Do I Need A Pop Filter and Why Do I Need One?

You must have watched a podcast or a video with a speaker and their mic, and a piece of mesh in between the mic and the speaker’s mouth. Right? Well, that’s a pop filter.

But why is it used? 

You may even have heard how it helps you record better and improves the recording’s audio quality. How does that happen?

And do you really need a pop filter for your recordings?

So many questions with one simple answer: keep reading to find out.

Do I Need a Pop Filter?

Yes, you do need a pop filter to get excellent quality audio and music recordings. A pop filter minimizes the plosive sounds, blocks out unnecessary background noise, and ensures pristine recordings. Moreover, it also keeps your microphone safe against the saliva expelled from your mouth. Whenever we speak, we expel tiny amounts of saliva that sits on anything it touches. Our saliva contains salts too. The salts and saliva fluids if stay on your mic for a long time can corrode it. Using a pop filter keeps the mic safe from corrosion and damage.

A pop filter is basically a shield for your mic that also enhances the quality of music, instrumental, and other vocal recordings. Let’s dive into the specifics and see in detail what a pop filter really does.

What is a Pop Filter or Pop Shield?

Pop filters go by many names. They are also known as pop screens and pop shields. They are noise protection filters for mics, usually used in recording studios and even home studios. 

A pop filter eliminates or reduces popping noises that are produced by the fast-moving air on your mic from the plosives generated during singing or speaking.

What Are Pop Filters Made of?

Typically, pop filters comprise a very thin layer of metallic mesh or woven nylon that is stretched over a metallic or plastic frame. The frame is either fixed to a mic stand, or placed on a gooseneck.

Pop filters are made with materials that can efficiently diffuse and manage the airflow as they allow sound waves to easily pass through. The mounting mechanism and frame of the pop filters provide it with stability. They also give you the flexibility to conveniently position your pop filter as per your recording setup.

How Do You Use a Pop Filter?

A pop filter is placed between the speaker and the mic. So if you are recording something yourself, a pop filter will be a barrier between your mouth and your microphone. You can attach it to the mic with a mount, or place it on a microphone stand.

If you are speaking or singing really loudly, it is best to position the pop filter further from the mic. Pop filters can be curved outwards or flat. Maneuvering the curved ones is easier when recording. On the other, if you are using a flat pop filter, you need to make sure that you direct the vocals right in their center and the mic is only a few inches away from your mouth.

To ensure your recording has no popping sounds aka plosives, keep the pop filter far away from the mic’s condenser. A condenser is the part of a mic that picks up sounds. The farther the condenser and pop filter are from one another, the less plosives are heard in your recording.

However, if the sound source is at a low decibel level, you’ll need to keep the pop filter quite close to the microphone. If the distance is too much, the sound quality will be quite poor. Pop filters tend to dull the sound a little too. 

What Do Pop Filters Do?

Pop filters have two main jobs: reduce plosives from audio recordings, and keep the mic safe against corrosion.

Minimize Plosives

The main job of a pop filter is to block out the plosives or the plosive sounds in an audio recording.

What are Plosives?

Every time we speak or sing, we expel a certain amount of air at different speeds and pressure levels. The air pressure wave crashes at your mic and makes its diaphragm move. This movement creates a popping sound that interrupts the recording’s sound quality.

Now this popping sound is known as plosive. The plosive or popping effect is stronger when we utter hard consonants including ‘b’, ‘d’, ‘g’, ‘k’, ‘p’ and ‘t.’ Often, the ‘p sounds’ are referred to as plosives too.

Speak this sentence: Peter Tucker put a big barrel down.

You’ll notice the popping sounds when you utter the words, starting with the hard consonants.

Pop Filters to the Rescue

Managing the plosives in a recording post-production is extremely difficult. Considering that, it is important to reduce the plosives during the recording. And this is where the pop filters come in handy.

The pop filter minimizes plosives by redirecting the airflow and through diffusion. When you place a pop filter between the mic and your mouth, you create a barrier. It redirects the flow of air away from the mic’s diaphragm. The air burst gets deflected and its impact is reduced.

Moreover, it diffuses the air burst you expel when you make a plosive sound. It is then dispersed over a bigger area. Due to this diffusion, you keep the air from directly crashing on the diaphragm.

