Topic: boom arms

[radioboy1977]

can anyone recommend a good boom arm?  they have one over at micsupply.com that looks pretty good, but it doesn't have counterweights and is less than 2 feet long.  b&h photo has several, but i really don't know which would be best.  anyone out there use a boom arm when taping?  which one should i get?  i suspect i would need one with counterweights because the soundfield is heavy.

[Swampy]

Jef, maybe you should explain your situation to the kind people so they know what you want to do...

[radioboy1977]

well, i just need a boom arm... 3 feet long maybe.  the soundfield really has to be DFC in order to get a perfectly balanced pull.  i'd like to have a boom arm so that when i'm in situations where i can't set up DFC, i can at least use the boom arm to crane out to DFC.

[radioboy1977]

i use an old akg boom arm that came with an old stand that I bought. It is slightly longer than most arms, which helps. I also have rigged up another 6' of extensions that are 1', 2', and 3' long, and when combined = 6' So in all I have the stock boom arm (3'+), and another 6' of extension.
I use this combo of arm and extensions fairly regularly.

counter weights are going to require a beefier stand. You might try a length of two-sided velcro, that is long enough to secure the base of your arm to the stand(?) It's worked for me.

Have you tried Wes Dooley/AEA?

thanks for the tips, mike!

i've never heard of wes dooley or aea.  do you happen to have links to any websites?

[radioboy1977]

^bump^

anyone else have any suggestions?  the AEA stuff is way out of my price range.

[Brian Skalinder]

No help on the boom question, but...if you're within boom-reach (3' or so) of DFC, will you really need the boom, or will you realistically be able to simply move 3' to DFC?  I know for me, when I'm taping, I'm either anywhere I want to be in the venue, or buried in the back - almost never in between somewhere.  Just curious what your experiences have been...

[radioboy1977]

i've found that with the soundfield, it has to be DFC.  if it's even a foot or two off, the recording will favor whichever "stack" it's closest to.  it's not so noticeable when i play a recording back over my home stereo, but it's really annoying over headphones.

[Swampy]

Ya, at mr smalls, they have the stone path in the middle thats about 4 feet wide... The new rule is that we cant be on the path, so its always like 2 or 3 feet ROC... Jef, if you would like, we could try out my boom arm @ Dirty Dozen...

[jpschust]

i got my boom from west LA music a long time ago.  its an akg stand.  the boom end is only 2-3 ft long, but it works for that exact situation.  a lot of times i use it in a small bar with tables to lift forward over the dance floor a touch- spaces normally i couldnt set up as well because of high traffic and whatnot

[radioboy1977]

Ya, at mr smalls, they have the stone path in the middle thats about 4 feet wide... The new rule is that we cant be on the path, so its always like 2 or 3 feet ROC... Jef, if you would like, we could try out my boom arm @ Dirty Dozen...

DIRTY DOZEN!!!

that'd be great if you could bring the boom arm, swamp. i want to test my stand to see if it can handle it.  i'm pretty sure it won't, but you never know

bogen manfrotto, here i come!

[Swampy]

Jef, maybe we should get together some time before the show and devise a system

[jpschust]

the other counterweight, break down your legs of your stand so they are straight- then use your backpack.  what you are gonna do is slide your stand through the hole where the handle is at the top (where the straps come together) and rest your pack on the rear leg of the stand- boom- instant counter weight (esp if you have 12v batts)