Rycote 055458 Mini Windjammer/windscherm voor Sony PCM-D100

This review now updated (favourably)!I was really sorry to have to rate this Rycote windshield so low (originally 2 stars), because I knew the hard work the small Rycote team have been putting into seeking to improve their products and innovate where possible. I have a rather desperate issue with my recently purchased Sony PCM-D100 recorder, for which NO available windshield of which I'm aware is even remotely adequate, because of the D100's insanely wind-sensitive microphones. Yet I do not want to give up on the recorder, because of its tremendous sound quality and in particular the breathtakingly precisely focused, wide, deep and lifelike soundstage that its microphones in their Wide Stereo setting manage to achieve.My comparative tests of a number of furry windshields for the PCM-M10 recorder a few years ago found the Rycote Mini Windjammer of that time for the M10 to be sort-of okay even though not brilliant for that recorder model, because the M10 isn't so frantically wind-sensitive to start with. I did, however, find that certain other windshields, notably the Rode DeadKitten, were significantly more effective. I eventually entered into a discussion with Rycote about possible improvements for their Mini-Windjammer, and even tested some experimental improved versions for them - but although each attempt did bring about a small improvement, at that point the DeadKitten still clearly remained King.But now my 'recorder landscape' is different, with a much more challenging recorder for which to attempt to give at least adequate protection for my natural soundscape recordings. The challenge (aka hair-tearing frustration) for me was added to by Rode having replaced their original DeadKitten by a black version that is distinctly poorer performing than the original, just when I wanted still greater protection! I told my dealer (for the recorder) about the issue, and they were at once in touch with Rycote, who agreed to do their best to fit into their tight work schedule before long some attempts to produce a radically more effective solution for such sensitive recorders - and I myself joined in the correspondence over this and hoped in due course to be trying out the odd experimental prototypes.In the meantime, however, seeing that the Rycote Mini Windjammer for the D100 looked much chunkier and therefore potentially more effective than that for the M10, I thought it would be only sensible and fair of me to buy one of those and see how that compares with the DeadKittens and the odd other suitable-size windshields I could get hold of. Sorry to say, in my very revealing indoor fan test the Mini Windjammer tied with the Sony windshield for the D100 at the bottom of the league. It disturbed me, then, to see the Rycote Mini Windjammer being so widely listed as *the* windshield for the D100, because, in its current state of development, it appeared to be actually just so unsuitable for it, and there were distinctly better ones for that model, albeit still none of them what I would call adequate!Important update, 30 May 2016:My rating is now changed from two to four stars.Having bought a second PCM-D100 recorder, today I was able to do a quick side-by-side comparison of two windshields at a time in a proper field test, with real wind, choosing a partially sheltered position to obtain a sensible variety of gust strength so I could see useful readings on the recorders' level meters. I placed the recorders on same-height tripods, as close together as practicable, so I could quickly switch my gaze to and fro between the level meters of the respective recorders. My comparison yardstick this time was a Movo WS-R30 furry windshield, which I'd already established to have very similar performance to the original version of the Rode DeadKitten, my historical best-performing windshield model for a small portable recorder.In the event, I found the performance of the Movo and Rycote windshields consistently indistinguishable - which is considerably at variance with my indoor fan test result. Therefore it is only fair to up-rate the Rycote shield accordingly here. However, it needs re-emphasizing that still none of these windshields is really 'man enough' to give the level of protection for the extremely wind-sensitive D100 that a recordist of natural soundscapes would need. I was still limited to recording in no more than the very lightest of breezes (even force 2 Bft was a bit too strong), so had the frustration of having to miss out of most recording opportunities where the PCM-M10 would have been able to get me reasonable to excellent recordings using the same windshield models.Update, 15 June 2016:I have at last found a partial solution, which again underlines the inadequacy of any single windshield. I am now using a two-layer arrangement, with a Movo non-furry windshield (WST-R30) of the right size, with a custom-made Windcut furry windshield fitted on top of that. This arrangement gets me something approaching, even though still not fully equal to, the level of wind invulnerability that I had with the Sony PCM-M10 with original version Rode Deadkitten. It actually comes out better in my table-top tests with a fan, but not so well in actual field recording situations.Further update, March 2017:I've now found that the particular design of Movo windshield (semi-rigid, squared) has been the cause of a serious problem with the treble in my recordings, because of two resonance peaks that it imparts in the treble range. That means that I have to abandon any arrangement using the particular Movo windshield, which I feel duty bound to warn recordists about. That of course tells one nothing further actually about the Rycote Mini Windjammer, however, but does mean that I'm searching urgently again for a better solution.Update, January 2019:Later in 2016 I found that Windcut furry windshields were the most effective of all that I'd tried, but even then ended up using not just two, but THREE, one over the other - being able to do this because these were custom furries that Windcut made for me (at a remarkably low price). This, however, then required a really strong EQ curve to correct for all that muffling of the treble - and that in turn resulted in a boosting of microphone hiss, which became apparent in some very quiet soundscapes. And even with those three furries I was still seemingly more limited by the wind than I was with the PCM-M10 with a single Rode DeadKitten. The issue (and my hair-tearing) goes on and on...

Cette bonnette anti-vent est indispensable pour utiliser le Sony PCM-D100 en extérieur, cet enregistreur est sensible au moindre souffle.La bonnette fournie par SONY fait son office, mais est plus délicate à insérer.

No different from the one supplied for the Sony PCM-D100 in terms of performance. Also, if you have a D-100 you'll need the Rycote shockmount due to handling noise and that comes with one of these anyway.

Used on both an LS100 and PCM D100 (v wind sensitive). This is the second I’ve had. The earlier one from a few years ago seemed to have better fur density. Needs brushing a lot to keep performing well. But overall very good. Ok up to wind of around 8mph. Then you’ll need a Blimp.