Let's find the best wind protection .

[Carlos E. Martinez]

<<<-- Originally posted by Bryan Beasleigh :
(From the sound room)Designed and manufactured by Craig Olsen of WindTech, these windscreens offer the ultimate in protection. Recommended for boom work, location film/tv sound, any outdoor application and even in the studio instead of a POP filter. Has an outer shell of 80 P.P.I. "SonicFoam"(tm) with an inner dead air space, then another layer of 30 P.P.I. "SonicFoam"(tm) surrounds the .75" mic sleeve. -->>>

Bryan,

Where did you get that information that there's an inner dead air space between the two foams? The Ultra Series windscreen seems to be just two different density foams, one inside the other. Using different density foams should work fine indeed.

In fact what should be used is as little foam or fabric as possible between your sound source and the microphone. This is one area where the less the better.

The secret for having an effective but also working windscreen, quality wise, is to have some clearing distance between the fabric/foam barrier and the mic membrane. The function of this barrier is to slow down the speed of the air, not changing the quality of the air rarefections that audio is made of.

The round "cages" used by Rycote, Schoeps and others are the best in achieving that. The best I have seen was probably a DIY job, even if being used for location audio on a 007 film. It was made of balsa wood sticks forming a large cage, with silk on the outside as windshield, and a 416 floating inside.

Carlos

[Bryan Beasleigh]

Carlos
My source was clearly posted. That was from the sound room and apparently taken off of Olson WindTech literature. The WindTech site is pretty sparse information wise but they have been at the game a long time.

I'm aware that the zeplin type enclosures with dead air space are the most effective. The worst high freq attenuation seems to be on the fake fur on foam products. The best results seem to be from the full or partial framed enclosure like the superscreen, windshield, baby ball and extended baby ball gag and mini screen. The minute you put the fur on the attenuation starts.

I'm waiting on some info on the baby ball and extended ball gag from my Canadian Dealer

[Matt Gettemeier]

Today I tried to call Crouse-Kimzey again. I tried my closest location which is the "Mid-America" choice from the www.proaudio.com site... Once again, no answer... just a machine. So I can't vouch for that location's pricing, but I did then call the Colorado branch and I spoke with Lee...

Lee was very kind and I asked him about the Windtech Ultra US-2 windscreens and explained to him that I was told they were $17.50 from Crouse-Kimzey... as told to me.

I think that was a special price that Dan was able to get. Don't expect that price.

Lee more or less laughed at me a bit... I laughed with him and said, "Well I was HOPING that was the price I'd get", and then I ordered two of those screens for $32 each.

He said that was definitely the best price he could do on those since that was already the lowest price in the country. Also I asked him about the "dead-air-space" and he said, "Yes, those are the ones..."... so hopefully this will all be cleared up by Friday.

Dan, did you get your screens in yet? Are they the ones with the airspace? If so then I think you may have found a close-out deal, but either way I tried to get a hold of the Mid-West branch for four days so I'll take 'em at $32 and be happy to have them.

[Dan Brown]

Matt: They are on-order and have not arrived yet. C-M had to order from Windtech, drop shipped to me. With shipping, the total was $45.31 for two US-2 screens, these are the dual-density foam units with the air space.

You could call C-M at 800-433-2105 (in Grand Prairie TX).

[Matt Gettemeier]

Damn! Shoulda' tried the main office! Oh well, I guess it's only an extra $20 to Lee for answering his phone!

As far as the phone comment I need to add that I never tried the TX number! I wish I had...

Either way thanks for the tip!

[Martin Garrison]

I'm awaiting a baby ball gag (who thought of that name) from Lentini in NY. They told me the manufacturer hasn't approved the unit for the MC012. It's a 20mm opening, so I said send it anyway. I'll let you know how it works out.

[Bryan Beasleigh]

Martin
How much was the baby ball gag. So far as the name, Rycote is in the UK, they can be a strange lot (I'm an expatriated limey so i can say that).

[Martin Garrison]

I paid $120 for the unit and $55 for the Windjammer.

[Dan Brown]

Well, the US-2's arrived today. They have an inner foam that is rather open and airy, and an outer foan that is very fine celled. There is an air space at the business end, between the foam. And, they are HUGE!!! I will mount one of my Oktavas in an AT8415 shock mount and put one of these US-2's on it tonight. I'm thinking the Oktava will be lost in there (snicker-snicker). It's kind of windy today, so I should be able to test the set-up's real world performance.

[Matt Gettemeier]

So what's the verdict on those US-2 windscreens Dan?

[Dan Brown]

It's been hectic around here, so I haven't done an outside windy condition test. I did compare the bare mic versus the RadioSack foam versus the US-2 for breath pop. The bare Oktave is ulta-sensitive to breath. With the RadioShack foam screen there is a big improvement, but breath rumble can be caused from 3-6" distance if you blow on the screen. With the US-2, the mic is virtually immune to breath. I was even talking with my lips on the screen, and there was no breath rumble. I could make it rumble if I blow firmly at the screen from an inch away, or so. I'll try to get ouside with it today and try it in windy conditions.

BTW, my Panny DV-852 with an AT8415 mount, Oktava, and US-2 mounded on the hot shoe, and with the Beachtec DXA-6 underneath looks pretty cool to me. There is almost no handling noise with this set-up.

I'm thinking that the US-2 will solve my outdoors shooting situations. If it's too windy for that, I'll just shoot on a calmer day.

[Martin Garrison]

The BBG came in today. It fits the oktava like a glove. I had to twist the mic back n' forth a little as I slid it through the rubber socket, but neither the mic or the BBG seemed to mind.

Much bigger than I thought. I guess that's the whole idea, creating a space of air around the capsule. With the capsule end right at the center of the basket there isn't much room left on the short mic to clip. The clip that ships works fine, the studio clip I had been using, not so much.

I haven't gotten it outside yet, but I would like to note that booming it inside much of what I thought was handling noise, was the mic moving in the air. I realize this because its gone.

I ran a test. I recorded a sweep (via my monitors) with the BBG off, on and with the windjammer on. I understand the inherent limitations in using my mediocre monitors as a source for a sweep, but I figured for a relative comparison it would work. The BBG on and off makes no noticeable difference to response. The windjammer does. But I don't think it would be noticeable on dialogue. The difference was only about 3db and only began to show over about 7000HZ.

When I have a chance to do some recording outside, I'll follow up.

Martin

[Matt Gettemeier]

Thanks Martin... there are a couple of us who followed suit in ordering Baby Ball Gags and I have been very curious as I anticipate their arrival... I'd love to know if I can in fact use an Oktava as a short shotgun outdoors. I'm hoping the BBG and Jammer will turn a Hyper Oktava into a little miracle.

You'll know before I will... so fill us in as the details come! So far so good.

[Douglas Spotted Eagle]

As an aside, ftp://ftp.hmmh.com/FTPOut/NPM/NoiseInParks/AppA.pdf
has an excellent study of an attempt to build a windscreen for various uses in intense situations.
I read a lot of "Pop bottle" type windscreen tutorials and while I've never heard a recording done this way, I have indeed heard recordings with fake fur not trimmed correctly, and the audio was pretty dull. Anyway, for those of the scientific mind, if you've not read this, you should read it.

[Carlos E. Martinez]

There was an article in "American Cinematographer", many years ago, on an Everest climbing.

The sound man used a foam on the MKH 416, which was inside a Rycote, which was covered by the windjammer. Apparently it worked fine on the high winds up there.


Carlos