The best microphone isolation shield can make your audio recordings and streams sound more professional, without the need to visit a dedicated recording studio. So whether you're a podcaster, a YouTuber, Twitch presenter, musician or singer, it's a worthwhile investment indeed.
As the name suggests, a microphone isolation shield surrounds your mic and prevents unwanted background sounds from interfering with the audio it captures. It also contains dense and uneven materials that reduce sound-wave reflection, making for more balanced and professional sounding audio overall.
In this article, we've gathered together the best microphone isolation shields available today, at a range of prices. But how do you choose between them?
How to choose the best microphone isolation shield
Firstly, think about whether you want it to be: sat on your desk, or mounted to your mic stand? In the latter case, you'll want to see appropriate mounting accessories provided in the box, along with your microphone isolation shield.
Weight is also an important consideration. If you're only ever going to use a microphone isolation shield on your desk, you may prefer a heavier weight to avoid it tipping over. However, if you're on the go a lot, you may prefer a lighter weight to make it more portable. You might also prefer a foldable style, to make your microphone isolation shield more compact and easier to fit in a bag.
Size is also an issue. You want your microphone isolation shield to be large enough to capture unwanted sound sufficiently, but not too big that it doesn't fit on your desk properly, or obscures the screen you're reading your script from. With all that in mind, read on to discover the best microphone isolation shields on the market right now.
Over the course of the 2010s, sE Electronics became the industry standard in reflection filters, with the launch of the hugely popular Reflexion Filter PRO and the cheaper, entry-level model sE Electronics Reflexion Filter X. But if you're really serious about your sound, we'd recommend investing in their top-end model, the SPACE Vocal Shield. Quite simply, it's the best microphone isolation shield you can buy today.
That's partly down to attention to detail: each filter is hand-crafted, rather than being mass-produced, making for high build quality and durability. It's partly because of the superior mounting hardware, which allows the SPACE to be easily mounted, with a full range of motion: adjustable and lockable horizontally, vertically, and tilted at any angle.
But mainly it's because it's a great performer, thanks to a large surface area, deep air gaps, efficient materials, and enhancement of sE’s proprietary multi-layer technology. All that adds up to a level of full-bandwidth absorption, isolation, and diffusion that makes your audio just sound great.
If you're looking for a microphone isolation shield around the mid-price range, then we suggest checking out this fine choice from On-Stage, another big name in the industry.
This vented aluminum surround panel, constructed with a metal frame and a two-inch layer of acoustic foam, mounts securely to your mic's stand, and there's an additional shaft to help you get it to the perfect height (from 0.5 to five inches).
In action, it does an admirable job of shielding your mic from background noise and sound reflections. And its solid yet lightweight construction makes it easy to transport, set up, and tear down. The only issue is that it's so light, at less than a kilo, that it may need counterweighting, depending on your setup and how much you move around while recording.
Short of cash, but still want something that's going to do a decent job? Then check out this microphone isolation shield from Aokeo.
This mic shield consists of four panels, including two folding panels. And with its steel construction and inside layer of cotton insulation, it does a solid job of reducing sound reflection during recordings.
The folding panel design makes it very flexible and easy to adjust. However, note that it's not the biggest (at 30.91 x 29.49 x 11.51cm), and so you might need something bigger for your home studio setup. Conversely, though, its compact design, lightweight construction and foldability make it lovely and portable, if you want something to take on the road.
Another surprisingly affordable choice, the Sound Shield Compact from Marantz is a professional vocal reflection filter designed to mount to a microphone stand, via its integrated shock mount connector and separate adapter.
Its high-density acoutic foam works well to reduce ambient sound and give you clean recordings. And its two folding metal panels and light weight make it a good choice for using both at home and out in the field. Weighing 1.8kg, it should hit the right balance between portability and stability for most setups.
If you're looking for an inexpensive solution for recording music vocals, then let us point you towards the Auralex MudGuard V2. Its proprietary convex design diverts internal shell reflections away from your mic and does a great job of reducing unwanted overtones and excess noise. As does the non-perforated solid back, which blocks reflected sound from your recording environment.
The included mounting kit makes it easy to fix to most mic stands and adjust it appropriately. Overall, this is an excellent choice for vocals, whether you're recording them on their own or with other instruments in the room. And should you be recording other work like podcasts, it will work just as well for that, too.
Looking for a curved, metal microphone isolation shield, but don't have the kind of cash to buy number one on our list? Then here's a good alternative. This reasonably priced device from Neewer combines various types of soundproofing foams and aluminium sheets to break up unwanted reflections, noises and echoes in your recording environment.
It's not really suitable for desk use (it would be too low), but it's mountable on most conventional microphone stands, via either the 3/8-inch or 5/8-inch thread adapter included in the box. Once you've done that, the support bar of the microphone isolation shield can be adjusted up and down to find the best recording height.
Need to alternate between using your shield on a desk and attaching it to a mic? Then this microphone isolation shield from Monoprice is a great choice. It comes with a dual clamp mounting bracket, which attaches to booms or stands up to one-and-a-quarter inches in diameter. There are also two outer panels, which can be folded inward for creating a tighter acoustic isolation chamber. Furthermore, it can be used in a normal upright orientation or can be inverted, so that the microphone hangs down inside the chamber.
However you position it, though, it performs the job admirably. Its acoustic foam front and vented metal back plate work together well to let your mic 'breathe' and prevent reflections within the arc of the shield.
Another first-class microphone isolation shield from Neewer, this one comes with a metal tripod that makes it easy to position it anywhere and everywhere. Alternatively, you can unscrew the tabletop ‘foot’ section and then fix it to a standard mic stand using the included attachments.
Combining an ABS plastic cover with high density noise-absorbing acoustic foam, this microphone isolation shield effectively diffuses the acoustic waves around your mic and keeps the sound from bouncing back towards it.
Here's another great choice at the cheaper end of the market. This foldable microphone isolation shield from LyxPro combines lightweight aluminum and EVA foam panels to absorb unwanted noise in your room effectively. It comes with mounting hardware that's suitable most recording equipment and mic stands. And it's lightweight and easy to break down when you want to take it on the road with you. The setup instructions could be clearer, but otherwise this is very good value for such a low price.
Are you seriously counting the pennies? Then you'll want the cheapest microphone isolation shield you can find. In which case, the best deal we can find right now is the Moukey Microphone Isolation Shield, which is just US$39.99 / £35.99 on Amazon at time of press.
Constructed from premium steel, this has an absorbing layer of cotton on the inside, with a decent level of thickness. Consequently, it does a very acceptable job of sound-proofing and absorption.
You can either mount it on a mic stand, or set it on a table. And while there's nothing especially amazing about it, to get a good-quality microphone isolation shield for such a low price is quite amazing in itself.
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