Azden SMX-30 and 15 Furry Wind Covers

Earlier this year we reviewed the Azden SMX-30 and 15 camera-top shotgun microphones. Both compared favorably with others in the same price range but the SMX-30 also has a stereo set of mics, making it a little more versatile than the others. The only problem was that the foam wind cover was custom shaped to fit over the microphone, which is good. But that meant that there weren't any fur windshield options so shooting outdoors was pretty tough. Not anymore, now Azden offers custom fitting fur covers for both so shooting outdoors is much more manageable.

Recording with Shotgun Microphones in the Wind

When recording dialogue for my video projects, I prefer to use a shotgun mic when working outdoors. But up until this point, I have not had a proper wind cover for my shotgun mics, just the foam wind covers and furry covers that fit over the foam. And while these help, they don't stop all the wind so I still end up with plenty of distorted bits when the wind makes its way through all of the fur and foam.

B&H Photo was kind enough to loan me a couple of things to evaluate and see whether they would solve this issue. Specifically, they sent over the Rycote Modular Windshield Kit and the K-Tek Avalon KEG 1550 CCR carbon fiber boom pole.

So I put an Azden SGM-250 shotgun microphone into the windshield kit, put it on the boom pole and tested it out in aproximately 15 mph wind for an interview.

And I was pleased to find that it cut all of the distortion that you normally get in the wind when the wind hits the microphone's capsule directly.

The K-Tek boom pole was a pleasure to use with its carbon fiber tubing, internal, coiled cable, and the 90 degree XLR connector near the bottom of the pole (so that you can rest the end of the pole on the ground between takes). The carbon fiber adds a bit to the price but makes for a lighter pole and when you're holding this thing overhead for more than a couple of minutes, every ounce really counts. I plan to buy this one as my first proper microphone boom.

A couple of days later, I met up with my friend Levi Whitney who runs a small production company here in the Salt Lake City area and he happened to have his RODE Blimp wind cover with him. So we had a look over both of them to compare:

It's very similar in design to the Rycote Wind Cover but the first thing I noticed is that it is larger in diameter so it offers a little more space between the diffusion material and the microphone and according to Levi, he hasn't experienced any distortion from wind with it yet. It also comes with the furry cover that RODE calls the Dead Wombat. Cheeky. In any case, I really like them both and they both seem just as effective at eliminating noise. Here's Levis piece demonstrating the RODE Blimp:

So I think I have some pretty good options here in terms of wind covers!

Reviews Coming Up: Zoom F8, K-Tek Boompole, Rycote Zeppelin

In the previous video, you'll hear that I just received the Rycote Modular Windshield Kit 4 more commonly known as a zeppelin cover for shotgun mics. These are the huge covers that pro location sound people use out in the field to keep wind noise out of the recording

Also testing out my first proper boom pole from K-tek. The KEG 150 CCR is a carbon fiber 12.5 foot, 5 section pole with an internal, coiled cable so you don't have to fuss with a cable wrapped around the outside. I'm interested to see how quietly it operates. I've heard some people say that sometimes the internal coiled cables that make some noise and mess with your recordings. It also has a very nice XLR connector on the side of the pole so you can rest the end of the pole on the ground without messing with your cable. Nice touch

And I can hardly wait for the UPS guy tomorrow because he's bringing the new ZOOM F8 field recorder! Woot! Been waiting since April at NAB to get my hands on one of these and see how they sound and how well they work both on a cart and in a bag.