PoducateMe: Practical Solutions for Podcasting in Education
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Printable copies of the guide are available for purchase and immediate download at
OnStage MY410 Studio Microphone Shock Mount.
Pop Filters and Wind Screens
Pop filters attach to mic stands and are designed to dampen “plosives,” which occur
when bursts of air hit the mic during conversation or singing. Put your hand up in
front of your mouth and say, “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.” Feel the
bursts of air striking your hand with each “P” in the sentence? Those are plosives,
and they sound terrible when amplified by a microphone. Plosives are typically
introduced by the letters P, B and T.
if you’re feeling ambitious, you can make your own pop filter by stretching some
panty hose around a wire coat hanger bent into a circle. It’s not pretty, but it’ll get the
job done.
OnStage ASVS6GB Microphone Pop Filter
A Wind Screen is another tool you could use to mitigate plosives. Wind screens often
come with microphones and are typically made of foam. These accessories fit snugly
over the mic and help dull the sound of wind blowing against the microphone. You
often see wind screens used on dynamic mics in field reporting.
Another benefit of using pop filters and wind screens is that they prevent spittle from
getting into the microphone, which over time could degrade the instrument’s
performance.
Cables
Microphones don’t generally come with cables, so unless you buy a USB mic, you’ll
need to purchase a cable for each microphone you intend to use. We use a couple of
