pillepalle Posted March 12, 2019 Report Share Posted March 12, 2019 Hello, I have a 12' Boompole that I mainly use for indoor work. But in the future I would like to get a longer pole (about 18') for outdoor work. As a boom operator on a beginner level I wonder if it would be easier to work with a pole with internal cabeling, or is it no big difference? I mean, handeling an external cable on a longer boom might be trickier than on a short one. Are there good ways or tricks to fix an external cable (clamps, or velcro straps)? What's faster to use? Thanks in advantage pillepalle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted March 12, 2019 Report Share Posted March 12, 2019 Over the years my boom ops went back and forth about this, esp on long poles. Have you tried them out yourself, esp with a long mic + zep+dog on the end, on a walking shot in a good wind? I generally went with what the boomist wanted unless they were having trouble with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pillepalle Posted March 12, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2019 Thanks Philip, so you think there is no right or wrong way to go? No, I've never used a longer pole. I just thought that the longer the pole the more difficult the cable handling will be. Greetings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted March 12, 2019 Report Share Posted March 12, 2019 For me the right way was the way whoever was handling the pole wanted. When it was me (working alone usually) I mostly used internals, since I was usually wearing a recorder in a harness at the same time. My long-time boom ops (who were not wearing any gear beyond a little monitor box) mostly (but not always) went with external cables--they felt they were quieter and developed fewer issues with repeated extension and retraction of a long pole. But it really is a personal thing, what that boomist is used to etc. (so I had both types with us). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pillepalle Posted March 12, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2019 Yes, if most boom ops use external cables maybe that's the way to go. At least I'll learn how to handle it And in case the cable get's me often in trouble I still have the opportunity to cable the pole by myself. So I think I will look for an uncabled boompole. Greetings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afewmoreyears Posted March 12, 2019 Report Share Posted March 12, 2019 I for one have never used an ext. cabled pole, nor has my boom ops... I would much rather have the cable inside... Never had problems with noise.. The ONLY way I would use the external is if my internal broke and I had no other pole.. In the end, to each their own. 99% of the time we're wireless anyhow, so no cable is actually best. Shorty to the transmitter.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pillepalle Posted March 12, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2019 Unfortunately wireless is actually no option for me, because looseless transmission is still quite expensive. I mostly work on own projects, or ones with very small budget. Greetings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CineStrega Posted March 12, 2019 Report Share Posted March 12, 2019 I Don't know how many people actually use them, but for a lot of non narrative work I use a straight cabled boom. Essentially it's just a non coiled XLR running from the tip to a large cable exit at the bottom. It can be a little messy when you're on a shorter pole, but I see it as being sort of a middle ground between an un cabled pole and an internally coil cabled pole. It's more economical, requires less maintenance, and allows me to do things like run a stereo cable through the boom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wandering Ear Posted March 13, 2019 Report Share Posted March 13, 2019 I never got comfortable with an external cable. It was always akward and more difficult to extend/collapse the pole. It saves weight though which is nice. For all the booming I do I use an internally cabled pole, but I also have an uncabled longer pole for wireless work. This is my favorite setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnuarYahya Posted March 13, 2019 Report Share Posted March 13, 2019 External cable hands down for me, specially in long poles. You need to get a hang of it, and learn to manage your cable. But once you do it is way better in my opinion. You are much quieter because you can hold the cable tought with your hand. Also you are not forced to have the cable exit at the back of the pole. And if you are going wireless you wont have any cables to deal with inside your boom. Its also lighter, cheaper, and more reliable. forget all about straps, velcro or clamps just wrap your cable around the pole avoiding twisting the cable so it stays neat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathanalef Posted March 13, 2019 Report Share Posted March 13, 2019 It's so interesting to read threads like this... external/internal seems to be a highly personal choice, also heavily influenced by location. I can't think of any boom ops I know in LA defaulting to externally cabled poles, even at longer extensions. Seems to be more common on the East Coast and overseas, but I don't have much experience outside of LA. I played with an externally cabled pole when I was getting started... I didn't have the money for a good internally cabled K-tek so it was partially out of necessity and partially curiosity. The external thing is a huge learning curve, and I didn't get far enough into that world to really see any benefits. Either way, if you go the external route, I wouldn't do it on the gig until you have a lot of practice. Mainly because it's way easier to look like an idiot. Haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kisaha Posted March 13, 2019 Report Share Posted March 13, 2019 6 hours ago, AnuarYahya said: External cable hands down for me, specially in long poles. You need to get a hang of it, and learn to manage your cable. But once you do it is way better in my opinion. You are much quieter because you can hold the cable tought with your hand. Also you are not forced to have the cable exit at the back of the pole. And if you are going wireless you wont have any cables to deal with inside your boom. Its also lighter, cheaper, and more reliable. forget all about straps, velcro or clamps just wrap your cable around the pole avoiding twisting the cable so it stays neat. 100% agree. Also, great advice in the end. Usually 3-5 "points of contact" are enough. I see all the newbies wrap the cable unlimited times around the pole which puts too much pressure on the pole/cable and can not adjust pole's length if you want (you have to unwrap the whole cable for even the slightest change). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pillepalle Posted March 13, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2019 Thanks again for all the comments. It's really usefull to get some personal experiences on this topic. Greetings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Reineke Posted March 13, 2019 Report Share Posted March 13, 2019 I also prefer an external cable on a long pole but internal on a shorter one (10' of less), especially for ENG/ docu run & gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.