Pop Filters

[Joe[_13_]]

I just started a project with a male singer with very bad plosives. My
generic pop filter didn't work, although it has worked with every other
singer I have recorded. Even tried double filters (space between the
two) which helped but some pops still made it through. I also
experimented with different mic positions, but that introduced other
problems as he was playing live with an Ukulele. The mic is a Mojave
Audio MA-200. I think I may just need a better pop filter. I have been
looking at the Stedman Proscreen XL and the Shure PS6. Any experience
with either of these two, or a better one? Thoughts on metal type vs
cloth?
Aloha
Joe
Maui HI

[Scott Dorsey]

Joe > wrote:
>I just started a project with a male singer with very bad plosives. My
>generic pop filter didn't work, although it has worked with every other
>singer I have recorded. Even tried double filters (space between the
>two) which helped but some pops still made it through. I also
>experimented with different mic positions, but that introduced other
>problems as he was playing live with an Ukulele. The mic is a Mojave
>Audio MA-200. I think I may just need a better pop filter. I have been
>looking at the Stedman Proscreen XL and the Shure PS6. Any experience
>with either of these two, or a better one? Thoughts on metal type vs
>cloth?

Try a figure-8 mike. Pull it farther back. Put the ukulele in the null.
Raise it up so he has to crane his neck up a bit to get to it.

Alternately, give him an SM-57 on-axis and the Mojave about 45 degrees
off his mouth, and pulled back. Have him sing into the SM-57, which isn't
plugged into anything, and use the output of the Mojave.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[dwgriffi]

On Jun 30, 2:42*pm, Joe > wrote:

> Even tried double filters (space between the
> two) which helped but some pops still made it through.


Not familiar with the mic, so it may be extra sensitive to plosives,
in which case you want to look for an alternative. If you've tried
double filters with space, the expensive boutique screens won't give
any better result. I've used the Stedman and other well designed
screens, and they don't prevent pops if someone keeps delivering the
mothers of all pops. They're just nice, effective pop filters, they
don't really give magically different results, and I certainly didn't
get the sense that they'd give THAT much a better result than what
you've already tried.

Sounds like this chap just has to have air coming out when he sings
and plays at the same time. Not really that surprising, since the act
of talking or singing with no air coming out of your mouth at any time
is crazily unnatural.

You just won't be able to mic him as closely as you'd like, but, hey,
that's life : )

[Mike Rivers]

Joe wrote:

> looking at the Stedman Proscreen XL and the Shure PS6. Any experience
> with either of these two, or a better one? Thoughts on metal type vs
> cloth?

I have a Stedman that works really well and doesn't seem to do too much
damage. It works by directing the air blast away from the axis of the
microphone
rather than just slowing it down.

The Pauly pop filter sold by Las Vegas Pro Audio is very effective and very
transparent, but at $150 and up, you'd better be well paid for this job or
hope he'll turn in to a repeat customer.

http://www.lasvegasproaudio.com/pasu.html

--
If you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring and reach
me here:
double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo -- I'm really Mike Rivers
)

[Ethan Winer[_3_]]

On Jun 30, 2:42 pm, Joe > wrote:
> I just started a project with a male singer with very bad plosives.

Maybe I'm a dinosaur, but I've never needed or used a pop filter. If a
singer pops I just move the microphone off to the side a bit, out of
the way of the air blast. I've also put the microphone totally to the
side of a singer's face. As long as you keep it near to their mouth
the sound will be close-up and intimate.

--Ethan

[Joe[_13_]]

Ethan Winer wrote:
> On Jun 30, 2:42 pm, Joe > wrote:
>> I just started a project with a male singer with very bad plosives.
>
> Maybe I'm a dinosaur, but I've never needed or used a pop filter. If a
> singer pops I just move the microphone off to the side a bit, out of
> the way of the air blast. I've also put the microphone totally to the
> side of a singer's face. As long as you keep it near to their mouth
> the sound will be close-up and intimate.
>
> --Ethan
Aloha Ethan
Yes I have thought about that and even tried it, but the problem I have
is that he plays Ukelele while he is singing and I need to maximize the
vocal to uke signal ratio. I am trying to get him to play the uke (it
has a pick up) and sing a scratch track for the vocal and go back and
re-track the vocals. If I can do that I have a lot more freedom with the
mic position. Since he does solo performances, he has essentially always
played while singing. So getting him to track the vocal separately is
not a given. This may sound strange, but I have run into this before
here on Maui.

Scott suggested a fig 8 pattern with the Uke in a null which would no
doubt work , but would make placement a bit more critical.

[Laurence Payne[_2_]]

On Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:58:15 -1000, Joe >
wrote:

>the problem I have
>is that he plays Ukelele while he is singing and I need to maximize the
>vocal to uke signal ratio. I am trying to get him to play the uke (it
>has a pick up) and sing a scratch track for the vocal and go back and
>re-track the vocals. If I can do that I have a lot more freedom with the
>mic position. Since he does solo performances, he has essentially always
>played while singing. So getting him to track the vocal separately is
>not a given. This may sound strange, but I have run into this before
>here on Maui.

Try giving him a mic to suck (to keep him in one place) but record a
stereo pair a little distance back. If this is a traditional
wood-bodied uke (as I infer from your location) you should be able to
find a spot with a good uke/voice balance. Record the uke pickup if
you like, but I hope you wouldn't need to use it.

If it's ine of those uke-banjo things, live gets a bit harder. They're
LOUD, and you can't keep them out of any mic within 20 feet :-)