Dead Cat

[sasha]

Just bought a dead cat from Amazon - that's audiophile jargon for "furry microphone windscreen". It fits over the business end of my Tascam and shields the two projecting built-in mics from wind noise. It seems to do a pretty good job. About the only drawback I can see is that it's hard to keep the mics in alignment when installing the screen - it tends to push them together so they're "pigeon-toed". I've sawed off an inch or so of toilet paper tube and stuck it between them - seems to help hold them apart.

Here's a little test clip I recorded June 4 in my front yard at around 9 or 10 in the morning, a breezy day. The first 40 seconds or so were recorded without the cat - you clearly hear the rumbling sound created by the wind. (At around the 21 second mark you can also hear me saying "No!". The dog was trying to get me to chase him by running around with a stick in his mouth, and I didn't want him banging it against the tripod I'd mounted the Tascam.)

Then starting at about 45-50 sec, I recorded with the cat. You can still hear the breeze, but the rumbling is GONE. (The trilling call is from a chipping sparrow; you can also hear the squeak of a woodpecker, probably either a downy or hairy. They're hard to tell apart unless you see them side by side.)

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dead cat test.mp3

(1.33 MiB) Not downloaded yet

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Conclusion: $15 well spent.

[judih]

yeah. works well!

[saw]

very nice