How to Make A Condenser Microphone Pop Screen Out A Clothes Hanger and Pantyhose

How to make a homemade pop screen (or wind screen) for your condenser microphone.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Wire clothes hanger
• Pantyhose

1. Untwist the neck of the clothes hanger. Bend it into one relatively straight line. You'll have a flat metal wire divided into three sections.

2. Take one of the ends and bend it back toward the center. Create a circular loop about six inches wide, centered on one end.
   
   Think of the loop as sort of like a giant version of the loop you would blow bubbles through.

3. Now take pantyhose and put it over the loop. Tie off the ends on the top and bottom and trim off the excess material.

4. Affix the pop screen to your microphone stand. Duck tape it to the stand and flex the wire so the loop rests about four or five inches in front of the microphone. (The side of a condenser you sing into or rap into is usually denoted with a round dot.)

5. Sing through the loop and the pantyhose will lesson the sound of your percussive consanants, sounds that are made as you exhale. This will reduce popping noises in your vocal take.

Tips & Warnings

• Pantyhose that is colored black will look more professional.
• A real pop screen costs about thirty bucks.
• Watch the movie Hustle & Flow to see this technique in action.