Topic: Windscreens. Go big or go small?

[StarkRavingCalm]

Are there any 'rules of thumb' when it comes to windscreens?

I am running CK6x's and currently have WindTech 1212 windscreens.
But I always see people with much larger windscreens than mine.


What do most people run for these or similar sized mics and why?

[Gordon]

outside I only use the big ass shures.  I use the dpa's inside. I've gotten wind noise with the dpa's even when it wasn't very windy so they shures are all I use now. dead rats/muppets over dpa's should be enough most of the time but I don't have any. big screens do cut some frequencies. I've wondered if the dpa's with rats is as effective as the shures without cutting frequencies. I asked in tims "dead muppets" thread but never got an answer.

[vanark]

Run the Shures outdoors always, mostly with rats. Small windtechs indoors. I'm with Gordan.

[Gutbucket]

Size of the microphone doesn't matter.
Wind strength does (obviously) and polar pattern does- the more directional the mic is, the more susceptible it will be to wind noise.

Big foam works better than small.  Fur works better than no fur.
You can often get away with smaller foam screens combined with fur, or bigger foam screens like the big ass Shures without fur.
For recording hurricanes, tornados or at high speed, better use both, or a serious fur covered blimp housing!

[DigiGal]

outside I only use the big ass shures.  I use the dpa's inside. I've gotten wind noise with the dpa's even when it wasn't very windy so they shures are all I use now. dead rats/muppets over dpa's should be enough most of the time but I don't have any. big screens do cut some frequencies. I've wondered if the dpa's with rats is as effective as the shures without cutting frequencies. I asked in tims "dead muppets" thread but never got an answer.

I can answer this from experience, NO adding dead muppets to the DPA's is not as effective as BAS's. I'll only use DPA's indoors after getting hit with wind noise using them outdoors with muppets.

BAS's with muppets are what I run now, you never know when a breeze can sneak up on you and good luck trying to remove wind noise once it's recorded. A pair of them with muppets fits nicely in the portabrace zip pouch with clear window so taking them along for outdoor use is just a matter of attaching the pouch to an equipment strap before leaving.

[Gutbucket]

Big screens and fur supposedly effect the polar pattern, but not significantly enough to matter in my experience.  The high-frequency cut from using bigger windscreens and/or fur does matter however and is easily noticeable, but is more or less completely reversible with the appropriate EQ correction.  Wind noise is not.  Wind noise sucks.

[stevetoney]

The high-frequency cut from using bigger windscreens and/or fur does matter however and is easily noticeable, but is more or less completely reversible with the appropriate EQ correction.

This is one of the reasons I think people that don't EQ because 'it's not what we heard at the show' are a little bit off with their logic. 

There are two other reasons I like bigger screens with fur that don't have to do with wind protection;

1) They offer some protection/shock absorption of the mic ends/capsules in case your stand tumbles.  If you tape enough, your stand will tumble no matter how well you stake it or tape it down.  A taped stand is no match for an overly drunk patron.

2) They act as a slight moisture buffer in case it starts to drizzle.  I don't rely on this, but sometimes when I'm outside and I'm lazy about putting my umbrella on a my stand, the rain catches me off guard before I can get my umbrella up.

[voltronic]

I use TBrown's muppets over the small stock foam screens with my CM3s.  That combination has worked great for me, even at some very windy marching band shows.  My only problem is that these mics are so small (77mm) that it's hard to push even the stock foam all the way on when they're mounted.  The BAS screens are totally out of the question for these.  This is one of the reasons I built my DIY mounts using Rycote lyres - I needed them to be even shorter than the INV-6.  On occasion, I've had the screens blow off in a stiff wind - I'm thinking of just putting an elastic hair band around them to keep them in place in the future.

