Good Wind Protection?

[platolovescaves]

Hi everyone,

I am a sound mixer based out of LA and I just did a couple of shoots in the desert with really really high winds. By the end of the first shoot, my boom op and I managed to get some decently clean boom recordings (a couple of windjammers and some prayer), but the lavs would still get hit no matter what we did. As soon as I returned, I bought every type of lav wind protection they sell, but once we got on that second show, as soon as those big gusts hit, we could hear it destroying our gorgeous lav sound.

Of course, the first thing I did when tackling the problem was look it up on the jwsound forums, but I didn't find any techniques that worked.

Does anybody have any ideas for really high winds?

Thanks,

-danny

[RPSharman]

If you have a direct hit from big desert winds, there's not much you can do that doesn't muffle the sound or make the lav hard to hide.

You just need to get lucky or stick to the boom.

I have found that if the wind is sufficient to destroy your track, it's usually bad for camera too.

Robert

[ProSound]

If your using cos-11 take cotton from tip of Qtip and insert it into small metal windscreen then install windscreen on mic then trying using it with Rycote Overcovers. If that isn't enough instead of Overcovers go buy some felt from craft store in Black and White . I sew small 2inx2in pouches with flap on bottom, Insert mic with metal windscreen into pouch secure flat with topstick then moleskin to body or put in pleat of button up shirt or golf shirt.

I have used felt pouches on boats in terrible winds with great success

[jason porter]

Here is my 2 options for lavs in wind.

1- Rycote lav windjammer. Big and bulky but effective

2- a COS-11 & mesh windscreen in an RM- 11 with a Rycote Overcover tucked into the top of the RM-11 to surround the mic. Smallish and effective.

[stevegrider]

Sometimes if I am in a high wind location, I will push my Sanken lavs down into the RM 11 so the wind can't get at the element. It does alter the sound, but it is usable compared to the alternative. I don't know what kind of lavs you use, Sankens and B6s will work in the rubber mount.

[BVS]

Try this...

http://www.bubblebeeindustries.com/index.php?id=32

BVS

[platolovescaves]

Thanks! Great ideas.

I had that same idea, ProSound. I was gonna take some leftover duvetine and make little pockets lined with moleskin interiors. Felt just seems way cheaper and easier. Nice.

Unfortunately, BVS, we had the bubblebee and it didn't work. We had the smaller one, though. For the B6s or COS-11s without the windscreens. I think we would have had better results with the larger one so I can use the mesh windscreen in addition. I picked one up and have a feature in the desert next month. We'll see if it does some good out there.

The only useable rig we had was when we got real creative and shoved a COS-11 with a bubblebee inside of a tightly wrapped cotton boot cover for shoes and topped off with a piece of moleskin over the opening. It was about the size of a fist, but the wardrobe gave us a lot of play and it worked. Unfortunately, on any typical wardrobe it would have been way to visable (she was in a wolf costume).

[Wandering Ear]

I have a couple of the rycote and koala lav fur balls (can't remember their actual name) that I modified and mounted on a vampire clip for high wind work. They are bulky, and a bit scratchy when hidden, but I used them on a history channel show with vets bungee jumping off a 300? Ft. Bridge, and the wind noise was minimal. These days I have better luck with over covers, I get less clothing noise, but I pull out my furry vampires when the winds get really high. For me in that situation, the talent is usually wearing a big coat or something easy for me to hide the bulky thing in. Might not be the same in the desert.

Good luck

http://wanderingear.net