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Never thought my addiction to gear would lead me to watching a pop filter shootout, but here we are...

Thanks for including us, Andrew! Ariana's voice sounded awesome all around! We typically discourage metal pop filter use because they don't stop spit. Spit + dust = degraded capsule sonics over time. The most surprising thing was how much each affected the sound. If you do a PT2 with more filters (one pop to rule them all), it would be cool to hear a take without a pop to A/B the original vs. the filtered takes 😃

Working at a studio, I was told that some engineers don’t like the metal pop filters because it can create moisture to hit the microphone and cause damage. Sometimes, depending on the vocalist and genre, I don’t even use a pop filter. I slightly tilt the microphone down, off axis, and have the vocalist move back a bit more.

It's interesting how the Isovox sounded the "cleanest" to me, especially dealing with plosives, but had such a viscerally negative reaction from Ariana! Good reminder that something can be "better" from an engineer's perspective but the artist themselves might not connect and deliver as good a performance from it.

I share the same idea. The Iso and Gator Mesh ones definitely stuck out to me the most in terms of sibilance control. I also liked how there were some timbral differences in the vocals as well based on what filter was being used. Her vocals sounded a little bit warmer when using the mesh vs metal, which I prefer. Great video! This came in at a great time because I need to pick up a few!!

We've gone through lots and lots of pop filters over the years. We only use Hakan P110's now. They genuinely let through less pops and they sound phenomenal.

Literally, didn't know Ariana had that amazing voice! She sounds more than amazing on all of the takes, bring her back on a song even! That'd be dope for sure! Great video Andrew!

Ariana’s voice sounds FANTASTIC on all of them!!!!!

Its interesting to me that the best sounding pop filter was the one where the material was the most like panty hose material. I read a book written by producer Peter McIan (Men at Work, Pat Benetar, among others) some 30ish years ago called "the Musicians Guide to Home Recording" where he talked about using panty hose stretched across a wire coat hanger bent to shape as a pop filter. He also mentioned how well simply taping a No 2 pencil to the front of the microphone can be very effective in removing plosives for a vocal. I've used both techniques for years and though Ive tried a few different pop filters over the years, I still come back to these techniques from time to time depending on the singers voice.

I loved the Iso coz it did control more plosives imo. Great video Andy ❤️🇲🇼

I still hear tons of plosive on all of them.

Ariana's sounds amazing, I did not expect such a big powerful projecting voice from someone so petit. A tip for anyone who doesn't already know this, a good fix for a weak pop filter that won't stay in place is to use a separate second mic stand just for mounting the pop filter. Thanks for the comparison video!

Wow.... Ariana's voice sounds absolutly incredible!! 🔥🔥

Awesome content!

I have an isovox and it sounds better than any other pop filters for sure! :) Gator sounded good also. Less plosives!

The Eden sounds great!

Wow, Ariana's voice is fantastic! So soulful, loved it. 💖😊🎙🎤

I feel like the isovox and gator mesh did better with getting rid of the plosives.

I own 3 filters and I love my Hankan(which is similar to the isovox but I think that the hankan has a more so transparent sound than the isovox) more than all of them. It's more transparent as well. the mesh ones kinda allow your highs to come through a little more which is probably why she didn't like the isovox because to my knowledge and from my experince the mesh ones alter your voice.

What a great voice, more pls.

My favorite for pop filter was like you, between the Gator and the ISOVOX. As far as usage, I would change out filters depending on the vocalist, the purpose, and the color I am looking for. I've used a double nylon pop filter for years. I've also recently have used a Blue metal pop filter which lets in more sibilance.

Just for the size factor alone, my wife chooses the Isovox over any other pop filter. Those bigger filters restrict her vision and make her feel claustrophobic. Sound wise, the Isovox and the big gator filter sounded the best imo, but the smaller size and sturdiness of the Isovox (and getting 2 filters with it) makes it worth the price jump over the cheaper ones. Cool vid man! Never thought to do a pop filter shootout.

My metal pop filters are amazing! I also have a stedman and blue mic pop filter! The metal pop filter is by groove tubes and it’s my favorite!

didn't know I would have wanted to watch this video, but then I watched it and really enjoyed the comparison. It's nice to know that even in this field (pop filters) the most expensive is not always the best

@Andrewmasters dope video! I’ve been following you for a while now, and love the in-site you give and have given. I personally wanted to say that I favored both the isovox and the gator. The build quality of both brought out noticeable characteristics that could be used differently. Isovox is more controlled, the gator not so much. But I would use both in different scenarios.

