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Rycote Cyclone vs. Modular windshield


SWDuncan

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Hi All - I'm looking at getting a blimp specifically for the Audio Technica BP4025, and Rycote suggests either the WS 3 modular windshield or the Cyclone medium. They're $20 apart in price. The WS 3 is smaller and probably lighter, but does the cyclone have an advantage wind-wise? Anyone have experience with both?

 

Thanks!

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The advantage wind-wise is slightly better, as the cyclone has an overall bigger corpus and offers a more advanced outer surface when oerating without fur. This is my subjective experience with a WS4 and a large Cyclone.

A more notable advantage is that the Cyclones produces significantly less handling noise than the WS kits and is a lot easier/quiter to operate on a boom.

This is due to the Cyclones main feature that the corpus is isolated from from the booms structure-borne noise, whereas with the WS Kits and many similar products the corpus produces a resonance body to those noises.

 

$20 seems low and does not correspond to offers here in Europe. Keep in mind, that most offers for the Cyclone do not include a windjammer/fur.

 

EDIT:

Just checked, the BP4025 is an XY stereo,I mistook it with the 4027/4029. I guess you'd probably won't mount that on a boom regularly.

If I'd look for a windscreen for such a (fixed) mic, I'd consider if get the most out of the buck with the RØDE Blimp or even cheaper Chinese products.

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Thanks for the reply!

 

You're right, the fur is extra. I was assuming that the cyclone was as effective without fur as the regular stuff was with fur - this seems to be what Rycote is saying, is it what you have seen as well?

 

If so I can accept paying more for the fur if I decide if I need it. 

 

I'm in the US, and the WS 3 XLR-5F kit, 086069 is $629 and the Stereo Cyclone 089130 is $649, without fur. I was assuming that the cyclone was as effective without fur as the regular stuff was with fur, and I can accept paying more for the fur if I decide if I need it. 

 

The cyclone is 15mm longer, 60mm wider. The weight isn't so clear - medium cyclone is 647g, but there's no weight shown for a WS3. The WS4 is 700g, I'm assuming that includes the fur.

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18 hours ago, SWDuncan said:

Hi All - I'm looking at getting a blimp specifically for the Audio Technica BP4025, and Rycote suggests either the WS 3 modular windshield or the Cyclone medium. They're $20 apart in price. The WS 3 is smaller and probably lighter, but does the cyclone have an advantage wind-wise? Anyone have experience with both?

 

Thanks!

Why not a BBG?

https://mymic.rycote.com/devices/at-8022-bp-4025/

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5 hours ago, SWDuncan said:

I was assuming that the cyclone was as effective without fur as the regular stuff was with fur - this seems to be what Rycote is saying, is it what you have seen as well?

Well, no, here is my experience within the Rycote world (or others) ignoring anything regarding attenuation, linearity or whatever "issues" from bad to good:

Naked mic

Mic + foam

Mic + foam + some fur sock

Mic + some Softie (I have not encountered the fabric surfaced softies very much. so I can't say anything about the furry vs the fabric ones)

Mic within some old school corpus / "basket" like the WS series, the blimp and others

The Cyclone and the Piano/Pianissimo

The same as previous, but covered with some fur.

 

However, you did not enlighten us, what you want to achieve with your mic, so it is hard to recommend anything. And there is much more than wind regarding general workflow.

 

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21 hours ago, TVPostSound said:

That's what I have now. It works pretty well, but I recently had some whistling from the wind through the suspension of the Rycote mount, and the string with toggle on the furry that goes with the BBG has a habit of getting loose and banging against things and making noise. Last but not least, the the mic tends to get rotated/moved, and sometimes things snag the cable. In short, it works for blocking the wind most of the time but is fiddly. I hate fur. It's always getting caught in the zipper of whatever bag I put it in, unless I take it off the basket and turn it inside out but then it's a few minutes of getting it back on. 

 

DanieldH - I'm making recordings for my own use, usually (but not always) on outings where collecting sound isn't the primary purpose. Ambiences, the sounds of vacation, simply interesting stuff. Not sound for film, ENG, etc. Most of the time the mic is stationary or handheld, not being moved much (as it would be for booming on dialog I'm guessing). 

 

I have a BP4025 which is what I use 90% of the time. I also have a BP4029 that I'd like to use more often, but it won't work with the BBG I already have, and the BP4025 is too heavy for the suspension in the Rode blimp the BP4029 lives in. Since sound is usually secondary two blimps is one too many.

 

So, the WS3 would probably fit both mics (not ideal for the BP4029), would probably work pretty well, but will probably need fur most of the time and changing mics is probably not as easy as the Cyclone. The cyclone is larger, maybe less fiddly, and the difference in spec between both mics is just the suspension. The cyclone does not come with a hand grip, which is a bit of a minus, but I can get an accessory grip.

 

 

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My Cyclone (large) works for me in medium winds without fur, but it is good to have one if the wind becomes heavier.

If you go down the Cyclone route, you might consider the large one as it fits your BP4029 better, optionally with a duo-lyre72 for the 4025.

 

Maybe an option for you, there is a hack to make Rycote lyres work in the current Rode Blimp, so you could fit the 4025 in it, e.g. with a duo-lyre72.

Also, there is a DIY project for a BBG style solution:

https://www.zachpoff.com/resources/mic-windscreen-for-at-bp4025/

 

 

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