Hawk WS01 Microphone Windscreen

Hawk WS01 Microphone Windscreen

The Hawk WS01 Microphone Windscreen is a foam windscreen that slips over a microphone head to reduce wind noise, breath pops and handling rumble in recordings and live sound. Moving air is one of the most common causes of spoiled audio: a gust outdoors, a singer breathing close to the capsule, or air conditioning in a hall can all produce low-frequency noise that masks speech and vocals. The foam diffuses that air movement before it reaches the capsule, so the recorded sound stays clearer. The WS01 also gives the microphone head a basic layer of protection against dust and moisture during everyday use, storage and transport.

Key Features

• Foam windscreen that fits over the microphone head
• Reduces wind noise in outdoor and on-location recording
• Helps control breath pops and plosives in close vocal use
• Helps reduce handling rumble
• Provides basic protection for the mic capsule against dust and moisture

Outdoor and On-Location Recording

Interviews, field reports, outdoor ceremonies and location video work all expose a microphone to moving air that a studio never has. Even a light breeze can generate rumble strong enough to make dialogue unusable, and that noise cannot be fully removed afterwards without affecting the voice itself. Fitting a foam windscreen before recording is the standard first line of defence, softening the impact of gusts so speech remains intelligible. Journalists, event videographers and location recordists keep windscreens fitted as a matter of routine, because conditions change quickly outdoors and there is rarely a second chance to capture the same moment in calmer air.

Live Vocals, Speech and Presentations

On stage and at the lectern, the problem air comes from the performer rather than the weather. Singers and speakers working close to the microphone produce breath blasts and plosive sounds on letters such as P and B, which register as thumps in the PA system and in recordings. A foam windscreen places a diffusing layer between the mouth and the capsule, taking the edge off those bursts while keeping the voice natural. The same benefit applies in houses of worship, conference rooms and classrooms, where handheld and stand microphones are passed between speakers of different experience and microphone technique throughout an event.

Studio and Podcast Use

Indoors, the WS01 serves as a basic pop filter for dynamic microphones used in podcasting, voice work and home recording, and as a hygiene and dust cover for microphones that see regular use by different people. Foam windscreens are inexpensive consumables in working studios: they are swapped between users, replaced when worn, and kept as spares in the microphone case. For podcasters recording on location or in untreated rooms, the windscreen also helps with the small air movements from heating, fans and open windows that would otherwise appear as background rumble beneath speech, making episodes cleaner and easier to listen to at normal playback levels.

Fitting and Looking After a Foam Windscreen

A foam windscreen is fitted by gently stretching it over the microphone head until it sits fully and evenly, without forcing it in a way that tears the foam. It should cover the capsule area completely, since gaps leave part of the grille exposed to direct air movement. After use, particularly outdoors or in shared settings, the foam can be removed and allowed to dry fully before the microphone is packed away, which helps keep both the windscreen and the capsule in good condition. Foam gradually compresses and degrades with heavy use, so working users treat windscreens as replaceable items and keep a fresh spare ready rather than relying on a worn cover.

The Hawk WS01 Microphone Windscreen is a simple, essential accessory for any microphone used on stage, outdoors or on location, reducing wind and breath noise at the source and protecting the capsule in daily use.