Wow.. What a voice..

I see a problem with all of them and it's user error. The filter is too close to the mic. And the metal filters are directional because of how the wind is deflected and its works best if it's placed at least 3" from the mic. Should've tried the Aston mic filter. That one sounds the best to me.

I love my "JZ Microphones" pop filter. Quality piece. Would love to see your thoughts on that pop filter, Andrew!

The stedman is directional and it pushes the air downwards, it is not meant to be angled sideways. However, metal filters create a weird noise regardless.

This is a real service. You are probably not going to get a huge number of views on this video (at least at first), but we need information on these unsexy, low-level utility devices. I need to buy a few pop filters, but have no criteria on which to make my decision. I'm just throwing a dart. This is helpful, so thank you for this video.

The Aspen Pittman Designs pop filter has a specially designed screen to channel puffs away from the mic. It's a great little magnetic mount so it's usually very convenient with no goose neck to hassle with.

relationship goals

There are differences to be sure, but are they enough to really matter? I'm not so sure.

Great test, thank you! I’d be really curious to see your thoughts on the Aspen Pittman pop filter, they use it on The First Take and those recordings are astounding, not sure how much the pop filter affects those but I’ve been really curious about that pop filter

I'm seeing alot of Lauten Edens out there lately. I was gifted one years ago and I'm trilled people have caught on! Amazing customer service too.

It was interesting to me when you mentioned you hadn't seen the nylon mesh one before. When I started working in studios back in the mid- to late 90's, all we had were the nylon mesh ones. AND I remember several people telling me if you didn't have a pop filter, you could get a pair of pantyhose and stretch them over a wire coat-hanger in a pinch.

So...the traditional objective for a pop filter is to control the plosives (like P and B sounds) that push a big wave of air at the mic. The Gator pop filter was easily the most successful in providing that ability. (I know people probably have already made that observation, so consider this as merely a preference vote. ;-) ) As far as sibilance, I agree with Andrew.

I got a metal one during covid, because I could just disinfect it really easily. One time I had my regulard old mesh one up and just put the metal one in front of it and it the combination had the best pop and sibilance controll I had ever heared from just pop filters. I've been it like that ever since.

I've had the best results from the dual layer pop filters for maybe 10+ years now. Amazon usually has a few on sale for $15 from time to time.

That Gator wins. The pop on the B sound in beg and borrow is almost silent. The ISOVox is great too, but a little too filtered, therefore less natural. It's that double mesh/air gap combo. Metal looks better, but who cares. Take the head off the Gator, but it on a better gooseneck - best of both worlds.

Cool video, great quick test! I noticed some slight differences, but I guess I'll have to take a second listen (and on the speakers instead of my mobile phone) as my focus was more on the visuals this time. 😁 😉🥰 On more serious note, aren't pop-filters suppose to filter out the pops? And possibly leave the rest as it is? 🤔

Nice comparison. I wonder if it wouldn't be better to move the plop shields a little further from the microphone? Greetings.

Great voice.... Work with the things you have.... I like the isovox.

I was immediately impressed by the Isomax and then when I heard the Gator - knowing it was $100 cheaper - I was _very_ impressed. Insofar as mitigating sibilance and "P"-pops I felt it stood shoulder to shoulder with the Isomax and so long as it attachment mechanism isn't outright junk, is a no brainer for anyone doing vocal recording. Now, I felt the Isomax added a level of consistency and _control_ to the vocal that I liked right off the bat. Like Andrew mentioned, I may or may not like that as much _in the mix_ but my initial instincts are that I will. I'm a bit neurotic about control of the lead vocal. The more consistency and control (in regard to dynamics, sibilance, P-pops etc) I can get on the "raw," non or minimally processed vocal, the happier I am as a recordist. (Yes, I refer to myself as a "recordist" because I'm far too much of a technical neophyte to feel comfortable calling myself an engineer, lol).

Wow. Great vocals and science. Another element of things is where to put filter- closer to mic or close to facemouth..

Thanks for the test. You should try Håkan P110 pop killer. It is supposed to be the most transparent of them all.

