Will the high pass filter on my at4051a's cut wind?

L

lozampognaro

Member
Hi, I am going to be using a pair of Audio Technica 4051a condensor mics to record acoustic musicians playing outside. They are small mics so big wind screens don't fit, but I have purchased a pair of Rycote mini-windjammers for them. However, during some audio tests with moderate wind I am still picking up a bit of wind noise even with the windjammers on.

The microphones have a high pass filter which cuts out some of the low end noise. i was wondering if people suggest using the high pass filter to help cut some of the wind rumbling or if it would be best to leave the filter off and just try to deal with wind noise in post production??

I don't want to use the hi pass filter unless it's really necessary because I want to make sure I record the full range of the acoustic instruments, but acoustic instruments don't usually have a lot of low end bass so maybe it doesn't matter....

Any advice is appreciated.
 
It depends on the instrument.

Pretty much anything but bass and kick drum is rolled of at 150 hz or so during mixing anyway. (This isn't a rule; it's a guide line, depending on the music style.)

If you're able, try it one way then the other. If you can't, don't use the hi pass and try to roll it off in mixing.

Try putting an UNLUBRICATED condom over your mic and keeping it on tight with a rubber band or a hair tie. Just put a windscreen over the condom so no one sees. (I'm not kidding. I've done it. It works.)
 
I'm leaving the country on Tuesday to shoot this thing so I won't be able to upgrade my windscreens before then. The condom thing is very interesting! Has anyone else tried this? Will this degrade the quality of the sound though??? I think I would only try this in very high wind as a last resort.
 
Wind noise is evil. It's much "louder" than any audio, and it pushes the audio waveform
into a total overload state where all detail is lost. It's like when you overexpose video
and you get pure white. There's no way to recover that information.

Do anything you can to get rid of wind before it hits your mic!! Cutting the bass later
is not really a solution; it can help a little if the wind is very light, so it's a last-ditch save
you might try in post. However, if you've lost the details by wind overload,
there's no way to save them.

The best windscreens are some distance from the mic. That's why zeps are so big.
With the windscreen farther from the mic, you can use thinner material, so you
don't mess up the sound as much. Putting foam around the mic helps, too,
but if it's close to the mic, you'll need more and it will affect the high frequencies
of the music, too.

If your Rycotes are insufficient, consider setting up some kind of wall to break the wind,
add more foam, whatever--do anything to prevent wind noise from ruining your recording.

Even attaching lapel mics to the instruments might sound better than the wind
muting the sound totally.

Good luck!
 
Last edited:
Something I neglected to mention about the condom trick…

It shouldn't be used as a standalone solution. It works best in combination with other “real” windscreens. If you find you need just a little bit more help cutting the wind, it can do the trick. Alone, condoms help but won’t usually solve the problem.

As far as other people using condoms, I’ve heard they use condoms on the president’s mics when he does outdoor speeches. I have no proof of that, though. :smile:
 
Attempting to address wind in post is an exercise in futility. You MUST do everything possible to not have it in the first place. The Rycote BBG & windjammer is a pretty effective tool. So are zepps with fur. Simply put, you've got to block the airflow across the mic. If the BBG isn't cutting it build a windbreak - do whatever it takes to shield the mic.

Sometimes it just isn't possible - by then the instruments are probably being blown off the stage anyway. Just don't kid yourself about fixing it in post.

Good Luck!
 
Thanks for all the comments. I'm going to do my best to avoid windy recording situations and try to positions the mics behind physical wind barriers like buildings etc. I probably do some recording inside to just in case the outside recordings are ruined by wind.

I guess I'll go pick up some non-lubricated condoms and try that too... I just hope I don't get caught with them in Southern Italy where I'm filming, a very catholic country ; )
 
Condom Update: I went to this sex shop near my house and found these mini gag gift condoms that are about 1/4 the size of regular condoms and unlubricated. They fit perfectly over the 21mm diameter microphone, and the windscreens slip right over it with no problem. Hopefully this will be a really cheap solution to my wind problems. I'll give them a try on a windy day and update as to how well they work.
 
lozampognaro said:
I went to the sex shop specifically to find non-lubricated condoms for the mics. They don't sell them at wallmart ; )
Click to expand...


I know. I was trying to make a little joke without using a smiley.

Good luck with your shoot, and be sure to wash your mics after
each sesssion.

:)
 
You're not allowed to make a joke online w/o a smiley! :)
Actually I'll have to admit though, it's not the first time I'd been to the place. I'd been once before with the GF and we weren't buying wind screens :)
 
I doubt the acoustic guitars are going to have much of anything below 100Hz so use the high pass filter. You can always try adding a few dB around 140Hz in post to thicken it up. Condoms........yeah right, what's next, tampons?
 
10s said:
Condoms........yeah right, what's next, tampons?
Click to expand...


Don't knock it 'till you've tried it. :smile:

Like I said, it's not an end-all-be-all solution, but it can help.

Don't know what you'd use a tampon for with a microphone. Waterproofing...?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top