Wind and breath pops
You hear
Thumps on P and B sounds, breathing on the mic, or a roar of wind outdoors.
Pops and wind are air hitting the mic. Angle the mic, add a pop filter or windshield, and use Voice Isolation outdoors.
Likely causes, in order
Check them top to bottom. The room and the mic come first because no setting can remove what a closer mic or a closed door would.
| 01 · Layer | 02 · Likely cause | 03 · Fix |
|---|---|---|
| 01 · Room | Outdoor wind blows across the mic | Fit a windshield to the mic, or with recent AirPods choose Voice Isolation during the call windshield |
| 02 · Mic | The mic points straight at your mouth, so bursts of air from P and B sounds hit it head-on | Angle the mic slightly to the side of your mouth instead of straight at it angle |
| 03 · Mic | Nothing stops the air between your mouth and the mic | Put a pop filter about 5 cm in front of the mic, covering the whole capsule, or fit its foam cover pop filter |
| 04 · Mic | The mic is so close that breathing and mouth sounds come through | Keep a desk mic about 6–10 cm away, and set a headset boom just off to the side of your mouth 6–10 cm |
| 05 · App | Nothing in the call filters breathing or wind | Turn on the app's noise suppression; Xbox names breathing among the noises its party filter removes suppression on |
By app
- Xbox party chat
- Xbox says party chat noise suppression removes gamepad clicks, breathing and background noise.
- FaceTime
- With AirPods 4, AirPods 5, AirPods Pro 2 or AirPods Pro 3, Voice Isolation removes background noise such as wind for the listener. Choose it from Control Center during the call.
- Microsoft Teams
- In the Teams iPhone app, the High level suppresses all background sound that isn't speech.
- Google Meet
- Meet's noise cancellation removes sounds that aren't speech. It is on by default for many Workspace editions and can be switched on from More options → Settings.
Check it with the test
Say the test sentence with the mic pointed straight at your mouth, then again with it angled off to the side. Pops on the P and B sounds show as sharp jumps on the meter and in the Peak reading. Outdoors, wind raises the noise floor.
Run the noise test →Questions
Q.01What is a plosive?
The burst of air from P and B sounds. RØDE describes pops as bursts of air hitting the mic; a pop filter, or a slight angle, keeps that air off the capsule.
Q.02Will noise suppression remove breathing?
Some filters do: Xbox lists breathing among the noise party chat removes. Moving the mic out of your breath works in every app.
Q.03Do I need a windshield indoors?
Not for wind, but a pop filter or foam cover helps with P and B sounds. RØDE says windshields and pop filters cut wind noise and the sound of moving air.
Related problems
Checked against
Vendor help pages and manufacturer guides, last checked :
- help.rode.com · How to Properly Position a RØDE Microphone and Pop Filter
- help.rode.com · What Is Noise Isolation and How to Use It with RØDE Microphones?
- support.apple.com · Make and Answer Calls with AirPods 3, AirPods 4, AirPods 5, or AirPods Pro
- news.xbox.com · Rolling Out Today – Party Chat Noise Suppression and Jump In with Friends
- support.microsoft.com · Reduce Background Noise in Microsoft Teams Meetings
- support.google.com · Filter Out Noise from Your Meeting on Google Meet