The other option I'm considering is to trim about a half inch or so off of the bottom of of the stock foam screens so they aren't interfered with by the mounts, and then have Tim make me an equally shorter set of muppets.  As it is right now, the screens extend quite far back from the side vents on the mics - far more than they need to, I think.  I also plan to switch to using omnis for my marching band recordings this year, so that will be even less of a concern.  The stock screens are almost exactly like these:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/850366-REG/auray_whf_2040_hh_foam_20mm_1_dia_40mm_1_6.html

[Gutbucket]

As long as you have enough length to push it on, you can use a BAS over a small foam.  I've done that with even smaller mics.  The small foam fills the gap so the BAS stays on snugly enough.

Few more tips-

Make sure the screens are covering both the front and side vents equally, with about the same amount of foam/fur over each.

I saturate mine with silicone water repellent once or twice a year (let them dry out thoroughly before using them), which doesn't substitute for an umbrella, but provides some degree of water repellency, keeps them cleaner, and also prevents them from becoming saturated if they get splashed, fall in a puddle or whatever.

[stevetoney]

Make sure the screens are covering both the front and side vents equally, with about the same amount of foam/fur over each.

I still have a pair of DPAs with fur covering them that I haven't used in a long time, but the fur doesn't close down tightly onto the back of the DPA screens.  I don't use them now that I have better screens because I had some wind noise seepage one day at a festival a few years back where there were pretty good gusts coming from the rear.

[flipp]

The only real rule of thumb is to use a windscreen that has sufficient wind taming capabilities to prevent wind rumble on your recordings. The windtechs are usually fine for indoors - unless you are under a ceiling fan or near a HVAC duct.  DPA-0896s maybe fine outdoors in a light-moderate breeze but they would be better with some fur over them. Bare DPAs are no match for the Shure A81WSs in a strong breeze or with gusts over 25. Had four identical mics, one set with DPAs and the other set with the BASs and the DPA set suffered from rumbling when the gusts were over 25 whereas the BASs were good to over 35 (note wind speeds are my guestimated velocity). I then retired the DPAs for indoor use in venues where I know the HVAC is problematic (read unavoidable).

   

Big screens and fur supposedly effect the polar pattern, but not significantly enough to matter in my experience.  The high-frequency cut from using bigger windscreens and/or fur does matter however and is easily noticeable, but is more or less completely reversible with the appropriate EQ correction.  Wind noise is not.  Wind noise sucks.

Somewhat tangential, has anyone compared the BAShures to the Rycote softies?

[stevetoney]

Somewhat tangential, has anyone compared the BAShures to the Rycote softies?

I have both...I'll do a test and post the results.

[StarkRavingCalm]

Thanks everyone.

So am I hearing DPA indoors (or small windtechs).
BAS with deadrats outdoors?


Can someone recommend a model of both the DPAs and BASs?

[Gutbucket]

See flipp's post above:

DPA-0896
Shure-A81WS

[DigiGal]

See flipp's post above:

DPA-0896
Shure-A81WS

^^ Yes these, however, alternatively Rycote "Softies" are also an excellent solution if you are starting from nothing.  I use a "Classic Softie" on my Ikegami MC-11 short shotgun for video, there were issues with some of the Super Softies at the time so I passed on them per thread link below.  I'd like to pick up Rycote "Windjammers" to replace the muppets for my BAS's but haven't determined which size is best for these.  I've got one of the Rycote Windjammers on the windscreen for my VP-88 and like it better than the muppets.

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=171449.0

[StarkRavingCalm]

So is using the BAS and dead rats\muppets overkill or does their combination really make a difference?

Also, I find this to be a concern as i generally don't EQ anything in post (partially cause I suck at it).
Is there any way to negate the high frequency cutover without incurring wind noise?

The high-frequency cut from using bigger windscreens and/or fur does matter however and is easily noticeable, but is more or less completely reversible with the appropriate EQ correction.

[goodcooker]

there were pretty good gusts coming from the rear.

Don't eat that festival food, dude....

[acidjack]

So is using the BAS and dead rats\muppets overkill or does their combination really make a difference?

