Foam cover for microphones — eliminates wind noise and plosives. Essential for outdoor recording and boom work.
If you have to shoot outdoors and even a slight breeze picks up, your lavalier or camera microphone will become a problem without a windscreen. The foam cover sits over the microphone and absorbs the low-frequency air movements that would otherwise enter your recording as dull noise — not to be confused with actual wind noise, which even a good windscreen cannot completely eliminate. This is intentional: it's meant to dampen wind, not make it invisible.
On set, it works like this: the windscreen is made of open-cell polyurethane or melamine foam, which diffuses the air pressure waves before they hit the diaphragm. At the same time, it absorbs plosives — the hard P and B sounds that speakers produce. That's why it's also standard for indoor recordings with presenters or actors. For critical recordings — outdoor interviews, ambient recordings, voice-overs in windy outdoor environments — you need a good, not too thin windscreen. Too thin, and the wind will simply whistle through. Too thick, and you'll lose high frequencies, making the voice sound muffled.
Experience shows: a cheap windscreen is a false economy. I take several with me — different sizes for different microphones, and at least one as a backup in case one gets dirty or wet. Rain is your enemy: the foam absorbs water, and then you can forget about it. There are waterproof variants (usually with a thinner layer), but even these are not made for heavy rain. After shooting, you should let it dry — packed in a damp bag, it quickly becomes musty or moldy.
A common mistake: pushing the windscreen too far over the microphone until the capsule is completely submerged. This reduces plosives even better, but the highs suffer noticeably. If the windscreen is positioned correctly, the capsule should still be vaguely discernible. Also important — and often forgotten — is to regularly clean the surface of the windscreen foam. Dust, hair, saliva (with lavaliers close to the mouth) accumulate and affect the sound quality. A dry brush or a soft cloth helps.
For outdoor shoots with actual storms, a simple windscreen is not enough — then you also need a windjammer (a thicker foam housing). However, the windscreen is the first and most important layer. Without it, clean sound outdoors is unrealistic.