Shock Mounts - Rycote Invision for outdoor use?

[John Willett]

Again...you keep using that word "best". I've done tons of recordings with tons of different microphones in tons of different situations. Even on film and television production it isn't accurate to say a given mount is "the best". It depends on the real world situation. Go to the Paramount lot or Warner Bros. lot and go to every stage and ask the boom ops which mount they think is the best, and you'll get many different answers based on their real world experience. I know because I have done this exact thing.

I'm using the word "best" in the technical and measurable sense.

You can test and measure the effects and you can measure which mount is best at supressing handling noise.

That is not to say that someone might prefer a different type of mount for their method of working - as I said earlier.

You choose what works best for you and what you like working with, even if it may not technically be the "best".

Though it does beg the question why so many microphone manufacturers, many who have tried doing their own suspensions, end up going to Rycote for OEM versions of the "Lyre".

 

[davefisk]

Though it does beg the question why so many microphone manufacturers, many who have tried doing their own suspensions, end up going to Rycote for OEM versions of the "Lyre".

Because microphone manufacturers focus their engineering on mics, not suspensions. Not all of them go to Rycote for OEM, either.

 

[drapeama]

I understand people like to DIY stuff for the fun and experience of it. I've never been a good "DIY" person, so I've always stayed away from it.

I'm usually not bad doing things on my own, and when I can try before, I always do. In this case, the results aren't as good as a pro version for the look, but the audio comes clean and it's all that matters in this case. With the cover on, no one can tell it's nothing professional when I record, so even less when they listen to the sounds.

What you've done with your DIY zepp is pretty good, actually. Basic premise of yours is the same as the K-Tek zeppelin.

It was a rough concept, which ended up staying at that level, nothing needed to be polished more for the needs I had. But I plan, during the holidays, to make another one, simpler and I'll try to incorporate a DIY version of the PSC shock mount you linked previously. Thanks for the idea!

 

[maranfilms]

Hey Drap, how are you? That zeppelin looks great!! Only thing I would do is stretch a pair of black pantyhose over it, that will even help a tad bit more to isolate it from wind and such. My rode has a thin pantyhose like layer over it as well.

 

[Andrew Stone]

For goodness sake. The Rycote Invision mounts have been the defacto mounts for soundies in recent memory. They are good. Anyone who disputes this is shall we say byzantine to a degree. The Invision mounts are so good they are good. Very good. You do have to choose a bit carefully depending on whether or not you are placing a softie over the mic or a housing the puppy in a zepplin or you are using one of the chiseled MKH Sennheiser mics. However, if you have chosen appropriately for the weight, length and shape of the body of the mic the Invsion lyres and mounts are wildly good. Having said that, and what Mr. Fisk cannot say without looking self-serviing is that K-Tek has come out within the past year the Nautilus mount that rivals the Rycote invision series mounts. They have also made some recent improvements to it that allow the mic to be inserted into the mount with greater ease and the jiggle factor with the mount has decreased somewhat (from what i understand). Some Invision series lyres do suffer from the jiggle factor if you don't match the mount properly to the weight and size of the mic you are using.

In any event, we are dealing with the creme of the crop of mic mounts. Both the Rycote Invision series mounts and the K-Tek Nautilus mounts are at the top of their class for isolation. They are cheap for what they do. Choose your weapon (or get both) and get on with it.

 

[drapeama]

Hey Drap, how are you? That zeppelin looks great!! Only thing I would do is stretch a pair of black pantyhose over it, that will even help a tad bit more to isolate it from wind and such. My rode has a thin pantyhose like layer over it as well.

1) I'm fine my friend!
2) It works quite well for the price I paid to build it!
3) I don't even need anything more, it's pretty well Isolated with the pink fur. It's pretty impressive.