3 pop shields

Every time I post a studio picture on my Instagram I’m asked the question, ‘Why do you have three pop-shields?’

What is a pop-shield?

A pop-shield is a thin barrier of either fabric or metal which allows sound to pass through but deliberately disrupts the airflow to avoid ‘plosives’ hitting the microphone.

When you say a word which starts with a ‘p’ or ‘b’ a small burst of air is released and when this hits the microphone it causes distortion and spoils the sound. To avoid this distortion mic-technique is important.

When I see one of these words approaching I move my mouth ever so slightly to the side of the mic so that burst doesn’t cause a direct hit but is still captured. When combined with the pop-shield a great sound is recorded.

Why have 3 pop-shields?

For me personally, I’ve found having additional pop-shields helps me create that great quality sound. It avoids constant re-recording when plosives come into play. So why do I have three pop-shields? Because it improves the quality of the audio I record.

Whoever said I was only allowed one?!

Author

Michael Traboulsi

A British voice over artist based in London with my own broadcast quality home studio. I’ve recorded thousands of scripts over the past 20 years for major brands to small businesses and I absolutely love my job. I have an upbeat, friendly and conversational style perfect for explainer videos, commercials, corporate & e-learning films. The home studio means a fast turnaround of your voice over project.

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