Wind Protection Comparison
- RYCOTE Baby Ball Gag
- CINELA Cosi
- BUBBLEBEE INDUSTRIES Windkiller
First of all, I’d like to mention that I carried out this experiment with the aim of comparing different windjammers protections, in order to establish which configuration would be best suited to my future sound recordings. I thought it would be interesting to share this experience.
It’s not about advertising.
PURPOSE
The idea here is to compare two wind protection systems :
- STEREO set of 2 RYCOTE Baby Ball Gag
- STEREO set of 2 CINELA Cosi
The SONY PCM D100, mounted with a Windkiller from BubbleBee Industries, is included as an extra to test and see where its limits are. Although very handy for its size, this device can be sensitive to wind.
RECORDING IN THE FIELD
When it comes to recording sounds outdoors and experimenting with field recording, protecting the microphone against wind is crucial. It’s unfortunate to travel kilometers to record sounds only to find yourself technically unable to do so, even though that’s also part of the experience.
In my specific case, I use multi-microphone systems, which involve a longer setup time than stereo installation, as well as a heavier system handling to manage. That’s why I questioned myself about the choice of the most suitable equipment for my practice.
MY EXPERIENCE
I started my multichannel recordings with a set of 5 RYCOTE Baby Balls Gag, and later upgraded to a set of 5 CINELA Cosi windjammers.
It’s through my field recording experience and the time spent in the field that I made this choice.
Initially, I had to install the 5 Sennheiser MKH 8090 microphones into the Rycote protections, and I encountered a first detail. Since the microphones were short, I had to take the time to install them in the right place within the windshield, being careful not to push them in too much to avoid getting them too close to the grid. At that point, the XLR cable base was fixed at the microphone suspension level.
This setup proved effective and worked very well. However, the introduction of the Cosi suspensions has improved my practice in the right direction.
With the microphones directly mounted in the suspension, which also serves as a wind protection, both setup and use are simplified.
Certainly, the price difference between the two systems is quite significant, especially when considering getting 5 of them as in my case. But if I made this choice, it’s for practical reasons. The installation time is much shorter with the Cosi, and handling is easier too. It’s simpler for me to remove and reinstall the Cosi suspensions because microphones are directly installed inside, I just need to position or remove the suspension, and that’s it. This is a time saver.
With this in mind, I wanted to compare the sound of the both suspensions sets, to determine if the wind resistance was the same or not. That’s the purpose of this comparison.
Video illustration of the installation of a Sennheiser mkh 8090 in a Cosi and in a Rycote Baby Ball
YOUR TURN TO LISTEN
The main goal of this comparison is to listen the both stereo sets RYCOTE and CINELA.
The recordings have detailed metadata and similar lenght to simplify the process of comparison.
So now, you can download and listen to these files and comment on all the differences you find between these different sets. Remember that these sounds are free and can be used without issues.
- STEREO set of Sennheiser MKH 8090 protected by RYCOTE Baby Balls Gag and Windjammers, suspended by Rycote Invision mounts
- STEREO set of Sennheiser MKH 8090 protected by CINELA Cosi
SONY PCM D100 protected by a Windkiller windscreen from BubbleBee Industries (as extra)
FEATURES
- 27 Sounds / Over 1 Hours
- 96 kHz / 24 Bits
- Extensive Metadata UCS Compliant
- Stereo 2.0 sounds available
RECORDING GEAR
- RECORDER : Sound Devices Mix Pre 10 II, Sony PCM D100
- MICROPHONES : 4x Sennheiser 8090, Sony PCM D100 internal mics
ADDITIONNAL INFO
- Files classified by takes and locations to simplify the research
- Files of the same length depending on takes and locations
Did you find these sounds useful ? Let me know in the comments below !
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1 thought on “Wind Protection Comparison”
Great test! I’ve downloaded your sounds and it appears to me that the cinela are above the rycote in terms of clarity in the highs and high mids. Also, Cinela has a better smoothness in the low range, the wind gusts are less prone to overload the mics inside the protection in your tests. I must say the Cinela cosi seems better to render the sound clarity and realism of the scene.