Prevent Saliva and Salts from Damaging the Microphone

A secondary benefit of a pop filter is that it protects the microphone and increases its longevity.

Whenever we sing or speak into a mic, we not only expel air but saliva along with it as well. The saliva contains minerals and salts which can result in corrosion when they touch the mic. Corrosion damages the mic’s internal circuitry which in turn adversely affects its performance.

Secondly, saliva can cause electrical shorts in a mic’s internal components. This damages the electronics which affects the mic’s functionality.

Lastly, saliva creates a breeding ground for fungi and bacteria. If salivary moisture accumulates inside your mic, it promotes the growth of microorganisms. This microbial growth results in hygiene issues, and also tarnishes the audio quality.

When you place a pop filter between your mic and mouth, it picks air coming towards it and the saliva particles. Your saliva and everything it contains doesn’t come into direct contact with your mic. As a result, your mic stays safe against microbial contamination, internal damage and corrosion. Naturally, all of that increases its longevity.

So pop filters are quite useful then. But what kinds are the best ones?

What Kind of Pop Filters Are the Best?

There are different kinds of pop filters. They vary on the basis of their integration and material of construction. Usually, there often exists a debate between the external and internal pop filters, and the metal pop filters and foam windscreen.

Let’s discuss these four so you have more clarity on which one to get for your microphone.

Internal Vs. External Pop Filters:

An internal pop filter is built directly into a microphone. Many mics nowadays come with integrated pop filters within their grille.

Internal pop shields are less obtrusive and offer an easy solution. They reduce plosives and also safeguard the mic against saliva. However, cheap quality microphones often have poor quality in-built pop filters. Those aren’t too powerful in minimizing plosives.

If you are a beginner at podcasting or audio recording, a mic with a built in pop filter will work fine. However, if you are a professional and need crystal clear recordings, you will have to get an external pop filter.

As opposed to internal pop shields, external pop screens are attached to either a boom arm or a microphone stand. They are more versatile than the internal pop windscreens. You can use them in different recording scenarios and setups. They are very effective in alleviating plosives from vocals, music recording, and singing.

Majority of the time, people prefer an external pop filter over an internal one as the former is more powerful than the latter.

Foam Vs Metal Pop Filters

A foam pop filter is made of porous foam that diffuses as well as absorbs plosives. 

They are quite economical so easily come within your budget. Moreover, they are lightweight so easy to use and carry around. Plus, you can easily attach them to microphones so they have user-friendly functionality.

Foam pop windscreens are good at reducing plosives. However, the foam usually deteriorates quite quickly with time. This means you’ll need to replace a foam pop shield quite often which starts to affect your budget.

As for a metal pop filter, it is a more long lasting and durable option. It is constructed out of very fine mesh which is moisture-resistant, and good at diffusing plosives too.

In terms of quality and effectiveness, a metallic pop screen is better than a foam one. It usually costs more than a foam windscreen, but as you don’t have to frequently replace it, it is comparatively more cost-effective than a foam shield.

If you want top-notch sound quality when recording vocals or songs, I suggest get an external metallic pop windscreen.

Some people also create their own pop screens. Sounds interesting, right? Let’s explore this now.

Can You Create Your Own Pop Filter?

Yes, you can make your own pop filter. You can create a DIY pop shield using nylon stockings and a wire coat hanger.

Here’s how you can do that:

• Pull the hanger bar out.
• Now take the stocking and stretch it over the hanger bar.
• Voila! Your DIY pop screen is ready!
• You can even cover your mic with another stocking for added protection.

While this is a very simple way to make a pop windscreen, it is not very effective in reducing plosives. Plus, your voice will also sound muffled when you record vocals.

Mostly, people make their own pop shields when they have a really tight budget, or just want to engage in a DIY project. Otherwise, many people prefer to buy the $10 pop shields. 

So When Are You Getting Your Pop Screen?

One thing is clear: you do need a pop filter. Only when you use it, you will realize its magical effect on your recording’s sound quality.

Now the real question is: how soon are you going to get one?

Don’t delay this purchase as it is certainly one that can do wonders to your audio quality.

Frequently Asked Questions