Wind Screens

[songsj]

Would like to know peoples thoughts on using wind screens as well as pop filters on larger condenser mics. I have a sibilance problem especially s's and though I'm trying to be careful when I sing I'm also looking at other options. I've tried the proximity thing, I do not have a treated vocal booth so the closer I can get to the mic the better. In past years I always thought that wind screens also cut highs and made mics less bright. Which could be good if you think yours is too bright. Just wondering if anyone else is using wind screens regularly?

 

[miroslav]

When you say windscreens....are you talking about the foam ones that go over the mic...?

TBH...those are not used too often in studios, and are mostly used for outdoor purposes to cut out the wind noise.
Most people just use the circular pop filters. The foam can kill a lot of the clarity...and also, you don't want to be too close to the mic.
Stay back maybe 4"-6". Best thing is to place the pop filter back about 4"-6", and then you can put your mouth right up to the filter, and still be away from the mix a bit.

AFA sibilance...without an audio sample, it's hard to know just how much of a problem you have...maybe you think it's worse than it is...?

Try singing off-axis a bit. Instead of singing straight into the mic, angle yourself a bit so that you're kind of singing toward the side of the mic.
You don't have to do that the whole time, you can just turn your head when you know there's a potential sibilance problem coming up on a word/phrase.

 

[ecc83]

If pop screens etc don't fix the problem completely the current issue of Sound on Sound has a very detailed article about all sorts of fixes for vocal tracks. The guy uses mainly Reaper FX and plugs so "There's cheap isn'it? "
Back to screens. I recall a review of some perforated metal shields, SoS again, that were found to be very effective and did not, iirc, chop top as much as fabric does. I shall have a Google on your behalf.

Rycote are also The Men! Hakan P110 | Not quite what I was after but useful?

Dave.

 

[Gtoboy]

Wind screens are for wind, not sibilance reduction. Spit protection maybe. I kid. Second Miro on singing off axis and not too close to reduce sibilance . Make sure it's not needed in the song though. A couple of famous David Bowie songs are full of sibilance on purpose, it was a planned part of the arrangement. Alice Cooper used to use sibilance to their advantage too. If your lyric has a lot of "S" words frankly it would sound funny without sibilance. I have recorded singers who would disappear their esses by not actually singing them. The human brain will put the ess into a word that's supposed to have it even if you don't actually sing the ess. Weird but it seems to work for some.

 

[Steenamaroo]

It's No Game Pt.1 started playing in my head as I read that.

 

[songsj]

Okay, removed the windscreen/foam. Lowered the mic an inch or 2, left the pop filter where it was so I am kind of singing slightly over the capsule instead of straight at it. I will see how that works. I saw a video on TV of some pro singing in a studio and it looked like this was how they had it set up. Now that could have just been for visual too. I will give it a shot.