With the plentiful availability of boom mic arms and the uptick of new podcast popping up on your favorite podcast platforms, there’s no secret that the right type of gear makes a huge difference in your production. Enter the O. C. White Podcast Pro by Accu-Lite boom arm. The Podcast Pro is a little more than two months old and it’s definitely a needed addition to the boom mic arm space.
Let’s be very clear! The Rode PSA1 and the Blue Compass boom mic arms are probably the most widely used boom arms in this space and for obvious reasons. They have been on the market for years. The Podcast Pro is new but making a big splash. Let’s get into specs about the O. C. White Podcast Pro by Accu-Lite.
The O. C. White Podcast Pro by Accu-Lite is specifically designed for podcasters. This is a high quality, steel constructed boom arm. It has a 38” reach as well, which is pretty typical. The boom arm is totally black, with a table edge clamp for mounting and a 2.5” clamp maximum width. It can also hold microphones weighing between 1.4lb and 2.5lb. I had no issues using my Rode Podmic with the Podcast Pro. However, it was a little difficult using my Shure SM58…guess it wasn’t heavy enough.
Another important aspect of deciding which boom arm to purchase is the noise factor. However, the Podcast Pro is one of the most squeaky proof boom arms I’ve had. This thing is just so quiet regardless of how aggressive you move this thing around. And it’s not stiff as well. Sometimes a boom arm can be very stiff, which some companies feel that’s a direct correlation to its lack of squeaking. Well, that’s not the case with the Podcast Pro, weighing in at only a cool 6lb’s.
Now, let’s get to the interesting aspects of the Podcast Pro. The Podcast Pro has a plastic cover, on top, over the entire length of the boom arm. Remember, underneath that plastic cover is a steel boom arm. But the plastic cover serves two purposes. One, in my opinion, is just so that it feels better to the touch when moving it around. Two, it houses, covers & protects the pre-terminated XLR cable. That’s right, the Podcast Pro has a built-in XLR cable. And get this, it’s a Monster Prolink XLR Cable. That’s pretty cool. However, some of us may want to switch out that cable and you’ll have a time trying to do that because you can’t, it’s permanent. I’m not sure how I feel about that but O.C. White has been in this game since 1883…YES! Since 1883. In most professional broadcasting studios, you’ll see the high-end O.C. White ProBoom Ultima line. So this isn’t some new company trying to break into this space, they have been a dominant force in this space for decades. So I’m fine with the permanent XLR Cable.
All in all, the Podcast Pro is a welcoming addition to the boom mic arm space. Very capable, this is a great boom arm for podcasters from a pretty well-established company. This is a sub $100 boom arm and if you search, you can probably get this for around $90.