First of all, what a stellar voice and performance, I love those robust lows and overall, wonderful tone! Anyway, as far as the filters, I agree with your (Andrew) choices, in regards to the two that did the best job of controlling the sibilance. Having said that, and perhaps this is a moot point, but as far as what was the most pleasurable to listen to, well, that would be the other two that you didn't pick. I just felt that, sibilance aside, those other two retained a consistent level of clarity, especially on the top end throughout the entire performance/take. Whereas the two you picked sounded slightly rolled off (just on certain notes) and as Ariana mentioned, as if she was wearing a mask, even though one of the ones she referred to as being muffled was one of the ones I thought sounded more open. haha.. Nothing severe but still, enough to bother me. And as far as their ability to control sibilance, well yeah, perhaps they didn't achieve that in the slightest, almost as if you weren't using one at all. I guess if it were me, I might choose the first two, simply because I'd rather track something sounding wide open and clear as possible and then try to remedy the harshness and/or sibilance issues whilst mixing via eq. If the problem was extreme, then I'd probably opt for the filter. Anyway, just my two cents! Excellent video and content as always! Take care.. Dave..

the sibilance is slightly less on the non-metal filters.. BUT the vocal is muffled to an uacceptable degree. I will continue using the metal grill (Using a sE filter) and control sibilance with a plugin.

in my headphones, the isovox sounded more in the room, more close, which i preferred. it would be interesting to hear them all in a mix too.

Very interesting

All the other ones change the sound of the mic not in a good way, kind of adds an uncomfortable shine or muffles the sound. THE NYLON ONE SOUNDS VERY GOOD! 4 was the BEST for me as well!

I didn’t know your wife had such a great voice that’s awesome!

This is crazy because to me, it sounds not far from the equivalent to a different mic. I had no idea pop filters had that much effect on a recording. As a side note, Ariana has an incredible voice! Well done.

Great take after great take. Damn! :)

stating the obvious here, but besides talking about the effect these pop filters have on sibilance only the isovox one is doing enough on plosives, the others like completely fail in that regard. I've great results with the aspen Pittman pfm+, the hakan p110 and the jz mic pop filter.

The gator mesh sounded the best to me!

I had a dual metal pop filter, it did create an annoying spike in the high mids, the nylon one I have didn't. I only use that one now

Great video! It took me a while to figure how much those affect sound! Also great choice of mics, I love Lauten... Build quality, sound quality are second to none and they have an amazing service! Highly recommend.

Maybe it's the speakers I'm listening on, but the IsoVox sounded like it had a bit of a vintage, maybe leaning toward ribbon mic sound. Sure it colors the sound, but it might be usable as a deliberate tool to do so. Like a passive EQ device, heh.

Entered!

Man, you really need to try the JZ PF pop filter. I used to use the ISOVOX, and then I tried the JZ - PF pop filter and it changed my music, IT CHANGED MY SOUND

Very interesting video. God is in the details. I really enjoyed hearing Ariana sing... beautiful voice :)

I can’t seem to find it now, but I seem to remember a picture of Paul McCartney singing into a mic with a Union Jack sock over it as a pop filter. (Probably from first solo album…)

I agree with those saying the Isovox sounded best--it's no wonder it costs twice as much as the average (metal) pop screen at Guitar Center. On my laptop speakers I could tell instantly that the sibilance was greatly reduced compared to the others. It was kind of ironic when she said her vocals sounded muffled on that one when singing live. Perhaps it sounded that way because it wasn't what she was used to in general. In any case, I recently changed from mesh to metal thinking it would be better but I seem to be having more issues with sibilance than I ever have before, even as the SM58 mic I also recently bought captures my voice better than any other mics I've tried. I guess I'll have to go back and see if using the mesh is better after all.

I agree with your choice ... Arian's gifted voice sounds good on all of them...

You're still getting those plosives and sibilance issues as the pop filter is still too close to the capsule. What happens is the pressure wave from the plosive is causing the webbing to flex which is in turn flicking a small amount of air (and sometimes moisture) onto the capsule. The air between the filter and the capsule needs distance so the air in between will lose its energy and dissipate. You can test this with one of those photography lens blowers/puffers. It'll tell you the minimum distance each type of filter needs... To test the EQ curve of each filter you need to rely on the same performance. Something that is physically impossible with an actual singer. You need to put a speaker in place of the singer and do a sine sweep to determine if any frequencies are actually changed. 1-2db is not going to be noticeable by anyone. 10db over a wide band would be. Without testing these things as in depth its really still subjective, even if you have thrown options out there. It just makes those options meaningless.

