Blue Microphones Compass Premium Tube-Style Microphone Broadcast Boom Arm with Internal Springs, Desktop Clamp and Built-in Cable Management for Recording, Gaming, Streaming, Podcasting - Black

I originally purchased the Rode PSA1 Swivel Mount Studio Microphone Boom Arm in 2012 and used it with my Blue Yeti microphone. It was very reliable. Earlier this year I was looking for a new boom arm and saw this and decided to try it out. Here is my comparison of both products. I am using the Blue shock mount and a pop filter in addition to my Blue Yeti microphone.InstallationInstallation for both products is very easy and quick in that you just clamp it to the edge of your desk. Between the two I would judge the base of the Blue boom arm to sturdier than the Rode. You screw in the shock mount on end of the boom arm, screw in the Blue Yeti into the shock mount and the clamp the pop filter to edge of the shock mount and twist it until it is in front of the microphone. I was able to attach the Rode boom arm to the back side of my desk so it will be out of the way when not in use. I was not able to do that with the Blue boom arm because I just could not get it to adjust to being in the right position when recording so I had to attach it to the side of my desk. This means it will get in my way when not in use as I move things around on my desk.Overall for installation Rode wins because it is not in the way when not in use.Adjusting PlacementFor Rode, you just grab it and move it where you need to have the mic placed for recording. Once you get it placed you have to let go and hope that it does not automatically start to retract due to the weight. Sometimes I have to position it, wait for it to rise, reposition it and wait for it to rise and reposition it until eventually, it stays in place. For Blue boom arm, it has three joints that you can rotate to move the mic into position. They all have a knob that you twist to loosen for it to move and when you have mic positioned then you twist it to lock it in place. Adjusting these knobs can be a challenge. But once you have the mic in place it will not move. I do 4 hours of podcast recording every Sunday and it stays in place the whole time.Overall for quickly positioning the Rode wins but you have to fidget with it. If you want the positioning to be permanent and stay there then the Blue wins by a wide margin.Cable OrganizationThe Rode boom arm comes with some velcro straps that you can use to gather cables and then put the velcro strap over the boom arm. You get two straps to attach the cable on both halves of the boom arm. Blue, on the other hand, includes a slot built into the boom itself for the cables. Since it is built into the boom itself the cables are completely hidden from view. If you are on air when recording this is an extremely nice feature because the cables do not distract from your image on the screen. For Rode, the cables are very visible on the screen.Overall Blue wins this hands downOverall User ExperienceI had my original Rode boom arm for 5 years. Eventually, it got to the point where it sagged from the weight and I had to purchase a second one in 2017. I have had the Blue arm for less than half a year. I was satisfied with the Rode arm so much that when I needed to replace it I purchased it again and didn't even bother comparing any other product. When I started a new podcast as well as recording training videos I decided to get a new setup so it was consistent in color. (My original Blue yeti mic was silver and shockmount was black). I got a new black Yeti mic, black shock mount and realized they made a boom stand. After reading the reviews I decided to invest in it. I have been beyond pleased with this setup compared to the Rode. Knowing everything that I know now if I had to start over again I would purchase the Blue boom arm over the Rode hands down.

Okay. When you receive this product, go to YouTube and find the video of the guy that tells you how to set this puppy up (TITLED: How to tighten the Blue Compass Boom Arm with ease), because this boom does NOT come with any helpful instructions AT ALL.It was absolutely confusing and I could see why people complained about this boom not staying put or lifting/moving. If you don't set it up correctly (and how could you when there are no instructions), it will absolutely do ALL these things.Now... It WILL feel like it's fighting you the whole damn way... But stick with it. Once you put your microphone on, it will stay put. My boom holds my Yeti up perfectly. It's oh so sturdy. Not like those coil arms that will weaken with time. This is heavy duty stuff. So sleek and professional looking. Worth every penny.

I've owned this arm for almost three years now.PROS1. Looks great.2. Smartly designed cable management channel works very well!3. Silent! Great for if you need to make small adjustments and don't want it to get picked up on mic (and you will need to make tons of adjustments).CONS1. Fails in its primary task: Holding your microphone up.2. Incredibly difficult to tighten.3. Is not sturdy enough to hold to one position, requiring LOTS of micro-adjustments.I've owned this microphone arm for a very long time, and since the beginning it has more or less failed to work adequately, but it has only gotten worse as time has gone on. It used to be that it would sag about an inch after adjusting it, but would "settle" into place, so you could adjust it slightly too high and let it slowly sag into a position you actually found workable. Not a good time, but I could live with it. In order to get it to even lock into position this way you'd have to break your fingers trying to tighten it into place, because the "hand tightened friction hinges" as they call them are very uncomfortable to tighten down, and you'll have to tighten them 3x further than you'd expect to get them to function. There's a screw on the underside that you can adjust, but it is imprecise to say the least and does not seem to make much of a difference past a certain point.I've used this mic with a Blue Yeti, an Audio Technica AT-2035, and a Shure SM7b, and it fails to hold any of them up adequately unless you leave the first joint sticking straight up. I've heard other people say it's the middle joint that fails, but for me it's the longest/strongest one at the base of the arm. If I leave it sticking straight up, it will hold, but this position really only works for my Blue Yeti, and even then I don't find this useful for Streaming, maybe a podcast where you don't need to be on your computer much, but having a huge mic like a Yeti coming in from over the top of my head blocks all view to my monitors and is a pain. With the Shure SM7b, this isn't even a workable position, so I need it to stretch out to come in below my mouth, and from this angle the leverage makes it impossible to stay in place.This has only gotten worse with time, and at this point despite the $100+ investment, I have to throw this mic arm in the trash because it won't hold up my microphone at all anymore, and no matter how hard a tighten it down, it will immediately sag until it drops onto my tabletop. Completely useless to me.It's a beautiful mic arm and is very tempting to buy, but pass on this one.