Topic: Windscreen over Baskets

[Limit35]

I was wondering if there was any benefit or detriment of placing a screen over the basket compared just putting a screen over the capsule. I recently discovered I had some large screens that fit great on Nak style baskets. Being windy in Nevada and the Sierras I figured the basket+screen would help the cards and just keep the screen over the capsule on the omnis. Or, is this overkill and should I just make a new set of rats to cover the basket on these mics?

[F.O.Bean]

Well, I'm pretty sure that the basket screen is more meant for close speech use. I would DEFINITELY think that the basket + Screen combo would do great at keeping some extra wind out of the capsule area, vs just putting the screen over the capsule itself. That said, I've NEVER used the metal basket style screens, so I can't really say for sure which method is the best route?!?! I think you should setup a COMP if you have the screens to do it. Could be a fun little project one day.

Just setup your Nak's with the basket + Screen combo, and then just the capsule + screen combo on a nice but somewhat windy day and hit record Id guess that the basket + screen combo would be the better of the two routes! Also, if the basket + screen combo takes away too much HF, then you can always try JUST a windjammer fur-covered type of screen like a dead rat OVER the basket!

Let us know what you find out

[capnhook]

Or try out some MOVO WSTT50's on your NAKs.

I had been using dead rats, over foam, over baskets, but these new windscreens are lower profile, and inexpensive.

[Limit35]

Bean: I never thought of using the baskets until recently, I just kept them in a box. Now that that the wind picked up here again I will try it out this weekend and see how it works. Come to think of it, I have a dead rat I made for a 4033 that should cover the basket, I think a side by side is in order.

Hook: Those MOVOs are inexpensive, nice.  I agree on the profile, screen over baskets makes a large mic profile, given the original diameter.

[F.O.Bean]

I do agree with capnhook. I have the Movo WS80's (furry dead rat style screens) & Movo WST50's, and I prefer the all black WST50'S.

That said, I'd definitely do the comp with and without the basket and see which you prefer

[Gutbucket]

Foam or fur over the basket will increase wind protection.  The key to wind noise reduction is providing sufficient dead-airspace around the capsule without too much muffling material, so the combination of open space immediately surrounding the capsule by the basket, plus a sound-permeable but gust impermeable outer layer (foam, fur or both) can offer a high degree of protection with minimal muffling- that's the basis upon which the big Rycote windjammer "blimps" work, which are the gold standard for high-gust wind recording.

That said, the Movos are cheap and reportedly effective for most situations, so may end up being a better practical choice for many tapers.  And although they cost more than the Movo's, it's still hard to beat the good old dual-layer big ass Shure windscreens.

[tim in jersey]

I do agree with capnhook. I have the Movo WS80's (furry dead rat style screens) & Movo WST50's, and I prefer the all black WST50'S.

That said, I'd definitely do the comp with and without the basket and see which you prefer

2 questions, Bean:

1. why do you prefer the WST50s over the WS80s?
2. Is the WST50 comparable in size to the WS80s?

[billydee]

I use Dead Muppets over my plastic Nak baskets and they've been very effective in the half dozen or so times I've used them.

And I'll probably try them over the metal baskets that come with my Teac/Tascam Nak clones sometime this summer.

[Limit35]

Tested in the field: Nope, maybe.

There was a red flag warning for USANA and I brought the baskets and screens. The good news is I had very minimal wind noise, only in the quiet parts. However, the basket/windscreen combo seemed to have filtered out a lot of freqs over 3k. Which isn't really bad because I can correct it, it just means I need to learn how to correct it. The raw result was a really boring dead sound which I've never had to EQ so much. The drop off is also really evident, playing with EQ you can see where the freqs just get filtered out by up to 10db. I guess I may try again after getting an EQ preset, but buying better screens seems like a better option.

Note: This is in comparison in running a spread omni,xy setup. I don't need to EQ that setup much so the NOS Primo's with basket/screens situation was foreign to me.

[Limit35]

Actually, this is more of a "nope" idea in my opinion now. If it was a special event on a windy day with no other tapers around I would try it again maybe, but I don't like the process of EQing the screen filter. The amount of time commitment immediately puts that recording on the back burner for me anyways, will surely buy the WS-80s.