In today's post, we decided to find out why we need a wind protection for the microphone. In general, this accessory is designed to avoid whistling, distortion and other interference when recording sound.
Also, air flows affect the open microphone, which can lead to swirl. They are formed at the hard edges of the device entry hole. Swirls spoil the recording quality due to uncontrolled air flows. In addition, the wind protection does not allow whistling, wind, noise, drafts. However, the audio signal itself does not deteriorate from this and everything is recorded naturally.
What materials are most often used to make wind protection?
Fur. Fur wind protection allows to protect the recording device from the wind when recording in open spaces. Basically, artificial fur is used. The structure itself is created dense with a long pile that can hold static electricity. This function is necessary to ensure that the villi do not stick together. Why are villi important? Because they play an important role in getting rid of distortions. Fur wind protections are presented in two types. The first model is mounted on top of the standard foam protection, and the second is located directly on the microphone.
Foam rubber. The material is used in most cases. Foam wind protection is used to eliminate noise for microphones in rooms, studios. On the street, it is used less often, as the wind and drafts are removed with difficulty. There are acoustic pores inside the foam rubber that allow to record the sound as it is. The noise level is reduced to about 30 dB.
Wind protections are used for a large number of microphones. Among them: both vocal, and on-camera, and lapel mics, and microphones for the radio. However, there are devices that need wind protection the most.
Firstly, these are lapel mics. Wind protection removes street noises, but also sounds from the friction of the microphone on clothes. It is also impossible not to say that the wind shield protects against water ingress on the microphone. Journalists, bloggers, movie actors, presenters like to use lapels. People have to move a lot in different places and in any weather, so lapel mics help out. And wind protection helps to record sound and allows people in the frame not to worry about quality and efficiency.
Secondly, wind protections are more often used when working with condenser microphones. Condenser microphones have become indispensable assistants for working in studios, radio stations, and television. Wind shields allow the devices not to pick up unnecessary sounds that come from the studio. For example, the sounds of a working computer, sighs, vibrations.