Moderators davie Posted September 21, 2018 Moderators Share Posted September 21, 2018 I tend to keep my mics out and use foam windscreens to protect them from dust, but do you think a foam windscreen is good for protecting mics (eg. small condenser) from humidity? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted September 22, 2018 Moderators Share Posted September 22, 2018 temporarily maybe, but it is open foam, meaning it can absorb water like a sponge... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 I tend to keep my mics out and use foam windscreens to protect them from dust' date=' but do you think a foam windscreen is good for protecting mics (eg. small condenser) from humidity?[/quote'] Get a plastic bag and use that as a cover instead of using the foam windscreen. It will be far more effective as a "dust cover" than the foam. Tape a small packet of silica gel inside the bag to absorb moisture. Again, that will be much more effective than the foam - the foam itself may have moisture in it - especially if you were using it and singing into it recently.... so if you have, remove it and allow it to air out separately before covering the mic with the plastic bag. Another issue with foam windscreens - they eventually break down and start falling apart, which can result in "foam dust" - which is something you want to keep away from your delicate condenser capsules... so do yourself a favor and ditch the foam and get yourself a Stedman pop filter or a nylon "disc" type pop filter and use that instead. The only time I ever use foam windscreens anymore is when I absolutely have to due to highly windy conditions or when wind and plosives are particularly problematic - in which case I'll double up and use the foam along with a Stedman pop filter. And I always check the foam to make sure it's in good condition first, before putting it on the mic... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikeo Posted September 24, 2018 Members Share Posted September 24, 2018 Get a plastic bag and use that as a cover instead of using the foam windscreen. It will be far more effective as a "dust cover" than the foam. Tape a small packet of silica gel inside the bag to absorb moisture. Again, that will be much more effective than the foam - the foam itself may have moisture in it - especially if you were using it and singing into it recently.... so if you have, remove it and allow it to air out separately before covering the mic with the plastic bag. Another issue with foam windscreens - they eventually break down and start falling apart, which can result in "foam dust" - which is something you want to keep away from your delicate condenser capsules... so do yourself a favor and ditch the foam and get yourself a Stedman pop filter or a nylon "disc" type pop filter and use that instead. The only time I ever use foam windscreens anymore is when I absolutely have to due to highly windy conditions or when wind and plosives are particularly problematic - in which case I'll double up and use the foam along with a Stedman pop filter. And I always check the foam to make sure it's in good condition first, before putting it on the mic... If I leave a mic out for a while, I cover them with plastic zippy bags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 If I leave a mic out for a while, I cover them with plastic zippy bags. That's what I use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bill5 Posted September 25, 2018 Members Share Posted September 25, 2018 Yeah foam caps are IMO about as useful as a kickstand on a tank in most cases, in all cases for studio use; for a live performance on a windy day maybe, about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members chris carter Posted September 30, 2018 Members Share Posted September 30, 2018 I would not cover them with foam windscreens as they break down over time and condenser mics tend to keep a charge which could attract the particles. I cover mics with plastic sandwich or ziploc bags. I also put away mics that have foam liners in the cases with plastic sandwich bags. Actually, for the condenser I leave up all the time, I use the pleather Sony headphone bag to cover it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 I would not cover them with foam windscreens as they break down over time and condenser mics tend to keep a charge which could attract the particles. I cover mics with plastic sandwich or ziploc bags. I also put away mics that have foam liners in the cases with plastic sandwich bags. Actually' date=' for the condenser I leave up all the time, I use the pleather Sony headphone bag to cover it. [/quote'] Yeah, the foam dust from an old foam windscreen is definitely something you want to keep away from your microphones. I've used vinyl headphone bags to cover mics before too, and they work fine for that if the mic is small enough... but usually I use Ziploc bags since they're available in larger sizes that can fit over both a large mic and its shockmount. I've seen other people who use Crown Royal cloth bags, although I'm not sure if I'd recommend that or not... they may be permeable - which is fine for letting moisture dissipate without the need for a silica gel packet, but it could allow dust to pass through them.They might even create dust themselves from the velvet deteriorating over time. There are some custom made mic bags out there (I've seen them on Ebay), but they're generally pretty expensive. Plastic bags are cheap and work just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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