Also, I find this to be a concern as i generally don't EQ anything in post (partially cause I suck at it).
Is there any way to negate the high frequency cutover without incurring wind noise?

The high-frequency cut from using bigger windscreens and/or fur does matter however and is easily noticeable, but is more or less completely reversible with the appropriate EQ correction.

I think rats + big ass shures is overkill other than in the most extreme situations.

FWIW, all "rats" are not created equal, either... Just because you see some fur doesn't mean it's actually effective.

There's no way to get around the HF cut -- even more transparent windscreens like Schoeps B5D do it to a degree. EQing for it isn't that hard. As a general rule of thumb, adding back +2dB somewhere between 7-8kHz on up does the trick -- but you can also listen and tell for yourself.

Indoors I run without screens sometimes, though you have to REALLY know the venue and its HVAC and be sure it's a louder show....

[Gutbucket]

ajack covered it well, while I was typing..

The high-frequency cut from using bigger windscreens and/or fur does matter however and is easily noticeable, but is more or less completely reversible with the appropriate EQ correction.

So is using the BAS and dead rats\muppets overkill or does their combination really make a difference?

Also, I find this to be a concern as i generally don't EQ anything in post (partially cause I suck at it).
Is there any way to negate the high frequency cutover without incurring wind noise?

In that case I wouldn't suggest using both together unless you really need to.

Bright sounding mics can compensate somewhat. Fatter screens and dense fur roll off more top end than small screens.  It's not difficult to EQ, a shelf filter somewhere up around 10Khz is probably all that's needed.  For the exact frequency point and gain, adjust by ear, or if you don't trust your playback system or your ear in an absolute sense, adjust until it sounds about the same as a similar recording of yours which you like the sound of that was made without the fat screens.

[Fried Chicken Boy]

I can answer this from experience, NO adding dead muppets to the DPA's [0896] is not as effective as BAS's [A81WS]. I'll only use DPA's indoors after getting hit with wind noise using them outdoors with muppets.

I concur with DigiGal on this.  For some time I used the DPA 0896 screens with Tim's "Dead Muppets" outdoors and the combo appeared to work well against wind noise.  The problem that arose, and this is not a knock on Tim as he makes a good product at a great price, is that the fur on the "Muppets" eventually lost their effectiveness as they got a little matted and stiff due to exposure to the elements, age, etc, and no amount of cleaning and combing brought them back to their original effectiveness.  I believe the Rycote solution to this in their Windjammers and Softies is to use a proprietary fur that's supple and less prone to matting, but as a result you will pay a premium for it. 

Now that I'm using the BAS's there's no question, to me, that they work a little better than the DPA/Muppet combo.  The drawback is that the BAS's do seem to attenuate some of the higher frequencies while the DPA's are slightly more transparent; a trade-off for wind resistance. 

Somewhat tangential, has anyone compared the BAShures to the Rycote softies?

That's the million-dollar question and I've posed it myself in other threads.  Having never used Rycote's Classic Softies or Windjammers, I'm definitely interested to see how they stack up against the BAS's in handling wind and how the high-frequency attenuation compares.  Very much looking forward to your comp, tonedeaf.

[dactylus]

Outdoor festies with wind on the radar.

 

[Gutbucket]

Any collective word on treating windscreens with water-repellent?

I've treated my BAS and other outdoor windscreens with water-repellent silicone spray intended for fabric in the past.  It doesn't make them heavy rain-proof, but light sprinkles bounce off and mist beads on the surface instead of soaking in, and if they do get damp they are easier to squeeze dry with a paper towel and don't remain wet.  I usually treat them and let them dry a day or so before use, just to avoid any potential problem of damp silicone somehow effecting the mic capsules.  Not sure if doing that is important or not, but better safe than sorry.

Probably a good idea for treating furries as well, and may possibly mitigate some tangling and matting in fur prone to that.

Ideally I'd like an improved all-weather BAS with a sonically transparent waterproof membrane under a surface layer of thin hydrophobic foam or short fuzz.  The outer layer serving to damp the impact of raindrops like the old towel atop the umbrella technique.

