Can I use it? Rycote S-Series 450 Windshield Kit + AT875r mic

O

OldCorpse

Rockin the Boat
A friend of mine heard I'm buying sound gear and he had something that he almost never uses and so he is willing to lend it to me: Rycote S-Series 450 Windshield Kit. But that was before I decided on a mic and put an order in on the AT875r. I looked up the 450 series, and I see that it says "14-16" inch mics :(... so do I decline his kind offer, and have to now buy a more appropriate blimp system, or is there some way to shove the AT875r into the 450? Sorry, I have no experience with this, I'm just seeing if I can save some $, so I was happy about the offer thinking that's one less thing I have to buy, but now that I've looked up the specs....
 
It may be too large and cover some of the the phase slots on the AT875R as it is designed for longer mic's that have bodies that clip into the mount clear of the cancellation tube.

That said you could try it and clip the xlr in the rear holder and the base of the mic in the front mount so that the body of the mic is clear of the clips!

I am not familiar with the 450 but it may also be possible to place the clips closer together so they do not intefere with the mic phase cancellation slots!

Personally I find that the rode PG2 and WS/6 are perfect and ample protection for the AT875R
 
Your 875r is shorter than what that Rycote is made for, I would think it could work as opposed to if it was too long to fit.

What I would consider is the furry windmuff linked below, made to fit over the foam screen that came with your mic. I just got in the AT 897 (a few inches longer than yours) and that will be the route I take. Depends on what kind of winds you anticipate working in. The "Stormchaser" is most effective model having 2" long artificial fur. I was in on the field testing for the "WindJacket" they developed for the ZoomH1, happened quite by accident.

I had just got the H1 and ordered their "Stormchaser" for it. The H1 was still so new they didn't have any measurements on it so I sent them the measurements from mine, they made up a model that fit over the mics and it didn't work very well. So they sent me at no extra charge a foam screen to fit over the mics and a larger furry muff to go over that. When that didn't work they asked if their design engineer could call by phone. He did and we talked over the problem. He had me run one more test adding a thick cloth wrap to the part of the H1 not covered by the windmuff. That worked better so they began sending me prototypes each one better than the previous until finally one worked about as well as I felt a muff could.

The final production version fully enclosed the recorder and had a vinyl window to see the LCD. I paid with the order on the first one, they let me keep all the prototypes and I may try one over the foam on my AT 897 when the rain clears up here. So that's my recommendation. If you call and get Rebekah drop my name and see if they remember all that, it was about 3 years ago. They are a fine small company.

http://thewindcutter.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=1_3_95&product_id=1484

Video of my test on the last prototype for the H1. Winds got up to around 30MPH:

https://vimeo.com/17918160
 
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Thanks, Bruce, that's a great looking fur pocket - and half the price of the Rycote softie, plus it's made specifically for the 875r, so it's worth a try. Gary, as soon as he brings it over next week, I'll take a look to see if one can rig it to hold the 875r.
 
If you watched that video I linked, remember that was a prototype that totally enclosed the ZoomH1. If you didn't watch it, do so. Somewhere into that video I open up the protrotype and first expose the foam to the wind, then remove the foam and expose the mics to the wind. You can really hear the differences, gives a good indication of how effective that "Stormchaser" fur is.

However if that Rycote can properly hold and position the 875r, and it has a furry cover that is going to be the most effective wind solution of all.
 
Yeah, I watched it. It does make a very big difference, though of course you can still hear some low wind rumble, which is to be expected. I like it. I wonder a bit how it compares to the Rycote Softie ($99 at B&H).
 
Oh, btw. Bruce, I went ahead and bought the StormChaser for the 875r and we'll see how it works when it arrives here :) Thank you for the recommendation!
 
I just want to report that the fuzz pocket I bought from TheWindCutter.com upon Bruce's recommendation arrived, and seems a fine product. I'll report back after testing sometime mid-October. It was a pleasure doing business with those folks. I'm reporting this, because another poster recently reported about another small merchant who was not as responsive, so I want to support small businesses by giving positive feedback when warranted (I have no commercial or any other kind of relationship with them - only a customer).
 
***UPDATE***

I now have the AT875r mic, the AT8035 mic, and the Rycote S-Series 450 Windshield Kit with me. I have just fitted them and...

Suprise!

The tiny AT875r - 6.89" long - fits BETTER than the AT8035 - 14.54" long - into the 450 Windshield which was designed for "14" - 16"" mics!

Let me explain. The pincer cradles inside the Rycote suspension unit are movable along the length of the suspension bar. If I move both to the very front of the forward facing half of the suspension, then I can fit the very end of the 875 mic so the pincer cradles are gripping about the last 1.25" of the mic. I then use the xlr cable to provide extra stabilization to the mic (it won't droop that way) so the mic sits parallel along inside the basket just as it should. Now I measured the distance from the tip of the mic to the bottom of the foam inside the basket - about 1" - PERFECT! I say "perfect", because it is my understanding that you want the tip of the mic to be about of equal distance to the wall in front of it as the distance to the sides are (where the slotted area of the mic is). And that's what happens here. It's about 1" all around the mic - tip and sides (of course, there is massive space behind the mic, but that doesn't matter). No slots in the mic are covered by anything - completely free of obstruction. Massive win!

On the other hand, the AT8035 which at 14.5" should theoretically be perfect for the 450, does not fit as well. Here is the problem. The slotted side areas of the 8035 extend in length along the mic from tip to the end of the slots - 8.5". Now, if you put the mic into the suspension, there is no way to avoid either the pincer cradles or the central chassis ring from obstructing the slots. And if you want to have the tip be the ideal distance from the foam in front of the basket - about 1" - you can clear the chassis ring, but not the front pincer cradles... those will definitely obstruct some of the slotted spaces on the mic. Thus, it is inferior to the placement of the 875r, which has all the slots clear of obstruction!

So there. If anyone is curious about this question, I've answered it definitively: the AT875r will fit into the Rycote S-Series 450 Windshield perfectly!
 
Only warning I would give is using the cable to "provide extra stabilization" is a risky thing. It can make any noise like cable bumps travel right up to the mic. If you are going to do that I would use some cable ties to securely attach the cable to the cradle of the blimp someplace so that the camel noise is not directly hitting the mic end. Best is a cable that is just inside the blimp and ends in a connector that is fixed so the mic cable doesn't make a direct connection. But I have had the zip ties work well.
 
Thanks, Scott - the way the S-Series work is that they provide a short length of xlr cable one end of which sits in the pistol grip and the other goes into the basket (and mic) - along the way, there are several "pinch" points where you squeeze the cable so it doesn't move - and with such a short cable, there is little chance of slap or rubbing. Good points however in always watching to make sure the cable is not rubbing or hitting - I try to keep that in mind.
 
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