When The Rubber Hits The Rode : Safely Recording Water - Tip 1

Recently I needed to record the sound of splashing water for a video game.  I began by filling up my bathroom tub and making waves. Since the room is a bit noisy and highly reflective, I grabbed a Rode NTG-3 (hypercardiod) so I could focus the mic specifically on the water.

It’s never fun to damage a microphone while gathering sound effects and during this session I needed to protect the mic against moisture. One of the simplest ways to practice “safe recording” is to wrap the mic with a condom. Yep, I’m serious. Let me be a bit more specific: cover it with an UNLUBRICATED condom.

Pull the condom over the entire mic. If you’re planning to get more aggressive with the splashing then I would recommend you also cover the mic/cable connection area.

Just one last bit of advice on more of a personal note… if you’re in a committed relationship, you may want to share this information with your significant other before you stock your equipment bag with a box of condoms. If they happen to find your stash without knowing what you’re using them for… you might have some explaining to do.