Name: A Winter's Tale by andysimms
Duration: 2 min 53 s
Description: Sombre and tender tones on piano, strings and pads

Test of various wind protection options for Clippy EM172/272 microphones.

I had a hairdryer around 60cm away, pointing directly at the microphone capsule. Gain was not changed at all throughout, nor was the position of the microphone or the hairdryer.  No EQ has been applied so you can hear the effect of the low rumble reduction as the wind protection gets increasingly more effective, as well as the impact on high frequency loss which is not completely linear through the test.

Clip 1: Bare capsule
Clip 2: Clippy foam windshield only (https://micbooster.com/clippy-and-pluggy-microphones/66-clippy-foam-windshield.html)
Clip3: Clippy foam windshield + Rycote Clippy windjammer (https://micbooster.com/microphone-windshields/222-rycote-windjammer-for-clippy-microphone.html)
Clip 4: Bubblebee Windbubble (Size 4)
Clip 5: Large ball (35mm diameter) foam windshield (https://www.connevans.co.uk/product/5549008/MXG122CH/Black-35mm-ball--7-mm-Internal-Diameter-Foam-Microphone-Windshield)
Clip 6: Oball with Cinela fabric cover (DIY job with fabric purchased from Cinela of the same type they use on their windshields)
Clip 7: Oball with Rycote BBG Windjammer
Clip 8: Oball with Cinela fabric cover + Rycote BBG Windjammer

The clips are in order of wind protection effectiveness. The best small format wind protection was provided by the 35mm diameter foam windshield, which was better than both the Rycote Clippy windjammer and the Bubblebee Windbubble, which I find surprising considering no fur is involved, and the cheaper cost compared to those those options. The Windbubble also had quite a big high frequency reduction compared to the others.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the biggest improvements came when introducing a blimp-style enclosure (provided by the Oball). The Rycote BBG Windjammer had a huge reduction on the low frequency rumble. The Cinela fabric was a bet less effective in that regard (though better than all the small format options), but did a great job of retaining high frequency content. Combining the Cinela fabric and the BBG Windjammer took out a tiny bit more rumble, but not very much.

Clippy EM172 Wind Protection Test

Sombre and tender tones on piano, strings and pads

Licensing

A Winter's Tale

Composer for TV and film. Credits: SkyTV, ITV1, Channel4, More4, UKTV, BFI, History Channel, Crime & Investigation Network, Hewlett Packard, Ernst & Young , Nike, Skype, Peroni, Network Rail, CapGemini, De La Espada, Autoban, Barry Adamson, Open House, Land Securities, Solent University, HTC, Medical Research Council, BASF, Macmillan Publishing, Toni&Guy, Smart Life, British Seniors, UK Potato Council

A Winter's Tale

andysimms

Related tracks