Pop filter
Encyclopedia
A pop filter or pop shield is an anti-pop noise
protection filter for microphone
s, typically used in a recording studio
. It serves to reduce or eliminate 'popping' sounds caused by the mechanical impact of fast moving air on the microphone during recorded speech and singing. It can also protect against the accumulation of saliva
on the microphone element. Salts in human saliva are corrosive
and thus use of a pop filter may prolong the life of the microphone.
A typical pop filter is composed of one or more layers of acoustically semi-transparent material such as woven nylon
stretched over a circular frame, and often includes a clamp and a flexible mounting bracket. Metal pop filters use a fine mesh metal screen in place of the nylon. An improvised pop shield, functionally identical to the professional units, can be made with material from tights
or stockings stretched over a kitchen sieve
, embroidery hoop
or a loop of wire
such as a bent coat hanger
. It is important that the pop shield is not attached directly to the microphone as vibrations will be transmitted from the shield to the mic.
Popping sounds occur particularly in the pronunciation of aspirated
plosives (such as the first 'p' in the English word "popping"). Pop filters are designed to attenuate the energy of plosive, which otherwise might exceed the design input capacity of the microphone, leading to clipping
. Pop filters do not appreciably affect hissing sounds or sibilance, which is why de-essers are used instead.
A pop filter differs from a microphone windscreen. Pop filters are generally used in a studio environment, while windscreens are typically used outdoors. Windscreens are also used by vocalists on stage to reduce plosives and saliva, though they may not be as acoustically transparent as a studio pop filter.
Noise
In common use, the word noise means any unwanted sound. In both analog and digital electronics, noise is random unwanted perturbation to a wanted signal; it is called noise as a generalisation of the acoustic noise heard when listening to a weak radio transmission with significant electrical noise...
protection filter for microphone
Microphone
A microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. In 1877, Emile Berliner invented the first microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter...
s, typically used in a recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
. It serves to reduce or eliminate 'popping' sounds caused by the mechanical impact of fast moving air on the microphone during recorded speech and singing. It can also protect against the accumulation of saliva
Saliva
Saliva , referred to in various contexts as spit, spittle, drivel, drool, or slobber, is the watery substance produced in the mouths of humans and most other animals. Saliva is a component of oral fluid. In mammals, saliva is produced in and secreted from the three pairs of major salivary glands,...
on the microphone element. Salts in human saliva are corrosive
Corrosive
A corrosive substance is one that will destroy or irreversibly damage another surface or substance with which it comes into contact. The main hazards to people include damage to the eyes, the skin, and the tissue under the skin; inhalation or ingestion of a corrosive substance can damage the...
and thus use of a pop filter may prolong the life of the microphone.
Nylon
Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers known generically as polyamides, first produced on February 28, 1935, by Wallace Carothers at DuPont's research facility at the DuPont Experimental Station...
stretched over a circular frame, and often includes a clamp and a flexible mounting bracket. Metal pop filters use a fine mesh metal screen in place of the nylon. An improvised pop shield, functionally identical to the professional units, can be made with material from tights
Tights
Tights are a kind of cloth leg garment, most often sheathing the body from about the waist to the feet with a more or less tight fit, hence the name....
or stockings stretched over a kitchen sieve
Sieve
A sieve, or sifter, separates wanted elements from unwanted material using a woven screen such as a mesh or net. However, in cooking, especially with flour, a sifter is used to aerate the substance, among other things. A strainer is a type of sieve typically used to separate a solid from a liquid...
, embroidery hoop
Embroidery hoop
Embroidery hoops and frames are tools used to keep fabric taut while working embroidery or other forms of needlework.-Hoops:An embroidery hoop or tambour frame consists of a pair of concentric circular or elliptical rings. The larger ring has a tightening device, usually in the form of a metal...
or a loop of wire
Wire
A wire is a single, usually cylindrical, flexible strand or rod of metal. Wires are used to bear mechanical loads and to carry electricity and telecommunications signals. Wire is commonly formed by drawing the metal through a hole in a die or draw plate. Standard sizes are determined by various...
such as a bent coat hanger
Clothes hanger
A clothes hanger, coat hanger or coathanger, is a device in the shape of:* Human shoulders designed to facilitate the hanging of a coat, jacket, sweater, shirt, blouse or dress in a manner that prevents wrinkles, with a lower bar for the hanging of trousers or skirts.* Clamp for the hanging of...
. It is important that the pop shield is not attached directly to the microphone as vibrations will be transmitted from the shield to the mic.
Popping sounds occur particularly in the pronunciation of aspirated
Aspiration (phonetics)
In phonetics, aspiration is the strong burst of air that accompanies either the release or, in the case of preaspiration, the closure of some obstruents. To feel or see the difference between aspirated and unaspirated sounds, one can put a hand or a lit candle in front of one's mouth, and say pin ...
plosives (such as the first 'p' in the English word "popping"). Pop filters are designed to attenuate the energy of plosive, which otherwise might exceed the design input capacity of the microphone, leading to clipping
Clipping (audio)
Clipping is a form of waveform distortion that occurs when an amplifier is overdriven and attempts to deliver an output voltage or current beyond its maximum capability...
. Pop filters do not appreciably affect hissing sounds or sibilance, which is why de-essers are used instead.
A pop filter differs from a microphone windscreen. Pop filters are generally used in a studio environment, while windscreens are typically used outdoors. Windscreens are also used by vocalists on stage to reduce plosives and saliva, though they may not be as acoustically transparent as a studio pop filter.