Rycote mini fluffy windshield 05/21/2010
First Impressions I needed to get of the Rycote mini windshields to allow me to get full use out of my pair of DPA 4061 mics. The mics themselves deal quite well with wind, but for what I had planned for them they were going to need some serious protection. The covers themselves are well made well enough, the model I ordered is actually too large to fit correctly over the 4061s, but I like the flexibility they provide. Normally I insert the mic into the fluffy then fold the fluffy over. It has an elasticated strap with a press stud which is really useful for attaching the mics to things. Overall they look like they will do the trick but we'll see just how good they are when put to extremes.  Later Observations. The real test for these wind-shields was dealing with wind noise while mounted on moving vehicles and generally they cope extremely well. You do need to place the mic fairly carefully. Positioning a microphone on a vehicle where the shape of the vehicle is designed to directly alter the flow of air is going a bit far. The front fairing on a motorbike is designed to deflect the wind past the bike and the ride, it is like placing a navigation buoy right in a strong current, it is going to be effected, but placed in more general position these wind-shield work very well. I have mad mics clipped to the wheel arches and exhaust pipes of cars travelling at 100 KPH with not noticeable wind noise thanks to the Rycote covers. Protecting your microphones from the wind is one of the biggest challenges to a sound recordist. There is no one perfect solution. Mic positioning, anti vibration mounts and wind-shields all play their part in countering wind, but this really is a case of the right equipment makes the job so much easier. The Rycote mini wind-shields are definitely the right equipment. In the real world I purchased the Rycote minis to use with my DPA 4061 pair. The microphones were purchased to suit a variety of purposes and I knew I would need wind protection. I tested botht the microphones and the Rycote covers thoroughly before I purchased the items and it was one of my very first recordings that proved just how well these things work. One of the big tests for the DPA 4061 for me was its capability to deal with high SPL output, so as part of testing the unit I attached one to an associates motorbike about 2 inches from the exhaust pipe outlet and asked him to go for a ride. Even at speed the Rycote protected the mics extremely well from wind noise and the resulting recording was one of the primary reasons I decided to buy both the microphones and the Rycote covers.   Good They server their purpose well, one of the best solutions in countering wind noise This model has a convenient elastic strap Bad Rycote equipment is not cheap Probably won't help in a hurricane Website http://www.rycote.com |
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