MikeNet / Soundcheck
Pops and plosives: change angle before gain.
A burst on “P” or “B” is often airflow hitting the microphone, not proof that you need more processing.
1. Capture a baseline with the same consonants.
Record take A at your usual distance. Read a line that includes hard plosives, for example: “Please bring both packs back before playback.” Stay quiet for the opening three seconds so you still have a room-tone reference. Play the take with headphones at a fixed volume.
Listen for a short pressure burst at the start of plosive words. A pop can look like a tall spike on the waveform and raise the peak reading even when average speech level is moderate. That pattern is a clue to listen again — not a hardware failure verdict.
2. Change angle or distance, not every setting.
For take B, keep gain and processing the same. Move slightly off-axis so air from your mouth does not hit the capsule directly, or increase distance a little if you were very close. If the microphone has a marked front, keep that orientation consistent with its instructions.
Do not add a software “de-esser” or noise gate between A and B. Those tools can hide the symptom while changing the sound you are evaluating. MikeNet’s job here is to hear whether placement alone helped.
A: usual desk position. B: same gain, microphone moved slightly to the side of your mouth. Label the change “off-axis.” Flip A ↔ B during a plosive word.
3. Read peaks with your ears.
If B’s peak falls while speech RMS stays similar and the words still sound clear, the change may have reduced the burst without starving the voice. If peaks fall because the whole take is quieter, you mainly moved away — decide whether that tradeoff is acceptable for your call or recording.
Near-full-scale sample counts flag samples close to digital full scale. Distortion can still happen earlier in a microphone or interface. A lower count is not a certificate that popping is gone.
4. Confirm in the app you will use.
Some calling apps apply their own processing. If MikeNet sounds cleaner but Discord or Zoom still pops, check that app’s input level and any voice enhancements after you settle placement here.
Manufacturer guidance on microphone placement and plosives: Shure, Microphone Techniques for Recording. The A/B exercise and peak/RMS reading guidance are original MikeNet material.