[voltronic]

Sounds like a cool idea, bit could be tricky.  The first thing that comes to mind is a material like Gore-Tex, which is waterproof but gas-permeable.  That doesn't mean it's acoustically transparent though. 

What about something that just shields the top, like the Rycote Duck rain shield, but cheaper and satisfying your DIY tendencies?   I'd be all in.

[Gutbucket]

I'd much prefer the water barrier (and raindrop thump-noise mitigation layer) combined in the windscreen itself, rather than a separate add on thing- roof shingle, cocktail umbrella or whatever.   That way it's always ready, even used in pretty much any orientation, without any additional setup.  No worries if the weather turns mid-set.  The outer fabric of the Rycote Super Softy may be sort of along those lines.

[voltronic]

Yeah, I don't like the idea of a separate piece to pack / forget / lose either.  Maybe instead of an outright liquid barrier, the coating just needs to be extremely hydrophobic so it sheds moisture immediately, not even having the chance to soak in.  It sounds like you're doing that already with silicone spray, but you're looking for something that performs better / faster.  Maybe this would work: http://www.neverwet.com/

I think the Super Softie (or better yet the much cheaper Movo clone) is going to be better candidate for this type of thing than the BAS screens because of the type of foam and the fabric coating. 

I'm not too far away from DuPont HQ - maybe the wizards down there have something that fits the bill.

[Gutbucket]

Wow.  Might give that stuff a try.  Yeah I'm sure the DuPont chem jockeys have something along those lines, they probably developed that stuff. 

[acidjack]

I'd add that the most effective I've found yet was actually a cheaper solution -- the Movi fur windscreens. Put more specifically, I was outdoors, on a stand, with an umbrella. Winds and rain were so high that I had to physically hold the stand to keep it from flying over. There's no wind noise on the recording. There is some HF cut... again an unavoidable side effect of running furry or giant windscreens.

[voltronic]

I'd add that the most effective I've found yet was actually a cheaper solution -- the Movi fur windscreens. Put more specifically, I was outdoors, on a stand, with an umbrella. Winds and rain were so high that I had to physically hold the stand to keep it from flying over. There's no wind noise on the recording. There is some HF cut... again an unavoidable side effect of running furry or giant windscreens.

Are these the ones you have?  I've heard great things about them.

Here are their Super Softie clones.  I'm thinking of getting a set, but I'm wondering if others can share exactly what the benefits of the actual Super Softie is over the regular furry Softie.  Bean has a set but I don't think he's used them much yet.

What I using right now is the Rode WS8, and they worked extremely well for me last marching band season, even in high wind gusts on top of a stadium press box.  (The poor colorguard members!)  They have the "springy" type of plasticy open-cell foam under the fur layer, and a rubber ring to seal against the mic body.  Zero shedding from the fur also.

[dactylus]

The NeverWet link looks very intriguing. 

It would be interesting to sonically compare a treated vs non-treated windscreen in dry and wet conditions to hear the effect, if any, of the NeverWet solution on the transparency of the windscreen.

[Fried Chicken Boy]

Here are their Super Softie clones.  I'm thinking of getting a set, but I'm wondering if others can share exactly what the benefits of the actual Super Softie is over the regular furry Softie.  Bean has a set but I don't think he's used them much yet.

Additionally, I would want to know if Movo's Super Softie clone is based on the earlier "defective" Rycote model or the updated/fixed version?  DigiGal's post in this thread from last July (#14) makes mention of it and Rycote's admission of a defect.  Link to other thread > http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=171449.0

As for the regular Movo furry, the model/size would depend on the size and model of mic that it would be for.  In conversations with acidjack, he steered me toward the Movo WS50 3cm model for my Milab VM-44 Links (which are "active" sized; he generally uses Schoeps actives) and the fit is perfect.  My first outdoor concert with them isn't until later this month so I won't know how well they work until then.  I'd think that the WS80 6cm model you linked to, Volt, might be a better fit on larger or full-bodied SDCs. 

