Yes, I have heard all those jokes about Wind but seriously wind is a huge problem when recording outside. The slightest gust of wind can ruin your recording.

When recording outside a Windjammer is an essential item to have. A windjammer is basically synthetic fur that covers the Microphone. It disperses the wind and prevents it from hitting the Sensitive Microphone Diaphragm.

I also often use a windjammer when recording dialogue as I find it more effective and less intrusive than a Pop Shield.

Pop shields are placed in front of the microphone and are designed to catch Plosives that are created when we speak.  You can feel plosives if you put your hand 4-6 inches away from your face and then speak. A plosive is a blast of air from the speaker’s mouth most prominent on P’s and B’s. Without a pop shield these hit the sensitive microphone diaphragm and ruin your recording with a loud thumping sound.

There are also foam shields. These too cover the microphone and although they protect it against some pops and gentle wind they are not very effective at eliminating wind or plosives. They are typically used in radio studios where the mic is situated relatively far from the presenter (6-8 inches). In these situations the foam can be enough to capture any stray plosives

Final thought

If you are taking my advice and purchasing a recorder from Zoom there are a number of windjammers on the market by leading manufacturers. For some reason though, these types of items always seem rather expensive for what they are. I have used them, but to be honest the best windjammer I purchased was hand-made by Rick Clarke of Wolf Windsheilds. It was also cheaper than leading brands.

If you are a DIYer, Rick even shows you how to make a wind shield on YouTube.

Image Credits

1. Wolf Windshields
2. Galak76
3. dv247.com

Read Video Soundtracks on a Budget – Part 6: Recording and Syncing Your Video and Audio