Topic: windscreen / rycote

[todoke]

Hello Tapers,

I'm rather new to field recording and currently just have a Zoom H-1.
I was outside today and again I've had problems with wind.
Wind wasn't very strong, just enough to move the thin branches of trees a bit.

My windscreen is a DIY one made out of fake fur. It's covering everything and seals ok.
There's a big difference between it being attached or not, but it's still not shielding enough.

What's so special about the rycote system? is it the zeppelin shape or is there a special membrane and then only around everything comes the "fur"?
I wonder why my fur is so insufficient.

thanks for your suggestions!

[Gutbucket]

Trapped airspace is what is important.  Foam can do that as the thickness of the cellular structure itself traps air.  In a zepplin it's the airspace between the outer covering and the mic element, the shape isn't that important- it's is simply designed to fit the typical mic shape.

[Shadow_7]

Not all fake furs are created equal.  I have some rycote wind jammers for lavalier mics.  IMO, the fake fur I DIY'd does better.  But some of that was the closed cell windtech foam that I was using under the rycotes.  Ditching both of those and letting the fake fur float freely seems to be noticeably better IMO.  You want the dense, soft, and long haired fake fur IMO.  1"+.  I got 1/2" fur and layering it is the only compromise that works for me.  But it was the only thing available off the shelf at Hobby Lobby.  And I got the last square yard of it.  And it has to seal, any crease no matter how small will negate the whole.  Having some foam under the fur, it doesn't take a lot, can help to push the fake fur out and prevent said creases

You might try putting part of a womans nylon over the H1 before the fake fur and see if that helps.  Otherwise HPF, Low Cut, Bass Roll Off or whatever you want to call it can go a long ways to cut the noise, at a cost.  Also bear in mind that a wind screen is only half the battle.  If the wind turbulence of the device is great enough, it will shake the device (mics) and get recorded as rumble was well.  Which is where the blimp / zeppelin device comes into play.  They are a combination shock mount and wind screen.  And basically the best isolation that you can get (or make).  Part area of calm, part isolation from itself and the rigging.

You might try putting the H1 on a tripod and taking your hands off of it while recording.  It could be the 1Hz muscle impulse getting mechanically translated into the gear and ultimately the mics that is what you are perceiving as wind noise.  Although in general wind noise is much more substantial IMO.  Without a blimp, it's a fairly artful exploration to find what works for you.  For me I have 2x layers of fake fur and have to seal up the XLR connectors with electrical tape, plus shock mounts before I start to feel like I'm where I need to be.  Oddly taping up the connectors is almost as significant as the fake fur.  Plus the shock mounts allow me to touch the mic stand and stuff instead of operating in a strictly hands off configuration.  Not quite your configuration/need with the zoom, but food for thought.

[todoke]

thanks a lot for your replies, Shadow_7 and Gutbucket!

Luckily I found a thin piece of open cell foam in my flat, probably from a packaging.
I'll try and hear with this around the microphones (and then the fake fur). Womans nylon is also a good idea!

I guess at a point it won't be feasible any longer to build it in an easily removable way, but i'll hear the results and perhaps attach it all or just the foam so that it's fixed.

Regarding handling noise: It's truly horrible with the tiny and lightweight Zoom H-1! Don't know if other devices that lightweight perform better, but it's very hard to not introduce any handling noise when holding it in the hand. Therefore I'm most often using it with a small tripod (joby gorillapod), but i'll see if I can build something that doesn't completely obliterate the form factor and still blocks the transmission of handling noise so I can hold it in my hand.

[Gutbucket]

You might also look for a big foam windscreen that fits over the entire top of the recorder.  Cheap, easy & no mods required.  I don't use the internal mics much but I've done that with both my R-09s and DR2d previously.  A cheap no-name Sure SM58 style foam windscreen easily stretches to fit over the top of those small recorders and their interenal mics- I found packs of two at the dollar store.  Thicker foam is better if windy, as it traps more air.  If a simple foam screen works, it's a better solution than a blimp from both a cost and sound perspective.  Foam is isotropic, while blimps can cause internal sonic reflections.  Granted blimps have some advantages of their own, but not sound or cost.  If the foam screen you find isn't enough, sew up a fur coat to slip over top.

[Shadow_7]

I've been having decent success with some modded PVC hubs to use as shock mounts.  $1 - $5 each (~$1.50).  ~4" on the outside, and not all that thick so the 3"+ inside should fit an H1.  Some hair braids (goody ouchless) $3 - $7 for a pack of ungodly amount of ties (for a bad guy).   Various ways to cut the PVC in a way to drape the hair ties on.  But taking out the handling noise component is priceless.  You don't even realize how much noise that is, until it's just gone.  WOW.  It also helps with wind noise slightly.  Some blockage and some give when there's powerful gusts.  Finding various ways to rig up the hair ties is an artform, but so many options.  And so cheap (realtively) it's almost a no brainer.   Assuming that you already have the tools and parts needed.  (or access to them)

Hopefully I'll get around to the youtube clip about it soon.  All this recording gear and the thing that I want to record the least is myself.  Go figure...

[John Willett]

As has been said - it's the volume of trapped air that is the wind protection.

The Rycote windshields are very well researched, with a good understanding of the science.

You can't use any old foam or any old fur.  Foam has to be open-cell.

For the fur, the fibres are very important, both in size and length and how they are fitted to the backing.  You need the right combination to get maximum wind attenuation with minimum high-frequency loss..

Rycote seem to be the best at this as they use a consultant who fully understands the science and how to get it right and they do a lot of R&D and use customers to help beta-test before anything goes into production.