Opinions on pop filters?

[cfg]

I recently bought a pop screen, an Apex, which has two thin nylon layers in a circle frame. My first tests were ambiguous. I thought I heard some shaving of the high and perhaps less clarity, but I can't say for certain yet. There are other kinds on the market, including this much more expensive model from Aston:

Shield GN

Perfecting your vocal tracking and giving a real touch of class to your mic set up, the Aston Shield GN is a must-have accessory for every studio. It features a unique, stainless steel pop filter and comes with a quality goose-neck.

www.astonmics.com

I'm curious to hear opinion on pop filters in general, and perhaps from anyone who has the Aston and has compared it to the nylon style screens. My intuition is that it would be preferable to not use one, but I have virtually no experience with vocal recording at this point.

 

[spantini]

In general, my first pop filter was a DIY job - girlfriend's pantyhose and a wire coat hanger. Worked great. Visually distracting.

Now I use a $20 cheapo from GC that gets the job done.

 

[Orson]

I have only ever used 2 of them. A rode which came with the mic and a German one which was a lot more expensive. The Rode was ok. The German one did the job regards the 'pops' but the bendy/flexy arm is another thing to look out for. Because on this German one it doesn't always stay in place and the weakest part. So look out for that issue as well.

 

[bouldersoundguy]

The nylon ones work fine. If nothing else, they're great for marking the desired position for consistent takes.

 

[grimtraveller]

My first attempts were the usual misunderstood, "never seen a picture of one", pre~internet attempts. I used to wrap a nylon sock or stocking around the actual mic !

Then I made one out of a pair of my wife's tights and a hanger. It's in the DIY section somewhere here in HR. The hanger was always the weak spot, so in the end I bought a cheap one. Cost about £3-4. It's brilliant. Does the job admirably, sets a nice distance for the singer from the mic and never is a problem in any way. It has a double nylon screen. Just get one.
That said, the best pop filter I ever used before this one, was a towel over the heads of the singers. Worked like a treat ~ when we weren't all collapsing with laughter or getting way too heated on a hot day. Did wonders for the memory because no one could see the lyric sheet ! But plosives ? None in sight !!

 

[keith.rogers]

...

I'm curious to hear opinion on pop filters in general, and perhaps from anyone who has the Aston and has compared it to the nylon style screens. My intuition is that it would be preferable to not use one, but I have virtually no experience with vocal recording at this point.

I've got a semi-expensive one that is all metal and has a larger grid but the metal is fashioned with angled-down openings, so (I assume) it breaks the direction of the airflow without quite as much impact on the audio energy as the cheap nylon one that came with a used, garage-sale mic stand. For my baritone voice, I can't tell a difference, but then I can assure you I can't hear much in the range of frequencies that might be impacted. I would think those [filter-impacted freqs] are in the piccolo's overtone range, though.

Besides taming plosives, the most useful and important reasons (IMHO) to use these things are 1) to keep that minimum distance to the mic controlled, which controls proximity effect, and, 2) it keeps the singer from blasting your mic with bits and pieces, oil and vinegar included, of that Italian hoagie that they were chewing on just before the take. Maybe not so critical if they're singing into an SM58, with its own grill and inner foam, but if you really don't want that splatter coating your fancy condenser mic's capsule.

 

[TalismanRich]

I've got a couple of round ones like Grim showed. Plus my NT1 came with the Rycote mount with metal filter.

My question is whether they are really necessary. There are hundreds of photos of singers in recording sessions without a pop filter in site. Maybe we need to do a better job of positioning the mic.

 

[keith.rogers]

I've got a couple of round ones like Grim showed. Plus my NT1 came with the Rycote mount with metal filter.

My question is whether they are really necessary. There are hundreds of photos of singers in recording sessions without a pop filter in site. Maybe we need to do a better job of positioning the mic.

... <deleted images> ...

Well, 2 things - these are studios that are charging enough they can probably replace a mic, or at least have someone that knows how to work on them, and for the most part these are singers that probably know how to use a mic; i.e., they're not pressing their lips on the grill, like so many folks seem to think is "de rigueur" for capturing their voice at its best. And, look at the distances here - a foot or more. For many home studios, that's the best distance to record the downstairs toilet flush mid-verse...

 

[Papanate]

I've got a couple of round ones like Grim showed. Plus my NT1 came with the Rycote mount with metal filter.

My question is whether they are really necessary. There are hundreds of photos of singers in recording sessions without a pop filter in site. Maybe we need to do a better job of positioning the mic.

Frank has a pop filter - it's small but there - the rest of the guys are far enough away that the pop filter isn't really needed.

 

[bouldersoundguy]

A big room and a far mic is one solution. Also, you can position things so the blast of air isn't aimed at the mic. Experienced singers can do this deliberately, turning a little for plosives.

 

[TalismanRich]

Frank has a pop filter - it's small but there - the rest of the guys are far enough away that the pop filter isn't really needed.

