DPA Microphones has launched its new miniature fur windscreen for lavalier and headset mics at NAB 2024.
Designed for quick mounting on round, omnidirectional headset or lavalier microphones between 0.1-0.23 inches (2.5-5.8mm), the AIR1 is engineered for use in challenging environments of broadcast and professional content creation applications. Its patent-pending design is built to offer wind protection with unrivaled acoustic transparency that solves all wind-related challenges of filming outdoors.
The wind protection of the AIR1 is achieved via the fixed size of the air cavity surrounding the microphone capsule. This provides acoustical transparency that is designed to enable it to capture the voice with perfect intelligibility.
“The DPA AIR1 Windscreen eliminates all the worries associated with using a windscreen on a miniature microphone during outdoor broadcast projects,” commented Helga Volha Somava, product management director, DPA Microphones.
“Many windscreens currently on the market are time consuming and difficult to mount. They can also be cumbersome to position correctly and can alter the frequency curve of the microphone, but the DPA AIR1 breaks these stereotypes. It’s rare to find a windscreen that can be considered groundbreaking, but the new DPA AIR1 Windscreen is exactly that. We look forward to presenting this revolutionary technology to attendees of the 2024 NAB show.”
The DPA AIR1 rejects wind noise through two layers of wind protection, the first of which is a newly designed acoustic fur. By finetuning the hair length, material and density, as well as the inner lining, the fur contributes to the wind rejection while maintaining acoustic transparency.
The second layer of protection is the air cavity that surrounds the microphone to keep the fur spaced away from the capsule and maintain constant air volume. This is achieved using two arches as well as a mic stop, which ensures that the microphone’s position in the ‘acoustic sweet spot’ is most protected. By adding a patent-pending boundary surface directly behind the capsule, a pressure field is generated around the microphone diaphragm, which has a specific frequency range that is acoustically amplified. Finetuning the dimensions of the boundary surface enabled DPA to adjust the frequency boost to match the exact frequencies that the fur attenuates.
The AIR1 consists of a durable, UV-stabilized plastic that is found in automobile headlights and can withstand harsh weather and repeated use. To maintain a consistently strong grip on the microphone, DPA implemented a stainless-steel spring that, unlike elastic bands used on traditional wind protection accessories, will not snap mid-use or deteriorate over time.
Additionally, the acoustic fur used on the cover consists of specially formulated fibers that guarantee long-lasting color, shape memory and simple maintenance.
Furthermore, the handles on the device minimize handling of the fur, which ensures that the AIR1 will maintain its shape significantly longer than traditional windscreens. With fur length that is 30-percent shorter than other wind protection accessories, the AIR1 also reduces the visual impact of utilizing a windscreen.
In addition to being compatible with DPA’s lavaliers and headsets, the AIR1 can be used on a wide range of other professional miniature microphones. Two sizing options are also available to fit most major brands’ professional miniature microphones, offering a universal solution.
In addition, the DPA AIR1 is offered in six color options (black, brown, beige, white, off-white and gray) to complement most apparel. Finally, the DPA AIR1 ships with two windscreens of the same size and color in the box.