Rode SM4-R Boompole & Stand Shock Mount, Dual Rycote Lyre Suspension

Rode SM4-R: Boom and Stand Isolation on the Rycote Lyre

The Rode SM4-R is a suspension shock mount for mounting shotgun and small-diaphragm microphones onto a boompole or stand, built around dual Rycote Lyre suspensions. It threads onto a pole or stand and floats the microphone in two Lyre cradles that absorb the handling shocks and vibration of boom work before they reach the capsule. For the sound recordist tracking dialogue on set or the studio capturing an instrument off a stand, the SM4-R is the mount that keeps the boom quiet.

Why the Rycote Lyre Suspension Wins on a Boompole

Boom operation is where handling noise is worst: every shift of the operator's grip and every flex of the pole conducts into a rigidly mounted mic. The Rycote Lyre answers this with a single molded piece of hard-wearing thermoplastic whose curved arms flex to absorb vibration, just as an elastic suspension does, but without bands that stretch, sag, or perish. The SM4-R uses two Lyres so a long shotgun is cradled front and rear and stays acoustically decoupled from the pole. The result is dialogue and location sound free of boom rumble, with isolation that performs identically on its first day and years later.

Pole and Stand Mounting with a Lockable Angle

The SM4-R terminates in a combined 3/8-inch and 5/8-inch thread, so it screws directly onto a boompole, a microphone stand, or a C-stand adapter without hunting for a thread converter. The stand mount is angle-adjustable and locks into position, letting you aim the microphone precisely at the source and trust it to stay there through a take. Four mounting points accommodate the different lengths of Rode's shotgun and small-diaphragm bodies, so a short M5 or a long NTG3 each balance correctly. An integrated cable clip runs the output cable neatly along the pole and relieves strain on the connector. It fits the NTG1, NTG2, NTG3, NTG4, and NTG4+, plus the M5, NT5, and NT55.

SM4-R or SM3-R: Which One You Need

The SM4-R and SM3-R share the same dual-Lyre cradle and fit the same Rode microphones, differing only in how they mount. The SM4-R ends in a 3/8-inch and 5/8-inch stand thread for a boompole, mic stand, or C-stand, making it the choice for boomed dialogue and off-stand capture. The SM3-R instead ends in a camera hot/cold shoe for mounting on top of a camera. If your mic rides a pole or stand, choose the SM4-R; if it rides the camera, choose the SM3-R.

Who the SM4-R Is For

This is the mount for the location sound recordist, boom operator, filmmaker, or studio engineer running a Rode shotgun or pencil condenser on a pole or stand who needs handling noise kept out of the recording. The Lyre suspension needs no maintenance, the lockable angle holds a precise aim, and the four-point system fits the whole Rode shotgun lineup. When the boom has to move but the audio has to stay clean, the SM4-R is the suspension that delivers.