Materials other than moleskin, under/overcovers

[floodmix]

So far in my sound career I've learned to rely to moleskin, undercovers, and overcovers as the main mic buffering materials, but I was wondering if there are other similar materials people use out there? Sometimes because of the common curve-balls like chest hair, stubble, minimal warddrobe, things like that, I need a small and robust solution that combines the properties of both moleskin and the rycote products.

I'm going to experiment with flannel to cut up into small pieces. Also, if I can somehow find the overcover material in a small sheet so I can cut it up as I please, though maybe with shorter hair so its less bulky...

Cheers.

[RFsound]

As far as wind protection goes, I'm always trying to find new, cheaper materials to cover my lavs with. I even tried cutting the fingers off of some cheap Jersey Work Gloves once, but the wind protection wasn't the greatest. Here's the best thing I've found as an alternative for the Rycote Overcover material: go to a local fabric store and ask them for fur (fake, of course) trim. It comes in different color rolls, and you can get them to cut you a short piece to play around with. I found something pretty good at JoAnne's Fabrics. The backing is fairly soft and acoustically transparent and you can shorten the threads (hence less bulky) easily with a scissors. When I run out of stickies, I make my own using either Topstick or Hollywood Fashion tape.

[floodmix]

Awesome, thanks!

[Sound Art Film]

Corn pads also work well for forward addressed lavs. I also use double sided tape often I think the dpa style cover would work well and I plan on buying them with my future purchase of some 4060's.

[PelicanSound]

Kinesio Tek tape works as well as transpore..

[jason porter]

One trick that I picked here that isn't often discussed- tensor bandage over a hairy chest/sternum (multiple layers) with the lav sandwiched in between the layers.

There is the Micbra which attempts to do this, but I don't think it quite works as well.

[fieldmixer]

Mic bra is indeed weak. Buyers regret.

[Soundwil]

Thanks Jason P.

Simple and non destructive (to the hairs) solution.

[Marc Wielage]

I had to deal with a hairy-chest situation a couple of weeks ago, and was able to use some Overcovers on the mic and some double-stick tape to hold down the shirt in place. Virtually no issues at all. I let the actor pull off the tape later on, telling him I'd rather he cause himself pain than me causing him pain. 

 

I'm not sure there are materials beyond this, though I might try a Hush Lav foam cover next time to see if that makes any difference. In any case, the mic could still pick up "hair on shirt" noise, noise that's not caused at all by mic placement per se.

[sounddguy]

Mic bra is indeed weak. Buyers regret.

Used one this weekend but as a belt.  The dress wouldn't allow a bra strap position but pulled around the waist

it put the tx in the small of the back where there wasn't anything else substantial to clip to.

[berniebeaudry]

Mic bra is indeed weak. Buyers regret.

I thought that too but used one on a male with a light button up up shirt with at least the top three buttons open. The mic was a COS11d which fit nicely into the slot on the strap. We were out on a Zodiac boat so I also used an overcover for wind. The rig worked really well. Didn't get any wind noise or chest hair noise at all until the boat got going really fast and even then the only noise was when his shirt starting flapping. I taped the cable to the back side of the strap with Transpore and used it all week on him. It was a very quick way to wire him up. Most of the shirts he wore were light tee shirts or the lightweight button ups. Glad I brought it along on the trip.