I knew you'd pick 1 and 4.. the other two were letting the plosives through big time... which defeats the purpose of a pop filter. I agree the iso was more consistent though that might have been in the delivery of the vocal.. hard to tell on such a short clip

Thanks for doing this; looked like fun! To me, the Gator was best at dampening the S's. It took the brightness out of them, even though they remained clear. It is possible that the larger diameter between the two contributed to the effect as well.

As heard in this video, pop filters definitely make a difference and some do a better job than others. I appreciate the intent of this video, but I would have liked to see some industry standard pop filters included in the comparison such as the Shure PS-6 Popper Stopper and the Hakan P110. I feel like the Stedman, though popular, is more of a home studio standard than an industry standard. I think that's because they're the "best" or most expensive pop filter available at national retail chains that are locally accessible to most. However, there are definitely better options. Personally, I've never been a fan of the metal screens. I find they give more of a metallic, bright sound that can end up bringing out the esses. I think people like them because of their bright sound but, we shouldn't be getting that from our pop filter, we should be getting that from our microphone and preamp selections.

I think Gator sounds the best. Least amount of plosives and sibalence. The expensive one sounds muffled.

The ISOVOX (listening on a laptop, not in the studio)

KING OF SIBILANCE: RODENT1A! A NIGHTMARE to take out!

I got the Gater one 25 bucks and if you keep it 8 inches away it is brilliant.

I wish the jz pop filter was featured, they have a metal pop filter with a metal pin in the middle that is designed to battle sibilance. I was just curious how it would stack up in a "sibilance" battle.

sorry for the interruption dude but i wish to now the db out than was recorded the vocal

The metal ones are more plosive... That is my opinion. And my fav is the same! in term of sibilance, the pop filter should not interfere with the mic response, altho I feel like metal ones are also more sibilant.

The ISO is the best sounding, Ariana's voice just cuts thru "The Best" with this one, but the Gator is not bad at all. If you got the funds get the ISO, if your on a budget the Gator will work fine too. I fell the ISO is just a good step above for a clear vocal recording.

Call me crazy,but wouldn't a dual metal pop filter work best? If theetal gaps were offset,it would stop all moisture AND eliminate plosives,right?

10:56 😂😂

Gator mesh did it for me

I watched a video with a UK microphone manufacturer and he said you want the pop filter 7-8" away from mic otherwise it isn't preventing sibilance at all. I didn't know that. He held out his hand thumb to pinky was what he said is effective.

When’s the moog getting some love

At least you folks understand that pop filters are a goodtool to haveon hand. Not like that other guy on another channel who hates pop filters. Remember Sir George Martin made pop filters that he had the Beatles use when recording.

4 was easily the best

Which one was number 4?

First viewer lol 👍

Maybe I passed out in the middle of the video but I heard absolutely no mention of the fact that the metal pop filters didn't actually work as pop filters. There were very obvious plosives passing through the metal pop filters. The GATOR was absolutely the best balance of acoustic transparency, plosive rejection and price.

Is the competition international?

That mic would've looked great in my home studio, but why bother I've never won anything. I'm just gonna save some money to buy it🤷🏿‍♂️

I kinda agree with the vocalist the isovox sounds like a mask to me...use lot of money to cover up the sparkles 😂

Get a pop filter for pops Use a

😂😂😂😂10:56

I think the Gator sounded best.

Isovox sound better to me

gator mesh is the best

make you honk my horn lol

Whats with the Pauly? Another Test?

You don't necessarily need a pop filter but if you're going to use one, use it correctly.....which you're not doing in this video. The pop filter has to be at least 5 inches away from the microphone (approximately a sideways fist) to give plosives time to dissipate through the filter. if you have it almost right up to the mic the pop filter isn't doing much of anything. You need to redo this test using the pop filters the way they're meant to be used, not close to or right up against the mic. I bet you the sound would be different for each one if you redo it using the filters the right way (and yes, there is a right way).

Iso vox is the best