Audio Gear

Rode Boom Pole: What to Know Before You Buy

A Rode boom pole is built to carry a shotgun microphone over an actor or interview subject while keeping cable noise and handling noise out of the recording. Rode's boom pole lineup covers both materials: the standard Rode Boompole is black anodized aluminum, while the Boompole Pro switches to carbon fiber to cut weight substantially. Both route a cable through the inside of the pole via removable end caps, which keeps a dangling external cable from slapping the shaft or picking up handling noise during a take.

One detail catches people off guard: Rode's boom poles don't ship with the internal XLR cable installed. You get the pole and the internal routing path; you supply your own XLR cable to thread through it. Budget for that separately when pricing out a boom pole purchase, since it's easy to assume the "internal cable" feature means a cable is included.

The main differences across Rode's boom poles come down to three things: extended length, material, and weight. The Boompole Pro extends to a usable length in the 2.5-to-3-meter range and weighs close to half a kilogram, which matters if you're boom operating for hours at a stretch. The standard aluminum Boompole extends similarly but weighs closer to double that, trading portability for a lower price.

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Length: match it to your typical setup

Shorter poles (in the roughly four-to-six-foot extended range) suit tight interior interviews and sit-down interviews where the operator is close to the subject. Longer poles (extending well past that) are built for wider shots, multiple actors spread across a set, or situations where the boom operator needs to stay further from camera. Buying the longest pole available isn't automatically better — a longer pole is heavier, slower to reposition between takes, and overkill for single-subject interview work.

Internal cabling vs. external cable

Rode's boom poles route the XLR cable through the inside of the pole, which is the standard approach for professional boom work. This keeps the cable from swinging, catching on the shotgun mic's shock mount, or picking up handling noise that an external cable can introduce. If you're comparing a Rode pole against a cheaper external-cable option, factor in that the internal-cable design is doing real work to keep your audio clean, not just adding convenience.

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What a boom pole doesn't include

A boom pole is just the mechanical arm — it doesn't come with the shotgun microphone, the shock mount that holds it, or (as noted above) the internal XLR cable. Budget separately for a shock mount, which isolates the mic from vibration traveling up the pole and matters more than most first-time buyers expect, since a rigid mic mount will transmit every bump and grip adjustment straight into the recording. Some kits bundle a pole, shock mount, and mic together, which can simplify a first purchase if you don't already own any of the three.

Twist-lock sections and reach

Rode's boom poles extend in multiple telescoping sections secured by twist-lock clamps rather than push-button releases. Twist-locks hold more securely under the leverage of a fully extended pole but take a beat longer to adjust between setups than a push-button design. If you're constantly changing distances between takes — common on documentary or run-and-gun shoots — factor in that extra adjustment time when budgeting how many angles you can cover in a shooting day.

Setting it up for a two-camera interview

For a standard interview setup, extend the pole to the shortest length that still keeps it out of frame, angle the mic down toward the subject's mouth rather than straight down at their chest, and have the boom operator watch both camera monitors if there are two angles running, since a pole visible in one frame but not the other is an easy mistake to miss.

Pair a boom pole with a shotgun mic from the professional shotgun microphone guide, or see Rode's lavalier options if you need a clip-on mic instead of a boom-operated one. Check best audio recorder for what to record into. Start at the lavalier microphone hub for the full audio category.