Help, shotgun too long for blimp
 

I've an AKG Shotgun and it's too long to fit in the blimp once I plug the XLR cable into it. Is there a shorter XLR plug? I don't know why the plug has to be so long?

Also, I was wondering how far the mic tip should be from the end of the blimp?

Take the xlr apart and then just plug the bit with the socket and mettle bit that the socket fits in into the mic and tape around the back where the strain relief gland used to be. Then tape the wire back on it's self. That should buy you an inch of the length. As long as you have a half inch at the end you should be fine. These Rycotes can take some setting up to get right. Obsessive sound syndrome. Just keep fiddling and get the tension right on the elastic so it doesn't hit the zepperlin if moved about in a realistic working fashion.

rycozy
 

kinda on this subject, do you guys use a windball inside the rycote with full windjammer on it?... I try and put the tip of the mic as close to the end cap as possible. But a friend of mine said that there is a different pressure in the rounded part and to only have the tip of th mic come to the start of the end cap.?

oh yah I use a cmc641, if that matters

personally I don't use the foam under the rycote as I think it makes my mic more likely to knock against the end of the zeppelin as the mic end would effectively become bigger. Also I think the idea is to have an air gap which the inclusion of the foam undermines. What would the foam achieve anyway? It is not drafty inside the windshield.

As to how much space one needs at the end I would say an inch is good. Again that gives you an air gap. If this gap is more than 2 inches then you are just forcing your self to be further away from the subject.

The main thing is that the mic wont knock against anything.

K-Tek sells a small right angle XLRF. You can get some room by resoldering this one inside your blimp instead of the straight one.
It's not in their catalog, you have to ask for it.... about $16.
It's the same right angle connector that comes with some of their poles.

http://www.mklemme.com/pole/khgw.html

Neutrik has right angle connectors, unfortunatelly they are not generally off the self stuff, special order, or not at all, depending on the shop/store/country...

They are often nicer also on camera connections, cables hang straight down not sticking to the side.