Jake

DIY Microphone Zeppelin Windscreen

Note: This page originally linked to detailed instructions on how to make your own zeppelin windscreen. You can still find the full page in the Internet Archive.

I’m a big fan of DIY gear for shooting video or recording audio when your budget is holding back your ability to produce an otherwise great creative endeavor. You can save a ton of money in many cases and you get the satisfaction of creating something useful along the way. Case in point, the DIY microphone zeppelin windscreen from Joel Greenberg of a blog once called Joel and Karen.

Finished DIY Zeppelin Windscreen

Zeppelins are those fuzzy things you see covering microphones on long boom arms and help to greatly reduce wind noise when recording with a shotgun style microphone. Using some PVC, leaf guard, fur from the fabric store, and a hot glue gun, Joel built a very functional zeppelin to help cut down on wind noise when recording audio in windy outdoor environments in Texas. He details all the steps and provides a before and after audio recording sample to demonstrate the sound difference. As a bonus he also shows how to build a microphone shock mount using PVC too.

I had originally just linked to Joel’s tutorial, but I’ll include additional details in case it disappears from the Internet Archive.

Tools Required to Make a Zeppelin Windscreen

  • Joel used a jig saw to cut the PVC. I’ve cut PVC quite successfully with a hack saw
  • Cordless Drill for drilling holes for screws and bolts.
  • Screw driver and wrench to tighten nuts and bolts
  • Hack saw (again) to cut off protruding bolts.
  • Sand paper for the rough edges of cut PVC (any grade will work)

Zeppelin Windscreen Parts List

  • 4-inch diameter PVC pipe (purchased from a hardware store or scavenged from a construction site)
  • 1/2″ threaded PVC cap, for mounting the handle
  • 1/2″ threaded PVC pipe, 5″ – 8″ long for the handle (the shorter the better, but at least long enough for the width of your hand).
  • Bicycle handle bar grip (to go over the 1/2″ PVC pipe).
  • Rubber bands for shock mounts.
  • Six screw eyes, the smaller the better
  • Two retainers for the mic. Joel used 3/4 Inch Metal Stud Grommet Pipe Eye from Lowes plumbing section
  • Electrical tape to wrap the mic retainers.
  • Leaf guard available in 20-foot sections at Lowe’s or Home Depot.
  • Small bolts with washers and lock washers to bolt the thing together.
  • Cable ties or zip ties (to attach the leaf guard to the PVC pipe)
  • One yard of fake fur (which should be enough to wrap around the PVC pipe and leave some extra at the end)
  • Velcro or generic hook-and-latch fasteners to attach the fur to itself