Microphone Blimp

Microphone blimps are essential if you’re attempting to record in windy conditions, but they are not cheap. The cheapest I’ve seen online is around £130, and that’s still not small change. This blimp obviously doesn’t look as professional as the Rode but it cost about £10 to build.



Materials (Prices for reference):

PVC Pipe <£2

Waste basket £1.50

Fake Fur £2.50

Foam <£1

Plastic Bolts £1.50

Velcro £0.50

2 wire sieves £2

Bits of elastic

A scrap of wood

The pipe should be a couple of inches longer than your mic. Cut it down into a skeleton, leave as little bulk as possible while still maintaining the strength. A Dremel or similar works really well for this, though a coping saw will get you there. The pipe I used was a little thin, I’d recommend something a little more solid but this still did the trick. Cut the waste basket apart so you just have the mesh. Lay the foam over the mesh and attach it to the skeleton. Cover the sieves with foam too, hot-glue works well here. Cut the handles and prongs completely off the front sieve, but only trim them down for the rear one. Cable ties are great for assembling it all: pull them tight and cut off the excess. Feed the elastic through the body to create the mic suspension. You’ll have to experiment with placement and length depending on your mic.

You can see the handle in that second picture. I drew up and cut a pistol grip shape from a bit of plywood. I’m sure you can rescue a bit of something suitable from a skip. I blagged this from B&Q for free as it was an offcut. I cut it to shape with a jigsaw and refined it with the Dremel. Again, a coping saw and some sandpaper will do the same trick. I drilled holes in the handle and the blimp to attach it with the plastic bolts.

If you leave the little prongs on the rear sieve you can then use little elastic loops to hold it onto the cage. I attached fur directly to this rear dome, and then create a removable sleeve for the cage, but you may want to permanently attach all the fur or create one complete removable piece. Stitch the main sleeve together and use velcro along the seam so you can put it on and off. Take the handle into consideration, I actually attached velcro directly to the handle so the fur attaches strongly.

That’s it. Here’s the mic sitting in the suspension mounts, and the finished product.