Wind noise on microphones

[Dr Jekyll]

Why is this such a massive problem on amateur video equipment (check out youtube airshow vids) yet rarely an issue with professional stuff? Is it something to do with technique?

[markmullen]

Professional mics tend to be used with a dead cat.

[GetCarter]

...often known as a beaver

[Dr Jekyll]

So are these things highly expensive or is it just that the kind of camcorders you get in Dixons have microphones that you can't fit them to?

[GetCarter]

The good ones are expensive, but to be honest, it's as much where the mic is placed and how one can alter the +/- db that will make a difference.

Cheap mics with a bit of foam on the front of a car doing 100mph will only ever be wind noise!

[205alive]

Once you move into decent sound reproduction you're moving into another field which needs a bit of research and understanding if you want to cut down on wind noise.

You need to look into 'rycote' as in rycote baskets, 'windsocks'. You can DIY a solution, but what you want to look into is an external mic if you want better sound.

Then you're going to come up against terms like 'line level', mic pre-amps, 'phantom power', 'mic suspension' etc etc.

What do you want to do and what have you already got?