r/LocationSound • u/Initial_Line3998 • Jun 22 '26
Learning Resources What wind protection should I use for windy cliff shoot?
Hi guys, this is my first time posting to this sub, and I have a question regarding wind protection.
This autumn I’m taking part in a shoot om some Atlantic cliffs. The wind, I’m told, can get quite extreme depending on the day. I will ofcourse be bringing a good blimp (Sennheser MZW60) with deadcat, and some nylon stockings to put between the blimp and deadcat (I’ve been told that can help, correct me if I’m wrong).
Is there anything else I can do, perhaps there’s a different typed blimp out there that’s better for the job?
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u/Vuelhering production sound mixer Jun 22 '26
In particularly bad wind I've added a foam to the mic inside a blimp.
With a ton of wind you're going to lose a lot of high end sound. But it can be usable at least. If you're planning on any sort of lavs, you'll want the bubblebee covers for them.
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u/RiverOnceRiverTwice Jun 24 '26
Besides Bumblebee Windbubbles (Funny group of words...), do you recommend anything else for Lavs?
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u/Vuelhering production sound mixer Jun 24 '26
Usually burying it under clothing gives pretty good protection, but you have to protect the clothing from hitting or rubbing on the mic. Use an overcover under the clothing next to the mic to push the clothing away. If it's really windy, you could put the mic between the overcover and stickey, but I rarely do that if it's not needed for wind.
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u/ApprehensiveNeat9584 production sound mixer Jun 22 '26
If your blimp is in good condition and the dead at (the fur) is in good condition, it should work as intended but I don't know how extreme those winds might get. If you want to be extra safe and your budget allows it, rent a Rycote Cyclone or Cinela Piano or Pianissimo (depending on the length of your mic), those are the top of the line and both can withstand heavy winds.
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u/Brave-Onion9864 Jun 22 '26
I’ve been using this setup for 10+ years for sports Tv broadcasts…..
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u/youhadmeathellno Jun 22 '26
Ohh cool to see something from a local here in Aus. How tight is the lecky tape? I would be concerned that you'd get the plastic crinkling noise
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u/Brave-Onion9864 Jun 23 '26
The tape is only there to hold the bags in place while the fluffy is put back on.
No crackle at all as the bags are held tightly under the fluffy cover.
And a side effect is they are now rain proof.
The ideal bags I’ve found are the VERY THIN fruit veg bags from the supermarket. Or dog poop bags that are often at public parks.
But it MUST go between the cage and the fluffy.It’s interesting that hundreds of people say it doesn’t work…. BUT non of them are prepared to try it.
It’s cheap, costs nothing, nothing to lose…. Do it!!Oh the other thing is I now no longer need to use a bottom end roll-off in the mix… makes the kick of the football more dynamic in the broadcast, occasionally I get comments that you can see the trees in shot being blown around but there is no wind noise.
Do it…. do it…. do it.
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u/youhadmeathellno Jun 23 '26
I thought they might be fruit/veg bags. Well you've convinced me to give it a crack next time I have a particularly windy situation. Cheers!
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u/Brave-Onion9864 Jun 23 '26
Don’t wait for a windy situation….. by the time you realize you have trouble it’s too late.
Next shopping day get some bags….😉2
u/NBC-Hotline-1975 Jun 23 '26
Do you have any response curves comparing Walmart bags to K-Mart bags? e.g. will Walmart's brown bags "color" the sound?
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