Pop Filter For Mic Review: Stedman Proscreen XL
The goal when recording a song is to produce the best version you can muster. It’s not easy to do that, especially if your recordings are riddled with pops and clicks. Despite having a pop filter, it’s a mystery that those annoying sounds can still get through. Well, it’s not really a mystery, isn’t it? You just need a better filter to replace your old one.
Recently, pop filters are becoming too cheap to the point that they’re now turning into disposable products instead of audio gear for keeps. This is especially true to fabric and foam based filters. Once they get too dusty, you can kiss them goodbye. Even if you want to keep using them, you’re already out of foams. The manufacturer is selling expensive extras that you might as well buy a new one. ‘It’s big. It costs a bit of a premium, but this will probably be the last filter you’ll buy. How good is it? Let’s find out.
Stedman Proscreen XL Pop Filter
This is the one you’ll see being used by popular YouTubers, self-produced singers, and professional recording studios. And it isn’t being picked without good reason.
The mesh is made of metal. If you’re a bit of a germaphobe, clean freak, or just don’t love anything with dirt on it, this the filter for you. We know that these things can catch all unholy stuff swirling around us like spit, dirt, and grime. Thankfully, a metal mesh is easily cleanable. You don’t even need to worry about accelerated fungi and bacterial growth since it doesn’t have foam.
This is wonderful if you have other guys who also use your mic.
Feel The Luxury
It’s priced higher than standard pop filters for a reason. You can get it from Amazon from around $63 to $73, by the way. The quality of materials is superb. The gooseneck is sturdy and robust. It doesn’t bend unless you force it, too. No need to worry about your filter just plopping down during a recording session in your portable isolation booth or live performance.
The mic mount fits well on any mic and stand. It has a tight grip. It won’t suddenly slide down and topple the stand or mic because of a sudden imbalance. Thanks to the rubber stump in it, making sure that the mount won’t scratch your mic stand.
The metal mesh is flexible but doesn’t tear easily. It’s a bit convenient to fold the edges to make it cover the sides and reduce the size temporarily if you need to. You can’t see anything behind it since it’s too big, so you need to flex it a bit if you desperately need to have sight behind the microphone.
Ease of Placement
All you need to do is clamp the microphone mount to your stand, and you’re good to go. However, do note that with almost every microphone accessory, you must have a heavy-duty stand. A lightweight and cheap stand will only just quiver with every slight movement near the mic. Installing on this type of stand will guarantee to fall off the ground minutes right after installation.
One more thing, make sure to test it out after you install it. Note that Its distance and inclination from your microphone affects its performance. Adjust the filter to your liking.
How Good Is It?
Due to its size and metal mesh, it significantly helps in preventing plosives from getting through without muffling your voice. You can even sing duets using this filter. Besides that, you can maximize the recording levels without worrying about clipping. This can reduce sudden bursts of audio levels, especially from plosives.
Since it’s a metal mesh filter, it helps a lot of singers with weak enunciation. Filters with foams can reduce a lot of the fricative and sibilant sounds. They produce a muddy and muffled sound if you’re an amateur singer, still struggling to enunciate the words.
Also, because it can be easily cleaned (washed after sessions), it’s performance is consistent. You won’t suddenly scratch your head wondering why your recording suddenly has clipped plosives and pops in it.
A Few Things To Know Before You Buy
The downside with metal mesh filters is that it easily allows hisses to get through in exchange for making sure that your mic will pick up your voice’s high frequencies. I recommend that you train yourself to position yourself properly when singing songs with a lot of s sounds. An alternative is to learn how to use de-essing functions on your recording software.
If you suddenly find yourself troubled with too much hiss, what you can do is to reposition and adjust the filter. We usually remove hisses when using metal filters to change the angle of the screen.
You can start by slanting it by 45 degrees towards you. Leaning the filter virtually makes the mesh holes tinier, preventing a thin but sharp burst of air caused by sibilants to experience more resistance on the screen.
The Recommendation
This is for singers like you who want the best equipment out there. It’s the last filter you need. You won’t worry about the Stedman failing you. It’s a simple design, and the high-quality materials will help you consistently produce the best music you can create. This is the best time for you to check it out: Stedman Pop Filter.
On a side note, I reviewed other audio products on site, and I’m sure that you’ll love to read some of them. Here are a few articles I recommend you learn once you finish checking out this one.
