John Blankenship Posted September 7, 2014 Report Share Posted September 7, 2014 Based on the many units I've owened over the years, Rycote zeppelins are superior to the Lightwave version. Rycote is a fine company with lots of good solutions to choose from. That also describes the majority of other companies that cater to our profession. Most professionals choose tools that work for them and understand that others do the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Gilbert Posted September 7, 2014 Report Share Posted September 7, 2014 I'm with Robert, I've used more or less everything on the market and will always come back to Rycote. My first WS4 is still going strong after 20 years (a Lyre upgrade and a new exterior cover and it's performing better than ever. Rycote innovate and make my life easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted September 7, 2014 Report Share Posted September 7, 2014 Chris: " more accurate rendition of that would be... " yes, I knew Les Driver, and yes, Chris' version is accurate... and some of you think it is a snap to go into business serving this finicky crowd, and the profits just roll in... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted September 7, 2014 Report Share Posted September 7, 2014 My Lightwave stuff was good quality but did not take location abuse as well as Rycote. But my main Lightwave zep, a small zep for the Neumann RSM 190, had no equivalent in Rycote (their's was too big to hike etc with) and worked well until I wore it out. In those days the Lightwave windrat had a "crewcut" ie very shot hair, and was not enough protection for higher wind situations esp when recording quiet ambiences and SFX. Lightwave made a custom "over-rat" for me --same fabric as the original but sized to fit over the original rat. This worked well enough to use in quite windy conditions even with the gain cranked up. Good folks. philp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundtrane Posted September 7, 2014 Report Share Posted September 7, 2014 <and some of you think it is a snap to go into business serving this finicky crowd, and the profits just roll in...>> oh, oh, and oh... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VASI Posted September 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2014 Maybe a product like a Super-Softie with 3D-Tex material, but in the windshield line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RadoStefanov Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 Have not heard anything about the super softie yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriswoolf Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 Have not heard anything about the super softie yet. The Super Softie was introduced at NAB this year. It takes the concept of the original "Classic" Softie - a cavity windshield without a rigid internal structure - but replaces the fur with 3D-tex. Fur is a remarkably good material for breaking up the turbulence that generates noise at the surface of a windshield, but it does suffer from having a little less consistency in manufacture than is ideal, and its attributes deteriorate with age. It also has an unflattering resemblance to road-kill when wet. 3D-tex is a specialised material that can be designed to have particular qualities. Each surface, plus the core, can be engineered independently, and this can be done with great consistency and precision. It also recovers pretty quickly after being soaked, returning to the original performance without needing the attention of a hair-dresser. The Super Softie has a new shape too, to improve size/performance ratio, and to help with some acoustic behaviour. 3D-tex liberates the design from a number of constraints, and while fur will probably play a useful role in windshielding for a long time, the new material is a powerful addition in the battle against wind noise. Chris Woolf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VASI Posted September 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 Have not heard anything about the super softie yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RadoStefanov Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 The Super Softie was introduced at NAB this year. It takes the concept of the original "Classic" Softie - a cavity windshield without a rigid internal structure - but replaces the fur with 3D-tex. Fur is a remarkably good material for breaking up the turbulence that generates noise at the surface of a windshield, but it does suffer from having a little less consistency in manufacture than is ideal, and its attributes deteriorate with age. It also has an unflattering resemblance to road-kill when wet. 3D-tex is a specialised material that can be designed to have particular qualities. Each surface, plus the core, can be engineered independently, and this can be done with great consistency and precision. It also recovers pretty quickly after being soaked, returning to the original performance without needing the attention of a hair-dresser. The Super Softie has a new shape too, to improve size/performance ratio, and to help with some acoustic behaviour. 3D-tex liberates the design from a number of constraints, and while fur will probably play a useful role in windshielding for a long time, the new material is a powerful addition in the battle against wind noise. Chris Woolf do you work for rycote? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 rado: " do you work for rycote? " we all know that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fieldmixer Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 Cyclone Video part2 http://vimeo.com/m/105572205 New windshield. