DR-40 Wind reduction at DVinfo.net

Greg Miller · July 16th, 2018, 08:08 AM

I want to get some sort of furry for my DR-40, to allow use in at least moderately breezy situations (i.e. I do *not* intend recording during a tornado or windstorm). I especially want to be certain that the furry will fit and work properly with the DR-40 mics pivoted out to the "A-B" position.

Can anyone please provide a recommendation or comparison of different makes & models?

Thanks in advance!

Rick Reineke · July 16th, 2018, 11:39 AM

Hi Greg, I've only used a taped-on foamy, left over from my H2, (not wide enough for the 120 degree wide config). It worked ok, but not for more than a gentle breeze depending on the environment. Obviously, wind noise with a high SPL band would be less apparent than in a high-gain nature environment. The Rycote is about the most costly @ $35, whilst the 'Master-Sound' on eBay is the lowest @ $15. I would think the best-bang-for-the-buck would be the made in USA Olsen-WindTech MM-51 @ $25.

Rycote (about $35)

Gutmann Fur Microphone Windshield Windscreen for Tascam DR-40 V2 (ranges from $25-35)

https://www.amazon.com/Master-Sound-Tascam-Windscreen-recorders/dp/B01N3ALWIW/din02c-20 (about $15)

WindTech MM-51 Mic-Muff Fitted Fur Windscreen http://www.windtech.tv/Mic-Muff.php
About $25

Bruce Foreman · July 17th, 2018, 10:13 PM

You may be best off making your own. I was in on field testing for a product that became the Windjacket, first for the ZoomH1 (very sensitive mics), then for the ZoomH2. They also were going to make versions for the Tascam DR portables but some tragedy in their family (it was a family business) caused them to shut down the business.

I would use 2 inch long fur (bleeds off wind energy pretty well) and go with a fully enclosed design. Wind on the body can cause noise. Use velcro closure and start the sound running before you close it up for each "take". Here is a link to the final prototype I tested for them:

The final production versions had vinyl windows so you could see the LCD and press the record button but I still use the prototype without the window, I just press record with it open just before I'm going to start the camera, and close the velcro then. Sounds more awkward than it really is, but the wind noise control is very effective.

Watching the video through, there are closeups that will give you a good clue to construction, you will see the simplicity of the design. I no longer use the ZoomH1 or H2 but that prototype works well over a shotgun mic outdoors.

Greg Miller · August 4th, 2018, 08:02 AM

Thanks for the suggestions, gentlemen.

In fact, I was concerned about the furry being wide enough to accommodate the mics when opened into the A/B position. So I decided to try the Tascam WS-11 which is specifically made to fit this recorder. It's fairly inexpensive.

I discovered two issues which are disappointing. First, while the furry part of the WS-11 is plenty wide for A/B micing, the elastic band that grips the recorder body is narrower. That's necessary, because the A/B mics stick out past the sides of the body. Unfortunately, when you slide the WS-11 onto the recorder, the small size of the elastic pushes the mics inward, and they are no longer in A/B position. I found it's possible to slide a finger up into the furry and gently push the mics back to wide position, but that's a pain. Worse yet, if you bump the furry, you can accidentally move the mic out of position without noticing it. Very dangerous! This set of problems exists because the mic pivots do not lock in position. No way to solve it except to change the design of the recorder itself.

The second issue concerns geometry of the recorder. If you position the furry so that it completely encloses the mics and space between the mics, it will cover the headphone jack and partially obscure the top part of the display. Again, there's no way to solve this except to change the design of the recorder itself.

I can't envision any change in the furry that would solve the above two issues. My conclusion is that the DR-40 is very narrowly usable for recording in any situation where a furry wind shield is required. You can use the mics only in X/Y position, and you have to be willing to forego use of headphones while recording. :-(

So now I know: I'll continue to use my Olympus LS-14 and Wind-jammer for outdoor work. And by the way, I've just confirmed that the Wind-jammer (on the Olympus) is much better at wind reduction than the WS-11 on the DR-40.

The good news is that the WS-11 was relatively inexpensive, so at least I didn't waste too much money on this experiment.

Thanks again for the suggestions! I hope my experience will save someone else from finding the same problems for themself.

