Episode 46
Should You Use a Wind Screen or Pop Filter With Your Mic?
When it comes to helping avoid plosives on your podcast audio, most podcasters use either a wind screen or a pop filter with their microphone. But which one is better, and which should you use?
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- Elgato Wave Mic Arm Low Profile
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Transcript
(upbeat music)
Speaker:I'm Danny Brown,
Speaker:and you're listening to One Minute Podcast Tips,
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Speaker:check out the Magic Mic membership
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Speaker:And now, this week's episode.
Speaker:(upbeat music)
Speaker:When it comes to using a screen for your microphone,
Speaker:there's generally two options.
Speaker:There's the windscreen that often comes with the mic itself
Speaker:and this is like the little foam sort of sock that goes over the top of the mic.
Speaker:Or you have a standalone pop filter.
Speaker:This is a standalone that usually clips onto the mic
Speaker:or clips onto the arm if you're using an arm
Speaker:and normally that's a plastic circle with foam in the middle
Speaker:and the foam sits between your mouth and the microphone.
Speaker:There's pros and cons to both.
Speaker:The windscreen looks better if you're on camera
Speaker:but the quality of the foam can be questionable
Speaker:depending on the manufacturer.
Speaker:If the foam's too thin
Speaker:then it won't really offer any protection against plosives
Speaker:so it's not really doing the job it's meant to be doing.
Speaker:With the stand-alone pop filter, these are usually better,
Speaker:but because they are quite big,
Speaker:they can look awkward if you're on screen or doing a video.
Speaker:In that case, if you do want to use a windscreen
Speaker:that goes onto the mic itself,
Speaker:a little trick is to have about an inch gap
Speaker:between the end of the microphone and the foam itself.
Speaker:This adds a bit more space between your mouth and microphone
Speaker:and this really helps to avoid the plosives.
Speaker:So really, the choice is yours,
Speaker:either the windscreen that goes on top of the mic
Speaker:or the stand-alone pop filter.
Speaker:But both are really good at helping reduce plosives
Speaker:and getting rid of that loud P or B noise
Speaker:that you can sometimes hear on podcasts.
Speaker:Until the next time, happy podcasting.
Speaker:(upbeat music)
Speaker:Thanks for listening.
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Speaker:be sure to share with your friends and other podcasters
Speaker:so they can enjoy it too.
Speaker:Until the next time, happy podcasting.
Speaker:(upbeat music)
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