Most studio users, at some time in their lives, have inserted a coat hanger covered in a pair of tights, or a frying pan splash guard between their vocalist and their mic. The resulting pop shields are effective against those pesky 'plosives' (like P, B, and, occasionally, K sounds) which can make a recording sound so dreadful, but the solution is not particularly elegant or professional-looking.

Enter the US-made Popper Stopper, a microphone-stand mounting, flexible (courtesy of a goose-neck stalk), 'plosive impeder'. The business end consists of a six-inch circular piece of plastic (rather like an embroidery hoop, in fact) featuring a double-sided screen made from a mesh-like substance not awfully different from tights, with a quarter-inch gap in between.

Using the Popper Stopper is simply a matter of clamping the gooseneck to a mic stand and positioning the meshed hoop in front of a mic. The actual clamp seems a bit hit and miss, but in practice, it does work perfectly well.

The principle on which these devices work is well proven so there was never any doubt that it would, work. Though it costs more than a pair of tights and a coat-hanger, it is still cheap enough, it's easier to adjust, and should last indefinitely. It looks kind of snazzy on a mic stand as well.

At around £35, the Popper Stopper is effective and rather cheaper than many of its rivals.

Further Information
Popper Stopper £35.23 including VAT.

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