Show me where that "small" pop filter is... You can zoom in as close as you like, and the only filter is the headbasket on the mic.

 

[grimtraveller]

you can position things so the blast of air isn't aimed at the mic. Experienced singers can do this deliberately, turning a little for plosives.

Before I used pop filters, this is what I used to do. For a good 15 years or more, not only did I wrap the sock around the mic head {obviously useless}, I would sing across the mic rather than into it.

The pictures Rich posted are interesting. None of the singers are close in line with the mics. Little Stevie is well over it. The others are sort of under it. And the one guy whose mouth is in line with the mic {the tubby guy on the left in the bottom picture}, is sufficiently far from it for it not to be an issue.

 

[ecc83]

If you watch this: you can see the guys are right on those mics, especially John
No pop filters in view and them's ribbons! Reslo RBs to be exact. Thing is, those mics came with additional fabric pads that you could fit under the perforated metal cases. The perforations, sub 1mm iirc, also helped control blasting. The later RB models also made the 'active' side the one with the magnets and so further increased protection of the ribbon.

Not THE best microphone for feedback control but back in that day you used what you could get!

Dave.

 

[gecko zzed]

Pop filters are andy, but you can also learn how to not need them by:

1 managing your plosives . . . it is possible to sing 'p' without a blast of air;
2 not singing directly into the mike. Singing slightly over the top or to one side can make difference; and
3 maintaining a greater distance from the mike.

 

[ecc83]

Pop filters are andy, but you can also learn how to not need them by:

1 managing your plosives . . . it is possible to sing 'p' without a blast of air;
2 not singing directly into the mike. Singing slightly over the top or to one side can make difference; and
3 maintaining a greater distance from the mike.

Yay! It is said Pavarotti could song at top voice at a candle just a foot or so from his face and not blow it out.

Dave.

 

[Orson]

Pop filters are andy, but you can also learn how to not need them by:

1 managing your plosives . . . it is possible to sing 'p' without a blast of air;
2 not singing directly into the mike. Singing slightly over the top or to one side can make difference; and
3 maintaining a greater distance from the mike.

This is very true. If you watch some singers who sing 'belter' of songs, when they get to the loud or strong parts, they do not sing directly into the mics. They would be peaking all over the place in a studio if they did.

 

[rob aylestone]

`Don't forget so ma ny big name singer photos are staged - look at Frank, with the mic's Capitol label facing the caper perfectly. I bet that sticker was added for the photo - a record company requirement. I've just had ten weeks of sponsor 'involvement' on the current job. Photos of ice cream, mile, dairy products placed in publicity pictures - either overtly as in them eating an ice cream with the brand perfectly placed, or 'accidental' placement in the background. Product Placement is not a new marketing device.

Look back at stage shots - the Shure SM57 originally came with a flat foam, sown together pop shield - but with it taped to the mic with about an inch from the front mesh, it worked really well - however, the stage shots show many big names lips on grill and they popped badly for some and not at all for others. The Pavarotti comment is spot on, Classical singers rarely sing the plosives like normal folk - imagine singing 'Peter' or even 'Pavarotti' - if you purse your lips like a kiss, that critical P at the start of the sound is highly directional. For an opera singer, unamplified, this is not acceptable - only a small number of people on axis would hear 'Peter', those to the side would hear 'Peter'. So when Pavarotti sings that sound he pulls the sides of his lips back to spread the 'P' across the audience. No plosive, no pop into a mic, even close in. Watch videos of him and you very rarely see normal facial mouth movement. Weird!

I've always put the mic out, and then you know within a few moments if the singer needs pop protection - Even foam windshields where they do take the very top off are correctable with a small amount of EQ.

 

[Farview]

You don't need them if the singers mic technique is good enough not to need them. If you are recording yourself, you can work on that. If you are recording other people, you won't be able to tech them good mic technique fast enough to solve the problem.

You will run into people that will insist on grabbing the mic or the mic stand or try to figure out a way to cup an LDC, because that is what they are used to.

 

[Papanate]

Show me where that "small" pop filter is... You can zoom in as close as you like, and the only filter is the headbasket on the mic.

I was joking - its the screen filter that is part of the housing - that is a first line pop filter.

 

[TimOD]

I've got a couple of round ones like Grim showed. Plus my NT1 came with the Rycote mount with metal filter.

My question is whether they are really necessary. There are hundreds of photos of singers in recording sessions without a pop filter in site. Maybe we need to do a better job of positioning the mic.

Necessary for newer singers sometimes, sure, but I never use one on myself. Some clients need them if only to keep them back off the mic. Even when I stress how important this is, in the heat of the performance they invariably get closer to the mic. The pop filter does a good job in preventing this, as well as the usual duty of preventing plosives. But I'm recording a singer now, new to singing in front of a mic, and she doesn't need the pop filter. Her technique was really good (and her singing) from the get-go.