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Best Microphone Accessories | Buying Guide : Things to consider while buying a Microphone Accessories

Microphone Windscreens & Pop Filters

A microphone windscreen is essentially a wind filter that completely encompasses a microphone capsule (and more often than not the entire microphone). Instead of the wind hitting the hard surfaces or diaphragm of microphone, which causes noise, it hits the windscreen which is designed to dissipate the energy and eliminate as much noise as possible.

Microphone windscreens usually cover the entire microphone, but there are three basic types:

• Windjammers: Synthetic fur covers — also called a “dead cat,” “wind muff,” windjammers, or windsocks — are slipped on to cover shotgun and condenser microphones when recording outdoors.
• Foam: There are also windscreens that come in the form of a foam cover. Commonly made of polyurethane, the density of foam windscreens determine its efficiency in blocking wind.
• Baskets/Blimps: You’ll also come across the terms baskets or blimps, which are essentially made of mesh material with a thin inner foam layer that covers the entire microphone like a pill but provides an open-air chamber between it and the microphone.

Why do you need foam mic covers?

Microphone Windscreens protect your wireless microphone headsets from excessive moisture and improve the sound quality of your microphone by eliminating the “pops” at high volumes, breath sounds, and wind noise. They help protect your microphone and act as barriers against dust and debris.

How do you find the right size foam?

Simply find your mic from the list below and click on the link to find the perfect, snug fit designed for your microphone. For major brands you can choose from our SupremeFit™ Foams, Factory Original Foams, or Generic Foams.

On the other hand, pop filters or pop screens are used mostly indoors to improve the quality of your recorded voice. Instead of covering the microphone, they are smaller and often placed at a safe distance between the capturing side of the microphone and the speaker.

The metal or soft, stocking-like mesh of the pop filter is designed for maximum transparency while reducing popping sounds or plosives (p, b, t, k, g, d) when you sing or talk. By shielding breath blasts, you won’t sound like you’re spitting into the mic. Pop filters also come in different shapes (usually circular or a curved rectangle) but they essentially work the same way. The thinner mesh material lets more high-frequency sounds through than foam covers do, making it ideal for recording podcasts, interviews, and singing voices.

Microphone Stand

Many say they are just an accessory, but the importance of getting one of the best mic stands around cannot be denied. Microphone stands are an important part of any stage or studio setup. There are quite a few varieties available, and to get the best one for you as an individual, it’s important to know the different types in and out.

Categories of Mic Stands

The 6 basic categories of microphone stands are as follows:

1. Tripod Stands – which are the most common and designed for general-purpose use.
2. Tripod Boom Stands – which offer a longer reach than standard tripod stands.
3. Round Base Stands – which are ideal for singers on stage, because they use less floor space and are harder to trip-over than tripod stands.
4. Low-Profile Stands – which are commonly used for kick drums, guitar cabs.
5. Desktop Stands – which can look similar to low-profile stands, but are intended more for podcasting and bedroom recording.
6. Overhead Stands – which are the largest and most expensive of all stands, and are used when extreme heights and angles are required, such as with drum overheads.

Height Range

Almost all the microphone stands have an adjustable height. However, the range can vary quite significantly. This is an important consideration and should commensurate to your own height. With the boom arm stand, you might get away with a smaller height in certain situations, such as if you had your keyboard on an adjustable stand, but with a typical stand, you need something that can reach you.

The height depends on the setting or uses, too. While a low profile stand may be suitable for kick drums, it cannot be extended enough for overhead drums. Some heights may be too low for covering a choir.

Types of clutches

The clutch is what allows you to adjust the height. This, of course, is important because, without it, the mic stand will not be as tall as you want it to. There are two kinds of clutches: twist and grip. The former is most widely used, and as the name suggests, twists to tighten. The good quality ones tighten pretty fast while others take several turns. Grip clutches utilize a one-handed squeeze to tighten into place. One obvious advantage is that this is much quicker to achieve in a live setting – this type of clutch tends to be the best.

For boom stands, there is another kind as well – a screw or a knob that can tighten a collar or push it closer to the tube. These vary a lot from one model to another. You have something similar for adjusting the angle as well.

Weight

Weight is an important consideration when buying a mic stand. A lot of people generally assume that a heavier stand would not make a portable or suitable choice on stage. On the contrary, a light stand can be less stable when compared with heavy ones. However, now some stands are incredibly lightweight but still quite stable, such as those tripod stands. If you are going to move with the stand a lot, then the obvious choice should be a light weighted one.

Portability

Another misconception about mic stands is that a heavier one would be difficult to carry around. That’s not always the case, as some lightweight ones can be difficult to carry too. It all depends on the make and its capability. If the stand is foldable, it becomes all the more easy to pack up and take wherever.

A lot of people think tripod stands are not highly portable. That’s not always the case, as some newer models have foldable legs, making the stand much smaller. As for the ones with a rounded base, it’s also easier to carry them. The stand can be removed from the base and packed separately with the other equipment. Perhaps this is why this type of stand is most commonly used.

Pricing

The pricing is yet another important factor. To get high quality, you have to spend a little more money. In a professional setting, it makes sense to go for something more expensive from a known brand. For amateurs, a moderate-quality, lightweight stand should do the job. The prices vary greatly, but most microphone stands cost less than $100. Few stands from very high-end brands cost more than that, but you should be able to get a decent quality one of any kind within this range.