Topic: Alternative to umbrella for omni split

[audBall]

Mike, from GD, emailed me back about the umbrellas he was using. They're called Popabrellas (model: POP100). Unfortunately, they don't appear to be in production any longer.

[seethreepo]

http://www.arphotovideo.com/pop100.html

claims to have stock ..

[audBall]

http://www.arphotovideo.com/pop100.html

claims to have stock ..

Yeah, I tried to place an order but it was immediately refunded.

[rocksuitcase]

Bringing this back as it is almost summer taping season (unless you're in the south where it already has been!)
We are thinking of running 4 or 6 mics spread out on the Manfrotto cross bar. We have at least one Gak/Ted umbrella and typically use a large golf umbrella to protect the gear (As well as plastic bags etc) anyone have any newer ideas for protecting 3 "stations" of mics which are on one stand? Or support an idea already in this thread? # small umbrellas, two overlapping, bueller or Ted?   
this link now claims they are in stock, but are pretty spendy: http://www.arphotovideo.com/pop100.html

Here is a snap of what we used indoors recently:

[Gutbucket]

I think I'm going to try treating my windscreens with the Neverwet super hydrophobic treatment Voltronic mentioned in the current windscreen thread- http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=174011.msg2183266#msg2183266  and see how well that works for my wide omnis which are never under an umbrella anyway (unless they just happen to end up under a neighboring tapers umbrella), and might try forgoing use of an umbrella over the directional mics to, depending on how severe the weather looks.

Caveats are that since I'm using the humidity and weather resistant miniature DPAs (see my post on the previous page about a 4061 pair working fine while completely submerged) I'm not concerned so much about protecting the mics, but rather attempting to maintain good sound.  I'm mostly looking for good water repellency to keep the foam windscreens dry, as it is most definitely audible when they saturate with water. I'm not yet sure if the 4098H hypers are quite as 'waterproof' due to their rear vents, but they are equally humidity resistant.

Forgoing the umbrella may lead to louder droplet impact noise (does with miniature foams, perhaps not with BAS), but I get noise from an umbrella directly over the mics anyway in any significant rain (can't be bothered to put a towel or something atop it to damp impact, which would get over saturated and heavy anyway - we preferably need hydrophobic fuzzy-hair surfaced umbrellas for this).

Recording gear remains wet-protected in a soft sided cooler bag sitting on a folding stool, with a thick black lawn garbage bag over it.  Taper stays dry with a large umbrella, river hat & poncho.  Chair and folding stool fit under a lawn garbage bag if left vacant.

[rocksuitcase]

I saw this neverwet suggestion by Voltronic. I will probably try to get some and treat our BAS screens this way. I am still looking for umbrella suggestions from anyone as we are using AKG 460 actives and 460 pre-amps with our summer mic design.

Also, We may be a bit "over conscious" of the rain situation as at Greyfox last year, the most torrential downpour I've ever recorded in occurred (this is almost 35 years doing this!)
Out of a beautiful Sunny day, some black clouds developed, then the wind got up to 25-30 MPH steady. then the rain came down sideways for almost 20 of the 30 minute storm. We were only there on day tickets, so didn't have all our usual rain protection and got caught with some temporary water damage, mainly connector ends which made us have to shut down and patch out of another set up.
I felt like a rookie! 

[Gutbucket]

Definitely want to keep those 460 caps and amp bodies as dry a possible.

[rocksuitcase]

Definitely want to keep those 460 caps and amp bodies as dry a possible.

It also turned out to be the deck connector end of the PFA's. They had water all inside of them. The big rookie mistake we made was to not loop the cables before they went into the XXL ziplock which was around our two gear bags. Kindms even had his rainflap over the LowePro 2000 but the water flowed into the bag because of my mistake in not looping the cable above the bag. In our defense, it was so hot and sunny at 1 PM when we set up, I didn't even anticipate the rain. The Catskills have nothing on red Rocks when it comes to Pop up rainstorms! This year, we will be prepared with more raingear (also because we are camping for four days!)

[Gutbucket]

Try FL for some crazy pop-out of nowhere rain squalls!

Yeah, I let the mic cables run slightly long, so they go straight down from the stand to a point lower than the bag before looping back up into the rain bag and gear bag.  That way any water runs down the cables and drips below the bag.  It also leaves enough cable slack to move the bag around as necessary, even out of the stool and into my lap if need be.

[rocksuitcase]

Thanks GB. Still asking for Umbrella recs from the crew!   

[Fried Chicken Boy]

Marking thread.  Interested to see how that Neverwet works out. 

[Gutbucket]

Just picked some Neverwet at Lowes about a couple hrs ago.  Treating windscreens tonight for use at Wanee next week.

The two umbrellas I have for use atop the mic stand are a black Frogg Toggs Travel-Lite which is very effective but rather large in diameter and the biggest I'd try to put up there (it sometimes also shelters another stand or two grouped beneath it, and/or clampers) and a quite small diameter early rainbow Gakbrella.  Last I saw JohnR about a year ago, he was using a small superhero franchise umbrella (Batman maybe?) which he said he'd seen and had been searching for for a while.  It worked really well as a mic stand umbrella, a bit larger than the Gakbrella, but pretty flat in profile instead of deeply dished more like the ones Mike Grace was using.  Not round viewed from above but sort of squarish cross-shaped.

[rocksuitcase]

Yeah, I ordered some Caig Deoxxit on your recommendation in another post. Figure to clean up some connectors before the season starts. Thanks for the rec!

Also thanks for listing the types of umbrellas you use. It turns out we have 2 Gakbrellas where I thought we had only one. so we just need to find another one for the center mics.
spomeone had recommended a drizzle stick above and I checked them out. a bit wide but may be good to cover all three mic 'stations'.

[Perry]

I found some Spiderman umbrellas in the kid's clothing department at Walmart. I cut off the grip and filled the hollow shaft with JB Weld so it won't get crushed when I tighten the Windtech clamp. The umbrella is 22" in diameter so two will fit a 30" split with no overlap. The umbrellas are only 7" deep so that helps reduce the wind load a bit. Let's see if I can figure out how to post a photo...

[F.O.Bean]

Yeah your options are something custom like the Grace Bar in those shots, or just using two stands and staking them down securely! I use those same Drizzle Stick golf bag umbrellas as the ones Tonedeaf uses, and they work GREAT for just small active setups[PERFECT for my 4 channel Schoeps setup], or should work great for a split omni pair on two stands! Just put [1] drizzle stick umbrella on each stand and stake them into the ground securely! If those aren't wide enough, I use Procella umbrellas that have a "Wind Vent/Double Canopy", so that the wind can go THROUGH the umbrella, rather than blow it around crazily! Once again, that stand has to be staked down very securely! I use Busy Beaver Heady Duty yard stakes that are like $6/each But if you pound or screw those into the ground, your stand isn't going ANYWHERE! And personally, that's the ONLY way I can comfortable tape at festies and outdoors without stressing out to the max You cant bend these fuc*%rs even if you tried, so its definitely worth the $36 to get [6] of those HD stakes from Busy Beaver You'll lose them before you ever need new ones!!!