There are several things you need to consider when buying the right microphone for yourself, and making a choice between a windscreen and pop filter is one of the main ones.
Finding out what wind noise and pop filters can get quite confusing, so we have decided to solve this mystery for you.
If you want to make the right choice for yourself, read our article carefully and see what kind of microphone is the right one for you.
Table of Contents
Windscreen Vs Pop Filter Microphones
Comparison
What Are Pop Filters?
Microphones with pop filters are the type of microphones you would use while recording in a studio, and all musicians use them in order to get high frequency audio.
You can easily recognize a pop filter when you see it because it is a pretty big black and circular device that is always standing between a person and the microphone stand.
Its main purpose is to provide you with a tool that will be used in the recording studio that will remove any unwanted noise or sounds in your surroundings, and that is the main difference in comparison to foam windscreens.
Most of these devices are nylon pop filters or foal filters, but you can also come across nylon mesh pop filters too.
You will need to install the pop filter on your microphone stand and keep it a bit away from the metal mount of your mic.
Also, you will need to stay a few inches away from it if you want to get the sound recording of the highest quality.
These pop filters are made to eliminate all annoying pop ups that tend to appear during sound recording, even when you are in a recording studio.
It completely eliminates the plosives that tend to come from the vocalist throughout the recording, and it also eliminates well-known explosive sounds like harsh Ts and Bs that tend to damage audio quality.
Even though it is not necessary to use it all the time, if you are someone who is recording music and needs to have the perfect recorded voice, then you don’t need to look any further because this is the microphone for you.
Can I Use Pop Filters Outside Of Studio?
Pop filters are originally implemented to provide you with the best proximity effect and eliminate popping sounds that frequently appear when you are using microphones, and they won’t be of too much help if you are recording outside.
The audio you will get with it will be professional, and if you choose the ones with an extra layer, you will have a sound that will resemble those from the best studious in the world.
What Are Mic Windscreens?
Microphone windscreens work perfectly when you are recording vocals outside, and you need a tool that will eliminate obstacles like the moments when air hits and your sound gets broken or when you are referring to traffic.
The material in the mic windscreen is usually fur, foam, or some sort of gauze that has a large acoustic impedance and is the perfect option for outdoor recordings.
All microphones that are used outdoor need to have a foam cover or foam windscreen, and your entire microphone should have foam covers or foam filters if you want to make sure it will eliminate popping sounds and outdoor noise.
The foam material will break the air before it even reaches your microphone, so you won’t have to worry about wind or background noise.
Without microphone covers from woven nylon, metal mesh, or some other wind blowing materials, there is no way you will be able to reduce wind noise and eliminate all the sounds around you.
Microphone windscreens have low velocity changes that will create specific sound waves that will be able to traverse with little to no attenuation, which shows that their foam filters do the job without any obstacles.
All of these foam windscreen mics are carefully designed, and they make sure the entire microphone is covered with foam cover or some other wind noise material, so if you see that a microphone is marketed as the windscreen one, then it is, and it does its job.
However, if you are choosing ones with synthetic fur covers, you should make sure that it is only reducing background noise and not making your voice sound distant.
They tend to eliminate not only unwanted sounds but also higher frequencies, which can sometimes be your voice, so make sure you are choosing the right perforated material.
The best windscreen mics are those that are based on a nylon mesh material because these can dampen higher frequencies and completely ignore air blasts, keeping the high frequencies absolutely perfect.
On the other hand, the windscreen will also give you the best outdoor recording if you place it between you and the microphone, so never underestimate the power of good positioning.
Should I Put A Windscreen On My Mic?
These microphones need to be used in recommended surroundings, and even though the package says “universal windscreens,” it doesn’t mean that it will perform well indoors, especially if the perforated metal is not suitable.
Windscreens are called like that for a reason, and they are here to provide you with wind protection and eliminate unwanted noises from the street, but that’s all, so you can’t expect that it will have the same effect when it is used in front of singer’s mouth.
For that reason, if you are not filming outside, you don’t really need a windscreen and unless you are working in specified conditions, a foam windscreen definitely isn’t something you should be spending your money on.
Do You Need Both A Pop Filter And A Windscreen?
In general, these two things are used for completely different purposes, so most people won’t need both of them.
However, if you are someone who is podcasting or has their own Youtube channel, and sometimes you film outside, while at other times you are filming at home, then you maybe find it a good investment.
In my opinion, 99% of creators don’t need to have both of them, and if you know what your needs are and what are your working conditions like, you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars but rather choose one mic with a foam windscreen or pop filter.
What’s Better – Pop Filter Vs Windscreen?
If you are a streamer who is always at his home and doesn’t create content outside, then I believe you will be satisfied with a condenser mic that has a pop filter.
You will have a microphone with a mount stand, great audio quality, and a device that will eliminate all the background sound that may be coming from your game.
It will also keep the frequencies stable throughout the whole stream, so you won’t have to worry that your audience may not hear you well.
You can also do over anything you maybe don’t like, so I believe this is the best choice of microphone for all my fellow streamers out there.
