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Reviews For: O. C. White Co. Pro-Boom

Category: Audio Accessories for Transmitter & Receiver

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Review Summary For : O. C. White Co. Pro-Boom
Reviews: 4MSRP: 149.95
Description:
ProBoom is our best-selling studio boom. This sturdy 41" arm comes complete with a 12" riser for table-top mounting and two sets of upper springs to accommodate microphones of all weights and sizes. It requires no maintenance and has a lifetime manufacturer warranty! Additional mounts for wall and table mounting are available as options.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.ocwhite.com/html/microphone_arms.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0044.8
W7DDD Rating: 2010-04-26
Good but springs too strong Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Bought this for Ham radio use after studying reviews on eHam. Mic is a Heil PR-781 (not a lightweight mic). I was gonna get the Heil boom, but a number of people complained about flimsy construction, springs breaking, etc. So I went with the White. Prices about the same.

It comes with a second set of even stronger springs for even heavier mics. What I need are a second set of WEAKER springs. The boom doesn't want to stay in the place you put it, but wants to retract. I've scrunched up the pivot screws as much as I dare, and may wind up adding some fishing weights to the mic end to help balance it better.

I use it with a Heil C-clamp base from Heil's shorter boom; it can also be used with the riser.

Overall, it's stout, as noted by the other reviewers, and probably took my tightenings better than the Heil would have. I'll make it work and it will do just fine.
David Meyer Rating: 2009-03-17
This is a great piece of equipment Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I tried a desk mic in the beginning, but it took too much real estate. It always seem to be in the way so I decided to get a boom. Because O.C. White does not sell directly to the public, I purchased the O.C. White 14199 boom (www.ocwhite.com/html/ss.htm) from RAM Broadcast Systems located in Wauconda, IL. Lisa and Ron were a great deal of help in the purchasing process. Sorry for the shameless plug, they just deserve a mention.

Holding a Heil 781 mic, the boom is atop a 12 inch riser and is rock solid and quiet. The model I choose has a 45 inch reach which helps cover my 39 inch deep radio table.

I have nothing but praise for this piece of equipment.
K6USN Rating: 2008-09-27
Excellent Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Like the previous reviewer, I have both the O.C.White ProBoom and the Heil 'topless' boom.

I would agree that both are excellent choices.
The O.C. White boom appears to have a slight edge in 'build quality' - specifically the pivot arm
where it joins the base. The O.C. White model
uses a machined brass fitting that allows a more frictionless (smoother) feel when swinging the boom horizontally. The table mount C clamp is also a bit more robust.

This is a small point, but adds to the professional 'feel' of the boom. Of course, this raises the cost vs the Heil.

The O.C. White boom needs to be ordered from one of their regional suppliers (noted on their website). I ordered mine from BSW in Seattle and had it in less than a week. They sell these quality booms to professional broadcasters. The cost is about 50% more than the Heil model. I paid just under $200 for my O.C. White Pro Boom Elite model with the optional table C clamp (including shipping). Several models and options are pictured on the O.C. White website.

I am very pleased with this boom and it adds a nice professional touch to the operating desk.

Allen K6USN
(E51USN)
W6LBV Rating: 2008-02-28
Go hang your mike! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I prefer to mount my fixed (ham shack) microphones on desktop scissors booms. These mounts liberate operating real estate, provide hands-free operation, raise the mikes off the desk to a comfortable speaking height, and give the microphones a degree of acoustic isolation from the surrounding environment.

By happenstance I own two different scissors booms, one from each of the major vendors: Heil Sound and O. C. White Co. Bottom line: although each does its tasks slightly differently from the other, both are solid and their cost is essentially the same.

Heil Sound is well known to Amateurs, primarily through its microphone and headphone products. I have Heil’s PL-1T boom; the current PL-2T is very similar. O. C. White is a name more familiar in broadcast circles, where its products are often visible in photos of radio studios and control room announce positions. I have the White ProBoom, the least costly model.

The Heil boom has its counter-weight springs mounted internally. The White boom has two pairs of external (and visible) springs, and it ships with an extra set of (replaceable) springs to accommodate the use of heavier microphones. The White has user-lockable (knob-tightened) pivot points; the major Heil pivots are tightened with an Allen wrench.

The Heil boom is furnished with a C-clamp to mount the boom over the edge of a table-top; the White ships with a 15" vertical riser containing a bottom flange that bolts to the table top. Other mounting accessories are available for both products at additional cost. The White boom has a more substantial base section with more metal in it compared to the Heil, but each has about the same positional stability. Both are essentially noiseless while being adjusted.

It is a treat to have two good and useable products from which to choose. Either should provide strong performance for many years in the average ham shack.