pop-filter gives a lesser quality recording?

[bryan_kilco]

Hey all, just wanted to bring this up.

Got a pop filter a few months back, havent really tracked anything FOR REAL with it yet, but I have done a few freestyle type things with our vocalist.

It seemed to me, when comparing a track without the pop filter to a track WITH the pop filter, the track with it was noticeably quieter and seemed to lack dynamics (not that dynamics matter much in metal vox). Just didnt seem as "in your face".

Tried another thing as well - normally, I have the mic on a stand and have the vocalist stand about a foot back or so. I tried the hand-held technique before, and just seemed to get a lot of noise and whatnot. Thus why I stuck with stand method. Now, after being used to the stand, we tried handheld once again and god DAMN. He just seemed to be more comfortable and let loose a bit more this way.

Ok, now I'm rambling. Anyone want to chime in here?

Also - if you do the hand-held way, do you still use a pop filter? I see a lot of guys using the SM7(?) for handheld stuff.....

 

[BLUElightCory]

A pop filter might have a minuscule dampening effect on high end, but nothing that should be very apparent (the material/design of the filter affects this). Even if you notice a small decrease in highs, it's still better than plosives in your vocal tracks.

I usually let aggressive singers use hand-held mics, with the built-in pop filter. You might get more noise this way, but most singers (like you found) will give a more comfortable, emotionally sincere performance this way - I'll take performance over sound quality 100% of the time.

 

[kernelxsanders]

i was wondering this same thing the other day. the vocalist from my band came to record vocals a couple of days ago, and also found that the handheld method makes for a better performance. there were a tad more plosives than the mic stand technique that i was more accustomed to, but i wrapped the mic in some nylon, so that cancelled out some of it. but like BluelighCory said ^^ performance > sound quality. the tracks now sound more full and natural.

 

[Soundlurker]

А foot back?! I tell them to sing about 2-3 cm from the pop filter, which itself is 2-3 cm from the mic, I rarely have pops this way while getting a nice "in your face" sound.

 

[jauernis]

There is a shootout on gearslutz and yes it does affect the sound. It can actually affect it quite a bit, but the best cheapest one out of the bunch was the shure pop filter had the least amount of change in vocal performance. Some of the expensive ones were a bit better but not worth $250-$300 in my opinion. I will look for the shootout and post

PS if you wanted to handhold a sm57 is there a pop filter for that like the sm7?

 

[Morgan C]

A pop filter will generally filter out a little of the sibilance too.. which depending on the mic can be good or bad.

 

[egan.]

PS if you wanted to handhold a sm57 is there a pop filter for that like the sm7?

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Shure-A2WS-Foam-Windscreen-SM57/dp/B000Z08U7U[/ame]