geez, one thought:

Perhaps aluminum pole are more sensitive to hand-stick noise than carbon fiber. I have carbon poles...(but then, aren't most VdB poles carbon, too?)

Anyway, that might be an issue...I've only used alum poles a few times and the weather was fine...thus no noise?

Best,

Jim

Ashley Cooper · January 4th, 2006, 04:46 PM

Thanks, Jim. Actually, they were aluminum poles (the ones with the noise I mean). Not sure that they were vDB but they certainly look like the used vDB aluminum poles from the pictures at Trew. They were quite wide and the noise seemed to bounce around them. On a few occassions I have used a friend's Gitzo aluminum pole which was much thinner and didn't have this problem. Not sure if there's a connection though.

December 30th, 2005, 04:30 PM	#1
Kyle Fasanella Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 66	Need recommendations for quality boom pole Hey guys I need a really good boom pole. I have been using a cheap mic stand for a pole and now have the money for something high quality. I only have a mic so I think I will need a holder for the sennheiser 67 mic also. I only want the best. I prefer it to not be very long when in travel form. I’m used to about 3 feet compact. So anything smaller would be awesome. I think most are. What do you guys recommend for purchase for me?

December 31st, 2005, 08:48 AM	#3
Dan Keaton Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Augusta Georgia Posts: 5,421	The K-Tek Boom poles are very nice. http://www.mklemme.com/pole/ktekpoles.html I have a K-Tek 202 ccr and I am very happy with it. I use it with the MKH-60 and MKH-70 with the full Rycote setup. __________________ Dan Keaton Augusta Georgia

December 30th, 2005, 05:52 PM	#2
Brian Duke Major Player Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Hollywood, California Posts: 899	Best is Sennheiser MKH60 P48. used on all major motion picture productions. You can get one for about $1300-1500 NEW on eBay.

December 31st, 2005, 09:53 PM	#4
Jim Feeley Supports LPFM Radio Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Northern California USA Posts: 170	I own two carbon-fibre K-Tek, but their low-cost Avalon poles are also quite nice. As are Panamic, LTM (if you can still find them), VdB (a bit uneven), and Ambient. I guess my favorites would be K-Tek and Ambient. The new Professional Sound Corp (PSC) poles also look nice, too. For doc/ENG use, a 9-foot pole is nice. But a 12-foot pole is handy for some episodic work. The K-Tek 152 collapses to 3ft and extends to 12.5ft. The 16-foot 202 is nice, but is, um 3.5ft (or so) collapsed. Hope this helps, Jim

January 2nd, 2006, 04:05 PM	#5
Ashley Cooper Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Birmingham, AL Posts: 85	I've only used a few different booms, but when I used what looks like a vDB model that eveyone in town seems to have I noticed it was much more susceptable to noise from handling. Not from moving in the air so much, but from moving my hands and that kind of thing. So, gloves were a must. I know gloves are adviseable in general, but are there some booms that need them more than others? Do K-Teks have a problem with this?

January 3rd, 2006, 08:05 PM	#6
Jim Feeley Supports LPFM Radio Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Northern California USA Posts: 170	For me and my K-Teks, it depends on the conditions. If it's really cold or really hot (ie- stiff little fingers or sweaty palms)...then gloves are handy. But for much EFP/doc stuff, I'm OK without gloves. But I do wash my hands once in a while...no more than you need to avoid colds, though... Could have been your VdB, or could be your grip, your hands, whatever. I sometimes use very thin glove liners, though. Anyway, when I need gloves bit more inconspicuous and keeps my hands from getting too hot. But it's not much of an issue for me... Best, Jim

January 4th, 2006, 01:32 AM	#7
Ashley Cooper Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Birmingham, AL Posts: 85	Jim, thank you very much for that feedback! Sounds pretty promising. Guess I'll have to audition one. Thanks again!

January 4th, 2006, 12:26 PM	#8
Jim Feeley Supports LPFM Radio Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Northern California USA Posts: 170	Oh geez, one thought: Perhaps aluminum pole are more sensitive to hand-stick noise than carbon fiber. I have carbon poles...(but then, aren't most VdB poles carbon, too?) Anyway, that might be an issue...I've only used alum poles a few times and the weather was fine...thus no noise? Best, Jim

January 4th, 2006, 04:46 PM	#9
Ashley Cooper Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Birmingham, AL Posts: 85	Thanks, Jim. Actually, they were aluminum poles (the ones with the noise I mean). Not sure that they were vDB but they certainly look like the used vDB aluminum poles from the pictures at Trew. They were quite wide and the noise seemed to bounce around them. On a few occassions I have used a friend's Gitzo aluminum pole which was much thinner and didn't have this problem. Not sure if there's a connection though.