Pop filter

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A pop filter or pop shield is an anti-pop noise protection filter for microphones. It serves to reduce popping and hissing sounds in recorded speech and singing.

A pop filter is normally composed of an acoustically semi-transparent material such as woven nylon stretched over a circular frame, and often includes a clamp and a flexible mounting bracket. A cheap pop shield can be made from material from tights or stockings stretched over a piece of wire such as a bent coat hanger.

Popping sounds occur particularly in the pronunciation of aspirated plosives (such as the first 'p' in the English word "popping"). Hissing sounds or sibilance frequently result from the pronunciation of fricatives such as the 'sh' in the English word "seashells". Pop filters are designed to attenuate the energy of plosives, which otherwise might exceed the design input capacity of the microphone, leading to clipping.

A pop filter differs from a microphone windscreen.