On an interesting side note, the 3cm size furry is unique to Movo; to the best of my knowledge, the smallest Classic Softie that Rycote makes is the 5cm (similar to Movo's 6cm). 

[Sebastian]

Additionally, I would want to know if Movo's Super Softie clone is based on the earlier "defective" Rycote model or the updated/fixed version?

I have the Movo Super Softie clones. How do I check?

[Fried Chicken Boy]

^  Looking at the videos DigiGal posted in the other thread (which I highly suggest watching), it appears that Rycote changed the shape of the Super Softie a bit when they updated it.  That said, I'd think the only real way to know whether or not the Movo clone is effective is to get it out in the field on a windy day and see what your recordings sound like. 

[Sebastian]

I've only ever tried blowing some wind onto them (totally unscientific test). Unsurprisingly, they worked considerably better that the Schoeps B5 screens, but I was able to make the wind audible when blowing stronger. However, as I don't have any reference screens (e.g. Rycore Classic Softies), this test is probably worthless.

[dactylus]

I picked up a couple pair of the MOVO fur and no/fur screens for use on my 4021s.  I have the big DPA screens w/rats but these could work as tweeners.  My BAS don't play nice w/the 4021s.

What size Movo's did you get in the furred and non-furred screens for your 4021's?  Do you have them in hand yet?

[capnhook]

Another vote for thw WS80's....

[dactylus]

The ones they were talking about in the thread... The WST50 is the Ballistic one and the WS80 is the fur.  I like the coupling mechanism and the fur seems more uniformly groomed than the rats I made.  I'm hoping that with the mesh under-structure that they'll perform just as well as the DPA w/rats.  We'll see.  The ballistic ones I picked up just to see  how much they'd take. That and they'll work on other bodies I have.

Thanks.  I've been looking at both of the Movo's discussed and ordered a 6cm pair of the WS80's.

[voltronic]

The ones they were talking about in the thread... The WST50 is the Ballistic one and the WS80 is the fur.  I like the coupling mechanism and the fur seems more uniformly groomed than the rats I made.  I'm hoping that with the mesh under-structure that they'll perform just as well as the DPA w/rats.  We'll see.  The ballistic ones I picked up just to see  how much they'd take. That and they'll work on other bodies I have.

Very curious to hear your impressions of the two styles of Movo's, especially the ballistic ones.

For those with short mics and especially actives I think the 3cm version of these is definitely the way to go, based on the Rode WS8 that I use with my CM3s and X-Qs, which are the perfect length - they cover the capsule and back vents easily, but are short enough that they fit properly when the mics are mounted in their shocks.

The WS8 states that it supports mics of up to 27mm capsule depth.  The 3cm version of the the "furry" Movo (WS50) says it is for mics up to 3cm long.  For reference, the CM3 is 77mm long and the X-Q is 51mm.

[Gutbucket]

Neverwet worked superbly at Wanee, keeping it from raining pretty much the entire fest!  I did put an umbrella up the first couple days when the skies looked threatening and there was heavy rain potential.  But I didn't worry not putting one up at all on Saturday when the day started iffy-grey but cleared up nicely.  So not much of a rain test, but on brief headphone listening and listening in-car for the 6hr drive home yesterday, I heard no additional high frequency cut over the normal amount from the big foam screens. 

I'll listen more closely at home over the next few days.. and also listen for wind-noise as it was quite gusty  Friday and Saturday, significantly rocking most other mic stands around.

Besides the windscreens I also sprayed my hiking boots and a felt hat.  Again, no real water test of note for these things, but the boots stayed much cleaner than they normally do.  Having applied it about a week ago and undergone the rigors of a weekend festival, I may splash some water on all these things now that I'm back home to check how well it works at this point.

