Extreme Weather Protection for Sennheiser 8000 Series & LOM Usi Microphones

At this point, I’ve recorded 50 weather sound libraries in extreme temperatures, winds, and humidity in wild locations like Greenland, Patagonia, and French Polynesia. So great wind/water protection is very important for my field recording adventures. 

Over the years, I’ve developed a two DIY setup that does extremely well in wild weather, and has a small footprint. I post photos of this rig and get asked about how I built it all the time…so I finally got around to writing a blog post explaining how. 

Disclaimer – using these setups is not a full proof system. Mother nature will still find ways to damage your gear, so leave you microphones outside unattended at your own risk. 

How to Weatherproof Your LOM Usi Microphones

Here’s a list of the materials you need: 

1. LOM Usi or Usi Pro 
2. Cinela LEO20 Blimp with fur x2 ($384)
3. Bubblebee Windbubbles pair (approx $45)
4. 20 mm rubber tubing - 2 ft ($6.80)
5. Stopper plugs - Size 0 - with hole ($9.87)
6. Extra rubber tubing - 2ft ($40)
7. Nikwax TX.Direct for waterproofing ($22.95)
8. Total Cost for Stereo - Approx. $510

Instructions:

1. Spray the inner cover of the LEO20 blimp with Nikwax TX. Direct. Thoroughly coat the cover. You can’t spray on too much. Let air dry for 48-72 hours. Do not spray the outer Cinela furry with Nikwax.
2. Cut the 20mm rubber tubing into 4 inch sections. 
3. Slide the LOM Usi microphone through the tube with cable attached.
4. Cut a small chunk of the extra rubber tubing and wedge it around the Usi microphone so that it fits snugly inside the 20 mm tubing. 
5. Cut a slice in the stopper plug (these plugs already have a hole). Then slide the cable through the slit and insert the plug into the end of the tubing. 
6. Insert the mounted Usi into the LEO20. Center the tip of the Usi in the LEO20.
7. Add a Bubblebee Windbubble inside LEO20 for additional wind protection. Make sure the spacing is set up so that the Windbubble fibers don’t rub against that inside of the LEO20. 
8. Assemble the LEO20 and add outer Cinela Furry.

How to Weatherproof Your Sennheiser MKH8020 or MKH8040 Microphones

Here’s a list of the materials you need: 

1. Sennheiser MKH8020s or MKH8040s
2. Sennheiser MZL 8003 cables x2 ($159 x 2 = $318)
3. Cinela LEO25 Blimp with fur x2 ($192 x 2 = $384)
4. 1 inch (25.4 mm) rubber tubing - 5 ft ($15.85)
5. Stopper plugs - Size 3 - without hole ($10.42)
6. Nikwax TX.Direct for waterproofing ($22.95)
7. Total Cost for a Stereo - Approx. $750

Instructions:

1. Spray the inner cover of the LEO25 blimp with Nikwax TX. Direct. Thoroughly coat the cover. You can’t spray on too much. Let air dry for 48-72 hours. Do not spray the outer Cinela furry with Nikwax.
2. Cut the 25mm rubber tubing into 4.5 inch sections. 
3. Slide the Sennheiser 8000 series mic through the tube (with MZL cable attached). 
4. Drill a hole in the rubber stopper slightly smaller than the diameter of the MZL cable with drill bit. The stopper should fit tightly around the stopper when plugged into the tubing. 
5. Cut a slice in the stopper plug. Then slide the cable through the slit and insert the plug into the end of the tubing. 
6. Insert the mounted MKH8020 into the LEO25. Center the tip of the 8020 in the LEO25.
7. Assemble the LEO25 and add outer Cinela Furry.

Examples in the Field

• 4.0.2 3D Immersive Array of (LEO25s + MKH8040s) and (LEO20s + LOM Usi) at the top of Redwood tree

• Quad with LEO25s + MKH8020s on a sailboat in French Polynesia

• ORTF Surround with LEO25s + MKH8040s

• 4.0.2 3D immersive array with MKH8020s in Quad and MKH8040s in ORTF

Final Thoughts: 

1. The LEO20 + LOM Usi rig performs well in extremely high winds. This is my go-to setup for wild weather recording. 
2. The LEO25 + MKH8020 rig performs well in light to moderate winds. But won't do as well as a full-blown blimp like a Cinela Zephyx or Radius Mini-ALTO. 
3. Overall, these setups are very minimalist which is my primary variable when needing to run 6-10 microphone arrays at the same time on expeditions. 
4. LEO20/25s coated with Nikwax can be left out in rainstorms, snowstorms, and extreme humidity. Nikwax will create a water phobic layer on the inner cover of the LEO20/25 that will cause water to bead up and roll off. However, sound waves can still get through. Nikwax does not cause a noticeable effect on the quality of the recording.
5. When recording rain, I generally don’t use the outer LEO20/25 furries because they dampen the sound once soaked with water. 
6. Disclaimer - Nikwax will protect you mics from rain and moisture in a lot of situations, but you will occasionally destroy your microphones. So leave your gear out in extreme conditions at your own risk. That said, I routinely leave this setup out in rainstorms and my mics survive! But be sure to dry them out in an airtight container with desiccants after each session in the field.
7. For more info about how to record rain – Tonebenders: How to Record Rain. Also, here a great video from George Vlad about how to build foliage canopy covers so raindrops don’t thunk on the blimp – How to Record Clean Rain Sounds
8. For most situations, shock mounts are not needed with this setup and just add bulk. But you could put the rubber tubing in a lyre if you want some additional isolation.
9. How do I mount these blimps in the field? I often strap them to the opposite side of a tree for a quasi-binaural “tree-ears” stereo setup where the tree acts as a baffle. You can also strap 4 of them to a larger tree for spaced omni Quad setup with a lovely surround image. You can also use rocks, sagebrush, ice, or any other natural material in the environment as a baffle if there aren’t any trees. 
10. I mostly mount my DIY LEO blimps to tree trunks, branches, rocks, ice, and anything else I find in the field. This is primarily to save weight because I can’t carry a bunch of tripods for the 6-10 drop rigs I use on my recording expeditions. 
11. Here's another blog post about how I use these mounts as part of 3D Immersive Microphone Arrays. 
12. You can also mount these LEO20 and LEO25 setups in Radius RADs or Rycote Lyres for some more shock protection. 
13. You can also use Insta360 selfie sticks to make stereo, Quad, or 3D mounts on a tripod.