Final answer:
The major advantage of a fishpole boom microphone is its enhanced directional control, which can lead to improved sound quality and reduced background noise by allowing precise microphone placement without inherently increasing the range.
Step-by-step explanation:
A major advantage of using a fishpole boom microphone is its enhanced directional control. Unlike panoramic microphones, which are used to capture sound from a wide area like a stage, a fishpole boom microphone can be positioned and directed at a specific source. This allows the audio engineer to capture sound from a targeted speaker or performer, which in turn can lead to improved sound quality and reduced background noise. The positioning of the microphone can be especially critical in film and television production where the microphone needs to be out of the camera frame yet close enough to capture clear audio from the actors.
Regarding the options presented in your question, while a fishpole boom microphone can also potentially improve sound quality and reduce background noise as by-products of its precise placement, the primary advantage is really the directional control it offers. A fishpole boom doesn't inherently increase range; any increase in range would be a result of a quality microphone capsule and pre-amplifier, not the boom itself.