When I picked up the NeverWet outdoor fabric spray for the windscreens at Lowes, I also picked up the version intended  for glass only.  That stuff did a great job on the glass, headlights and front chrome of the car during the trip up and back.  I encountered very, very, very, heavy rain on the drive up, basically driving directly through the "big purple blob" and really didn't even need to use the wipers.  Also a few clouds of bugs.  The bugs would still stick to the windscreen, but a few moments of wipers plus a few sprays of water from the windshield sprayer removed them mostly.

Once there, the parked car windows stayed clean and clear all weekend instead of becoming completely coated in yellow pollen from the live oak tree canopy under which we were camping.  Seemed to work significantly better than Rain-X initially, but not yet sure how long the treatment will last before it needs reapplying.

[Fried Chicken Boy]

^ Thanks for the follow up on the Neverwet, GB.  What windscreens did you use that stuff on?  Big-Ass Shures, Softies, etc?

[Gutbucket]

Only on foam windscreens so far-

2 Big-Ass Shures
2 triple layered nested screens (hair curler foam nested inside Audix foam nested inside ball-mic foam)
2 small omni foams

I'll be listening to determine how well the triple layer nested foams damped the windnoise compared to the BAS.  I used DPA 4098 hypers in both, but the BAS's also covered Naiant X-8S fig-8s.  The triple nested screens are not as large as the BAS.  If they don't do the job well enough in terms of wind-noise-damping, I'll pair back to one or two layers of foam and substitute a fur outer-layer, with the fur treated with NeverWet.


In the rain I'd still not trust my Gefells or other valuable mics susceptible to moisture damage to the NeverWet treated screens alone without an umbrella, but it should serve as a good measure of extra protection for valuable mics in that roll.

[voltronic]

2 triple layered nested screens (hair curler foam nested inside Audix foam nested inside ball-mic foam)

We need another windscreen nickname to go with the Big Ass Shures.  I propose we call your triple-layer foam setup Turduckens.

[Gutbucket]

We need another windscreen nickname to go with the Big Ass Shures.  I propose we call your triple-layer foam setup Turduckens.

Ha ha.  Cooking up crispy yet warm recordings to satisfy your appetite that you can sink your teeth into.  Mmmm.

If used over Nevatons, perhaps calling them "Russian doll screens" would be most appropriate.

[dactylus]

^^^^^
Lee thanks for the NeverWet followup report! 

[Gutbucket]

Since it wasn't much of a real-world of the Neverwet last weekend, I splashed some water on one of the big Shures when I unpacked the rig and put it away.   Most of it just ran off or remained beaded on the surface of the foam, some heavy drops which impacted more heavily on the top surface "sunk in" a bit more instead of beading fully, but did not spread out or soak in deeply.  The texture of the foam surface sort of retains some of the droplets in place as long as the surface is horizontal enough to hold them, even though they are highly beaded.  I left the windscreen sitting like that overnight.  The droplets remained beaded on the upper surface for ~4 hours until I went to bed, and had fully evaporated by morning with no detectable trace of moisture in the foam.

If trying to completely avoid use of an umbrella in rain, it would work best if the windscreen itself was sharply peaked on top like a snow roof so the water would run off more easily without some of the beaded droplets sitting there or pounding into the upper surface of the windscreen.  A less textured surface material on the windscreen might do the trick as well, such as treating the fabric outer layer of the Super Softies or a similar fabric covered screen.

I'll do a more thorough test maybe this weekend, placing the BAS under a more sustained rain simulation until the screen is more saturated on the upper surface, to determine how well Neverwet reduces moisture movement within the foam.  Even with the outer upper surface saturated, I'm thinking it may slow or prevent moisture from migrating easily through the foam itself, and making its way to the core of the windscreen where the mic lives.

In any case, it seems well suited for keeping the windscreens moisture free in humid, foggy, or light misty conditions at the very least.  I'm happy with the $14 expenditure for those aspects alone.  It's the mechanical force of rain pounding the screen which probably still calls for an umbrella.