July 16th, 2018, 08:08 AM	#1
Greg Miller Trustee Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,786	DR-40 Wind reduction I want to get some sort of furry for my DR-40, to allow use in at least moderately breezy situations (i.e. I do not intend recording during a tornado or windstorm). I especially want to be certain that the furry will fit and work properly with the DR-40 mics pivoted out to the "A-B" position. Can anyone please provide a recommendation or comparison of different makes & models? Thanks in advance!

July 16th, 2018, 11:39 AM	#2
Rick Reineke Inner Circle Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: New York Posts: 2,038	Re: DR-40 Wind reduction Hi Greg, I've only used a taped-on foamy, left over from my H2, (not wide enough for the 120 degree wide config). It worked ok, but not for more than a gentle breeze depending on the environment. Obviously, wind noise with a high SPL band would be less apparent than in a high-gain nature environment. The Rycote is about the most costly @ $35, whilst the 'Master-Sound' on eBay is the lowest @ $15. I would think the best-bang-for-the-buck would be the made in USA Olsen-WindTech MM-51 @ $25. Rycote (about $35) Gutmann Fur Microphone Windshield Windscreen for Tascam DR-40 V2 (ranges from $25-35) https://www.amazon.com/Master-Sound-Tascam-Windscreen-recorders/dp/B01N3ALWIW/din02c-20 (about $15) WindTech MM-51 Mic-Muff Fitted Fur Windscreen http://www.windtech.tv/Mic-Muff.php About $25

July 17th, 2018, 10:13 PM	#3
Bruce Foreman Trustee Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: San Angelo Texas Posts: 1,518	Re: DR-40 Wind reduction You may be best off making your own. I was in on field testing for a product that became the Windjacket, first for the ZoomH1 (very sensitive mics), then for the ZoomH2. They also were going to make versions for the Tascam DR portables but some tragedy in their family (it was a family business) caused them to shut down the business. I would use 2 inch long fur (bleeds off wind energy pretty well) and go with a fully enclosed design. Wind on the body can cause noise. Use velcro closure and start the sound running before you close it up for each "take". Here is a link to the final prototype I tested for them: Wind Jacket for the ZoomH1 on Vimeo The final production versions had vinyl windows so you could see the LCD and press the record button but I still use the prototype without the window, I just press record with it open just before I'm going to start the camera, and close the velcro then. Sounds more awkward than it really is, but the wind noise control is very effective. Watching the video through, there are closeups that will give you a good clue to construction, you will see the simplicity of the design. I no longer use the ZoomH1 or H2 but that prototype works well over a shotgun mic outdoors.

August 4th, 2018, 08:02 AM	#4
Greg Miller Trustee Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,786	Re: DR-40 Wind reduction Thanks for the suggestions, gentlemen. In fact, I was concerned about the furry being wide enough to accommodate the mics when opened into the A/B position. So I decided to try the Tascam WS-11 which is specifically made to fit this recorder. It's fairly inexpensive. I discovered two issues which are disappointing. First, while the furry part of the WS-11 is plenty wide for A/B micing, the elastic band that grips the recorder body is narrower. That's necessary, because the A/B mics stick out past the sides of the body. Unfortunately, when you slide the WS-11 onto the recorder, the small size of the elastic pushes the mics inward, and they are no longer in A/B position. I found it's possible to slide a finger up into the furry and gently push the mics back to wide position, but that's a pain. Worse yet, if you bump the furry, you can accidentally move the mic out of position without noticing it. Very dangerous! This set of problems exists because the mic pivots do not lock in position. No way to solve it except to change the design of the recorder itself. The second issue concerns geometry of the recorder. If you position the furry so that it completely encloses the mics and space between the mics, it will cover the headphone jack and partially obscure the top part of the display. Again, there's no way to solve this except to change the design of the recorder itself. I can't envision any change in the furry that would solve the above two issues. My conclusion is that the DR-40 is very narrowly usable for recording in any situation where a furry wind shield is required. You can use the mics only in X/Y position, and you have to be willing to forego use of headphones while recording. :-( So now I know: I'll continue to use my Olympus LS-14 and Wind-jammer for outdoor work. And by the way, I've just confirmed that the Wind-jammer (on the Olympus) is much better at wind reduction than the WS-11 on the DR-40. The good news is that the WS-11 was relatively inexpensive, so at least I didn't waste too much money on this experiment. Thanks again for the suggestions! I hope my experience will save someone else from finding the same problems for themself.