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I'm tired of using El Cheapo mic boom arms whose knobs don't keep the telescoping arms from rotating, whos knobs are hard to tighten and loosen, and generally possess poor quality control. For heavy rigs - like a mid-side pair in a windshield or a single heavy mic - what brands and models have you had success with, specifically for field use (Boom arms, specifically, not the mic stand itself)?

[EDIT/NOTE: This is not about boom poles, but rather a boom arm that mounts on a stand or tripod.]

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I'd go with anything Manfrotto makes...good stuff. They make boom arms and clamps for their lighting tripods that would probably work for field use.

Haven't tried it myself, but that's because I don't like to lug around a boom arm in the field. I just tilt my tripod, or lean it against something if I want to get over a sound source.

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  • Good idea - at first glance, I didn't find any Manfrotto units with appropriate threads on the ends, only baby studs. Any specific model you've seen that could mount a mic on the end with a 5/8 or 3/8 male thread?
    – NoiseJockey
    Commented Jul 20, 2010 at 4:40
  • This would work: bhphotovideo.com/c/product/513014-REG/…
    – Justin P
    Commented Jul 20, 2010 at 5:38
  • That's what I'm talkin' about. That, without the light stand, is just the ticket. Heavy, but I'll take heavy over the craptastic OnStage brand that I've been using! :-)
    – NoiseJockey
    Commented Jul 20, 2010 at 21:18
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We have a pair of K-tek booms that we've been using for YEARS at my company. We've used them all over the place (woods, cities, deserts) and we've never had any issues with them. They're great.

http://www.ktekbooms.com/

EDIT:

I completely forgot about this thread, but I just thought I would share this "Kit Cool" gear by Boom Audio & Video...in case people haven't seen/heard of it before. [Disclaimer: I've never actually tried this rig myself.]

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  • +1 to K-Tek. Their articulating arm is nice - locks into preset angles instead of being free-spinning.
    – VCProd
    Commented Jul 19, 2010 at 19:19
  • Always go for K-Tek. Their pretty much everything-proof.
    – Kurt Human
    Commented Jul 19, 2010 at 21:39
  • I've got a K-Tek boom pole (big +1 there), but I need a studio-style boom arm that fits to a tripod or a mic stand. Sorry I wasn't clear!
    – NoiseJockey
    Commented Jul 20, 2010 at 4:40
  • Ahhhh...I've got less experience with those. Haven't done much studio work. When I have, it's usually been a small enough space that I can still use the K-tek. lol
    – Shaun Farley
    Commented Jul 20, 2010 at 11:35
  • @NoiseJockey Oooh. I see. How about getting a c-stand and clamping the boom mic in that way? I've done that one many static scenes just to save my arms. If you're looking for studio booms, Atlas makes good quality ones. I guess I'm still a little confused as to what you're looking for.
    – VCProd
    Commented Jul 20, 2010 at 14:05

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