[if_then_else]

If trying to completely avoid use of an umbrella in rain, it would work best if the windscreen itself was sharply peaked on top like a snow roof so the water would run off more easily without some of the beaded droplets sitting there or pounding into the upper surface of the windscreen.  A less textured surface material on the windscreen might do the trick as well, such as treating the fabric outer layer of the Super Softies or a similar fabric covered screen.

You could use 10-PPI / coarse PUR material from your local hardware store. That's the same sort of material that some commercial products like the Rycote "Duck" or the Reinhardt "Rain Hat" are made of. It's cheap, sonically transparent and will disperse raindrops

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=173173.15.

[Gutbucket]

Interesting.  Thanks for the tip, I'll look into that.

[if_then_else]

Interesting.  Thanks for the tip, I'll look into that.

Here are some more pics of the Reinhardt "Rain Hat". As I wrote, the material of the upper layer appears to be 10-PPI / coarse PUR (that's the sort of open-cell foam that's used in catalytic converters). Its purpose is to disperse the raindrops. On the bottom side there's a thin layer of what appears to by high-density polyethylene (the same variety that's used to protect new TV screens or printers from scratches and humidity). That (water-repellant) layer  is intended to channel the water that might manage to percolate through the coarse PUR. Make sure that there's at least 5 cm of excess length at either end of the rain hat in order to prevent the water from running along the bottom side of the foam.

[dactylus]

^
Thanks for the info if_then_else.

[lsd2525]

I'm about to pull the trigger. Anyone know any cheaper place than B&H for some BAS's?

[goodcooker]

With summer outdoor taping opportunities approaching I picked up a pair of the Movo WST50s for my AKG active setup. I like the fit and construction especially for the price.

http://www.amazon.com/Movo-Professional-Windscreen-Technology-Microphones/dp/B00YHTUCQM

I have one concern now that I have them on the mics. My AKG CK1X capsules are the kind with the cone shape back end that contains the LEMO jack. If I pull the screen up onto the mic so that the rubber base seals up against the sides of the capsules this only leaves a 1-2 cm space between the back of the vents and the surface of the rubber base. It also leaves a bit of an air gap at the front of the mic which could only be good. My fear is that the 4 inch round rubber base being so close to the vents would create reflections.

Only way to find out is to get out and use them so I'll report back later. I guess anything is better than getting wind noise ruining a recording.

In the past I've used the little stock AKG screens indoors just to have some just-in-case type protection. I've used DPAs indoors and in light gusts with success. Fail on gustier occasions. The Shure 81s never let me down but once they blew off some AK43s in a strong breeze. Since my current active caps are even smaller in diameter than the AKs I wanted some other solution, maybe something more compact as well.

[jbell]

I still prefer my DPA windscreen with Windcutter storm chaser furs over them.   Smaller footprint than the shures and equally as effective.  I don't believe Windcutter are making dead rats anymore. 

[Fried Chicken Boy]

^  Windcutter has a good reputation and I had always wanted to try some of their products.  Unfortunately, the company suspended operations about a year ago due to a "sudden and unexpected loss" and nothing has changed since then. > http://www.thewindcutter.com/  Really a shame. 

[Gutbucket]

http://www.amazon.com/Movo-Professional-Windscreen-Technology-Microphones/dp/B00YHTUCQM

I have one concern now that I have them on the mics. My AKG CK1X capsules are the kind with the cone shape back end that contains the LEMO jack. If I pull the screen up onto the mic so that the rubber base seals up against the sides of the capsules this only leaves a 1-2 cm space between the back of the vents and the surface of the rubber base. It also leaves a bit of an air gap at the front of the mic which could only be good. My fear is that the 4 inch round rubber base being so close to the vents would create reflections.

I've wondered the same about the placement of that relatively large rubber disk in such close proximity.

And unfortunate to hear the Windcutter has yet to resume operations.  I was just about to try out some of their fuzzies last year when they closed shop.