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriswoolf Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 do you work for rycote? I've worked ~with~ Rycote for many years. Given that I acquired an Academy Technical Award with them many years ago I didn't think anyone on this list was unaware of my connection. They don't own me - I'm not an employeee - it's an entirely cooperative arrangement. I like designing and testing stuff for them, they like what I do. We can part company anytime we like, but the fact that we haven't over many years is because the mutuality of the arrangement works. I run my own business and work independently, but I like the sort of company that Rycote is, and the way they do business. However I have always valued my freedom to be honest, and not have to follow a party line, above anything else. When testing designs scientifically I don't believe there is any other way. Does that answer the question? Chris Woolf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bash Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 On the subject of testing scientifically...... I found myself at the Kirkaldy Testing Museum in Southwark, London (near London Bridge if you are not a local) yesterday. fascinating Victorian engineering works where they built a machine so large that they had to construct the machine first, and the building around it, in order to 'test' materials and test arts for many of the bridges that were built in those times over the Thames. It is a fascinating machine, nearly 50 ft long, that can stretch or compress or bend the part being tested, using water as a source of power, and able to exert a force of 750 tons (iirc) on the part. it is a museum now, but the testing machine still works, and they still put metal into it and break stuff. Oh hw we loved it..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason A Posted September 9, 2014 Report Share Posted September 9, 2014 Pretty disappointed in the Super Softie performance vs the Classic Softie. I've A/B'd it in a few situations (with a CMIT) and the Classic has won every time. The Super was letting wind through in some pretty low wind situations as well. Just a heads up. The Super Softie was introduced at NAB this year. It takes the concept of the original "Classic" Softie - a cavity windshield without a rigid internal structure - but replaces the fur with 3D-tex. Fur is a remarkably good material for breaking up the turbulence that generates noise at the surface of a windshield, but it does suffer from having a little less consistency in manufacture than is ideal, and its attributes deteriorate with age. It also has an unflattering resemblance to road-kill when wet. 3D-tex is a specialised material that can be designed to have particular qualities. Each surface, plus the core, can be engineered independently, and this can be done with great consistency and precision. It also recovers pretty quickly after being soaked, returning to the original performance without needing the attention of a hair-dresser. The Super Softie has a new shape too, to improve size/performance ratio, and to help with some acoustic behaviour. 3D-tex liberates the design from a number of constraints, and while fur will probably play a useful role in windshielding for a long time, the new material is a powerful addition in the battle against wind noise. Chris Woolf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomhead Posted September 9, 2014 Report Share Posted September 9, 2014 Thank you Bash for the your excellent post. It's the payoff for making it all the way through this thread. Seriously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriswoolf Posted September 9, 2014 Report Share Posted September 9, 2014 Pretty disappointed in the Super Softie performance vs the Classic Softie. I've A/B'd it in a few situations (with a CMIT) and the Classic has won every time. The Super was letting wind through in some pretty low wind situations as well. Just a heads up. Can you contact me off-list about that? What you are finding doesn't match my testing, so I'd like to explore the problem further. Chris Woolf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VASI Posted September 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OmahaAudio Posted September 9, 2014 Report Share Posted September 9, 2014 rado: " Cinela. " ah.... then Rycote does not have a monopoly. A company can have competition and still hold an effective monopoly of the market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OmahaAudio Posted September 9, 2014 Report Share Posted September 9, 2014 Have not heard anything about the super softie yet. I have a Super Softie and it's fantastic. It looks kinda weird, but then so does a softie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted September 9, 2014 Report Share Posted September 9, 2014 (edited) I'm guessing Vas is really hooked on this new release... Edited September 9, 2014 by studiomprd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angelo Waldron Posted September 9, 2014 Report Share Posted September 9, 2014 Creating a "mystic" about a microphone blimp isn't going to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted September 9, 2014 Report Share Posted September 9, 2014 Creating a "mystic" about a microphone blimp isn't going to work. You mean like getting people to discuss and speculate about an upcoming release on an online forum? What a preposterous notion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angelo Waldron Posted September 9, 2014 Report Share Posted September 9, 2014 Yes, that works, but they need to show the product. Who do they think they are anyway... Apple? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RadoStefanov Posted September 9, 2014 Report Share Posted September 9, 2014 I see Rycote incorporated the Cinela like "cable inserts in the middle" design. rycote users will be very happy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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