Rycote “Ball Gag” Type Windshields– Product Overview
Baby Ball Gag | Mono Extended Ball Gag | Stereo Extended Ball Gag
Why is it called a “Ball Gag”?
Rycote products are hand built in the small cottage town of Stroud in England. It is common in the UK to refer to a microphone windscreen as a “gag”. So when they first started making these round, basket-style windscreens, they were affectionately referred to… as none other than… Ball Gags.
Rycote Ball Gag Series products offer the benefit of a basket-style windshield in a more compact form factor. They will also have the benefit of the choice of two levels of wind protection. There are few unique products in the Bag Gag range.
Baby Ball Gags
The Rycote basket-style windshield represents the pinnacle of essential elements required to accurately isolate and wind-protect a microphone. All Rycote products encompass state of the art materials and bona fide hand-made craftsmanship resulting in the world’s best windshield and shockmount products.
Basket style windshields commonly referred to as “Blimps” and “Zeppelins” offer the best performance aspects in microphone windshielding. Beyond fur covering and screening, there are two key elements to their improved performance; the increased internal dead-air space around the microphone as a result of their larger diameter and that they completely enclose the microphone.
The windshield is constructed of the same material as the full size modular windshields, but rather than housing around a microphone suspension, the BBG is mounted directly on the microphone, by a grommet gripping the microphone body. The microphone is pushed through the grommet, to completely enclose the microphone capsule with a tight seal.
The BBG consists of two halves, which can be separated, to fit microphones with a ball-head or tapered body from inside the windshield. The diameter of the “Ball” is 105mm.
For additional wind protection a furry Windjammer cover is also available which will yield up to 35dB of wind attenuation.
The cylindrical shaft determines sizing diameter of the microphone pushed through grommet - 20, 21 & 25mm. Please note a BBG is not always compatible with all mics even though their documented specification matches the BBG grommet diameter.
- Baby Ball Gag Windshield, 20 mm grommet
- Baby Ball Gag Windshield, 21 mm grommet
- Baby Ball Gag Windshield, 25 mm grommet
- Windjammer for Baby Ball Gag, Fits all BBG’s
Baby Ball Gag Sizing
Finding the correct Baby Ball Gag will depend mainly on the diameter of the microphone shank. The size of the Baby Ball Gag relates to the diameter of the microphone body, i.e. a 20 mm Baby Ball Gag will fit a microphone with a 20 mm diameter shank. The microphone is fitted through a neoprene grommet into the Ball Gag, and must be central for the best wind protection. Please note the maximum diameter the head can be is 80 mm. For shockmounting use Softie Lyre Mounts or InViision INV-HG mkII.
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Quick Guide: 20mm for Schoeps CMC/MK and Octava MC 012 21mm for Schoeps CMC/CUT/MK, Neumann KM140/150 25mm for Sennheiser MKH40/50 |
Mono Extended Ball Gag
Mono Extended Ball Gags (XBG) offer a unique and highly effective solution for *compact* condenser microphones requiring wind protection and maximum shock isolation. The wind attenuation properties and suspension performance are that of our full sized Windshield System yet in a much smaller and lighter package - only 105mm x 170mm.
Typically a Mono XBG will be used with these compact microphones: Schoeps CCM_L (Lemo), Schoeps CMC/MK with KC 5g cable, Sennheiser MKH8000 with MZL Cable and Neumann KM100 Series with AK cable.
The necessary components in use are the Mono XBG Suspension, Mono XBG Windshield and Mono XBG Windjammer fur cover. A Mono XBG Windjammer Hi-Wind Cover is also available. The included boom adaptor of the XBG Suspension also includes an XLR adaptor to hold the XLR cable mating connection when using an optional Connbox or short XLR mic-tail cable.
The Mono XBG Suspension uses Rycote’s patented “Lyre” technology, which is a revolutionary non-elastic microphone suspension web. The Lyre design gives ideal isolation for all cylindrical axial microphones like no other suspension technology before it. Unlike rubber or elastic suspensions the materials used in the lyres are unaffected by temperature, do not deteriorate and are virtually unbreakable.
There are two different Lyres mounted on the Mono XBG Suspension. The front Lyre is a special 19/22mm diameter clip for holding the main part of the compact microphone. The rear Lyre is 9.5mm clip to hold the smaller diameter cable exit section of the compatible microphones. The suspension is supplied with a cable clamp to lock down the cable and dress it appropriately for isolation from cable-borne noise. We highly recommend using a Rycote Connbox with a Schoeps CCM_L or Sennheiser MKH8000/MZL configuration.
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Shown: Mono XBG Suspension with Sennheiser MKH8000 and Connbox MZL (sold separately) |
Shown: Mono XBG Suspension with Schoeps CCM 41L and Connbox Lemo (sold separately) |
M/S Stereo
We also offer a Mono XBG Suspension setup for an “M/S” (Mid-Side) stereo arrangement with two microphones. We only recommend this for applications where having the smallest size windshield is priority-one. This M/S setup is less effective in windshielding and isolation for M/S compared to our Stereo Extended Ball Gag.
Stereo Extended Ball Gag
Stereo Extended Ball Gags (XBG) offer a unique and highly effective solution for *compact* condenser microphone M/S Stereo arrays requiring wind protection and maximum shock isolation. The wind attenuation properties and suspension performance are the maximum in a much shorter and lighter package than a standard Stereo Windshield.
Typically a Stereo XBG will be used with these compact microphones using a directional pattern combined with a Figure-eight for M/S Stereo: Schoeps CCM_L (Lemo), Sennheiser MKH8000 with MZL Cables and Neumann KM100 Series with LC 3 KA cables.
The necessary components in use are the Stereo XBG Suspension, Stereo XBG Windshield and Stereo XBG Windjammer fur cover. A Stereo XBG Windjammer Hi-Wind Cover is also available. The diameter of the windshield is 145mm - an ideal diameter for providing the proper volume of still air around the mics for superb wind attenuation performance. The body length is 55mm and also identified by Rycote as Stereo AC. The included boom adaptor of the XBG Suspension also includes an XLR adaptor to hold the XLR cable mating connection when using an optional Connbox 7 (for 2 x Schoeps CCM_Lemo).
Optional XY/MS Insert for Stereo Extended Ball Gag Suspension
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Shown: Stereo XBG with optional XY/MS insert. It allows for four angles of X/Y [70º, 90º, 105º & 120º] as well as M/S. Ideally suited for Schoeps CCM_L microphones. |
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Stereo Windshields and Suspensions
In 2010 Rycote has applied their state-of-the-art “Lyre”-based suspension technology across the Stereo range. This not only provides the user with the best possible microphone isolation but also has rationalized the total number of Stereo Suspensions down to just five. With this, some of the suspensions are more universal and work with several microphone combinations right out of the box. This is achieved by using a one-size-fits-most suspension cradle along with universal BTB Stereo clips to piggyback the second microphone in M/S arrays. Stereo mics with a 30mm diameter like the Rode NT4, Neumann RSM191 and Shure VP-88 utilize special 30mm riser Lyres for ideal isolation and placement within the shield. 