Hey, there!
Whenever I set up my equipment for a workout or for my classes, invariably some new attendee will ask, “Is that actually a sock you’re using for a wind screen on your microphone?”
Why, yes.
Yes it is.
Wanna know my crazy reason why?
I’m almost fanatic about saving you money on your VO career, and one of the places I can save you 98% of your money is on your microphone’s pop filter.
There is a manufacturer’s suggested pop filter for just about every mic on the market, including our beloved AT-2020 USB Plus.
But they are expensive, fragile and bulky to travel with, and because of their sheer size and thickness, they can impede your ability to get really close to the mic for soft and intimate beauty reads.
Enter the athletic sock.
My sock.
Just the right thickness, and properly folded onto the barrel of your mic, the weave of this luxury-grade cashmere and wool 12-24 month infant bootie not only wicks sweat away from a baby’s feet, but is acoustically clear, and effective as a pop filter when snugly fitted on your AT2020 (or other equivalent medium diaphragm side-loaded mic).
Don’t get one that’s too thin, and don’t get the kind with highly reinforced toes and heels.
Just a nice, crew-length sock. Fold it carefully so your AT2020’s on-mic controls are accessible, and you leave just one thickness of the sock itself covering the area of the mic where the pickup is.
That sock allows you to get nice and close to your mic for intimate reads.
I tried them all. Over 6 years, I auditioned sock after sock. I finally settled on a cashmere-wool blend, just the right size, just the right thickness.
I found the perfect product. I call it The Mike Sock, and you can have it delivered to your door. I’ll be the one sending it.
Here’s the link:
https://www.vo2gogo.com/get-mikesock
Hope this helps.
David
After you showed me this trick for my AT-2020, I heard an improvement on my recordings. Thanks for looking out, David!
Mine is grey works great!
David,
Now we know the origin of that iconic Rowan and Martin “Laugh In” line, “Sock it to me!” (Probably a cultural reference way before your time.) Or, as an exasperated mother in the front passenger seat says to the overly chatty Kathy in the back seat, “Put a sock in it!”
Great idea. I’ve seen people make pop filters out of coat hangars and ladies nylons. Wonder how a Target athletic sock would work as a wind filter outdoors?
My AT-2020 is quite happy with its Nady MPF-6 pop filter, but, the Lawrence Model XVII red “woobie” is a definite keeper and Plan B!
This is my fav XVII trick. When it accidentally slips off, the plosives are conspicuous. With no big filter in the way, it’s easier to see past the mic to my computer screen. Fab tip.
Mine is actually brown. Cleary visible in the pic Dan asked for regarding the ACX Masterclass!
Oh my gosh, I was just contemplating this last night! I saw in another one of your posts that you like to use a sock as a pop screen and so I was trying to put my athletic sock on my mic last night (size 12). I kept saying to myself that the only way this would work is if it were a baby sock, and today I see your post! Awesome; thank you so much for posting this, David!