Small pop filter

[Dave Largent]

Wondering if anyone could point me to a pop
filter in the 1" to 2" range?
This is for use with a shotgun mic
being used for voice over. I figure a foam
windscreen would be effective, but
I think a real pop filter would
be more transparent.

[Douglas Spotted Eagle]

I've never seen one that small, and would be surprised if there was such an animal. You'd have no problem using a large/normal 5" or 6" sized one at all.

[Dave Largent]

I see they have the single screen models and the
double screen type. Are the ones with two
screens more effective? And what distance
should the filter be from the mic? Is it fine to
put the screen right up close to the mic?

[Ty Ford]

Hi Dave,

With regular studio condensers, the filter should be a couple of inches from the headgrille. With a shotgun, the capsule for all but one I've seen is about 3/4 down the pipe. Closer should be OK.

You may not need one at all. I use a foam pull on if I use one at all.

Regards,

Ty Ford

[John Sandel]

Dave, is there some technical reason you're using a shotgun for your VO? I ask because I have only a shotgun & may have to do the same thing.

Is there a downside to this setup you'd warn me about? Any tips from anybody on optimizing such a setup?

[Dave Largent]

John,
I plan on getting a side-address mic soon, but
a shotgun from a foot away is not that bad -- you
can get a nice proximity effect. (I had heard
somewhere that some pro voice-over guy kind of
kept it a secret but what he used was a shotgun
mic for his work and that's what gave me the
idea to try it out.)
One problem is that within a foot or so from
the mic, some speakers will breath-pop it.
Just today I was listening to a recording I made
with a shotgun and on P's and T's the woman
speaking popped the mic.
There is some info around the net about making
a homemade pop filter. One way was to stretch
woman's nylons/stockings over a coat hanger
or an "embroidery hoop". Another was to use one
of those metal splatter covers that they put over
sauces when cooking. Some guy just taped
the cover to a mic stand and placed it between the
speaker and the mic.
I'm considering cutting out a small piece of black nylons
and covering the end of the shotgun with a
layer or two of this and using gaffers tape
to tape it on there and see how that might
go. (Ty said that a close up pop filter might
work with a shotgun so perhaps this stocking idea
is worth trying.)

[Ty Ford]

Jeeze, yah put the shotgun 45 degrees (to either side of the mouth) and get it in about 3 inches and point it at the mouth. Do it all the time, unless I'm using someting else.

Ty

[Douglas Spotted Eagle]

Harlan Hogan has used a shotgun for years to do his V/O's for places like Culligan, McDonalds, Sears, KMart, The Bon, and other big name houses. In other words, all he does for a living is V/O. He's got a great new book out with VASST instructor Jeffrey P Fisher that goes deeply in to setting up a shotgun for V/O.
On the rare occasion I do V/O, I also use a shotgun, pretty much as Ty described it.

[Jeff Wagner]

I'm playing a bit with adding v/o during editing. All I have at this point in time is a cheap desktop mic hooked directly into the sound card. I was having a lot of trouble with pops so I hung a piece of cheesecloth about 3" in front of the mic. Worked well.

[Dave Largent]

<<<-- Originally posted by Douglas Spotted Eagle : Harlan Hogan has used a shotgun for years to do his V/O's for places like Culligan, McDonalds, Sears, KMart, The Bon


Do you happen to know what mic he uses?

[Dave Largent]

Well, I tried some black nylons today. Cut out a section
and put it over the end of the shotgun and taped it
down. Even doubled it up. It didn't help at all.
Now, I have found that if I move them an inch
away from the end of the mic, they completely
tale care of the plosives. But if they are right
touching up against the mic: no luck.
I'll be putting up one black nylon, never
used, in the For Sale section. Has nice lace
around the top, if anyone's interested.
Belated Valentines gift?

[Mark Fry]

Dave - Taping the gauze rigidly over the mic grill won't allow it to move, so it won't be able to absorb the peaks of energy. It needs an inch or two of free space between mic and screen. Make a frame (wire coat-hanger or whatever), stretch the gauze over it (not too tight) and attach the frame either to the same stand as the mic, perhaps on a bracket, or on a stand of its own, and adjust the distance to taste.

Ty's point about placing the mic at an angle to the speaker is also critical. I've seen other comments elsewhere that it should be placed slightly to one side and slightly below the mouth. So long as your speaker is projecting the words straight front and centre (not speaking out of the corner of the mouth) the worst of the plosive air stream will be aimed away from the mic. Try putting your hand a few inches from your mouth and say "ppfff": you'll feel the draught right in front of your mouth, but not 3" to either side. Again, adjust the distance between mic and speaker to taste for slightly different effects.

BTW what make/model of mic are you using?

HTH

[Dave Largent]

Mark, I was testing with the Senn ME64 just
because it is an easier setup, not needing
phantom power and having good sensitivity.
About: going a bit off center, when I put the
nylons an inch in front of the mic, I wasn't
getting any plosives even dead on center!
I'm thinking about a new pop filter patent right
now. Maybe I'll send it to Ty for review. : - )

[Dave Largent]

Could anyone give me some quick advice
comparing a pop filter vs. a foam windscreen
for dealing with plosives. Will the windscreen
be just as effective?

[Glenn Chan]

A pop filter should be a better choice then a windscreen. I find they are highly effective, as properly placed you will have a hard time getting a plosive through it.

Of course, since you have both it shouldn't be hard to figure out yourself which is better. Depending on the windscreen you have, it may be possible to get a plosive through it. There might be a slight difference in the upper frequencies and in microphone sensitivity between a pop filter and a windscreen.

I've seen other comments elsewhere that it should be placed slightly to one side and slightly below the mouth.

I think you will get better results with the microphone above the mouth, for the noise breathers and people who tilt their head down (i.e. maybe they are holding their copy, although it would be nice for them to have a copy stand that doesn't reflect an echo back).