[LAU] Best filter for reducing condenser mic "crash" impact outdoors?

[David Kastrup]

Hi,

what do people use for damage control (prevention likely is a case for
deadcats though I am not sure whether their absorption may be too much
for this application) when condenser mics occasionally "plop" due to
wind?

One can hear this effect a few times on the outdoors "wasp" video
<https://youtu.be/vKCdTh7h8f8> between 5:00 and the end (5:22).  What I
tried in that recording is using a high pass filter (at about 100Hz)
with "Soft limiter" which supposedly maps something like -3dB to +∞dB to
-3dB to 0dB.  I think it was "Invada".  The result is still unpleasant.
Are there any better approaches, like some sort of smooth gating?

As a note aside, I got really annoyed at snd_oxfw (Firewire via ALSA, no
Ffado available) for a Mackie Onyx Satellite.  At 96kHz sample
frequency, xruns using Ardour about once per minute.  Don't remember
this being the case when I tried last time (with a Thinkpad T61 and an
older CPU).  Regardless whether using the built-in Ricoh Firewire
controller of a T420, or an Expresscard controller with TI chip, using
Jack or not, connected to mains power or not.  I finally threw in the
towel and used the analog TLR outputs on the Satellite into an RME
Hammerfall (via Expresscard-to-Cardbus Adapter).  I am not sure I really
was satisfied with the result: I suspect that it went through A/D+D/A
already before arriving at Main Out of the Satellite.  The video from
that attempt was sort of badly lit so I ultimately ditched it anyway.

The one linked above was instead recorded with an Alesis iO|14 audio
card, using Ffado and Jack (this requires blacklisting the ALSA Bebob
driver which only produced hacked-up audio last time I tried it).  I did
not want to move my regular equipment (a large Mackie Onyx mixer) into
the yard and at least had the Alesis still around from earlier
experiments.  I actually found the noise level of the Alesis a bit nicer
than when using the Satellite preamps, but then the Satellite produces
lacklustre phantom voltage (something like 35V or so).

A final note on the mics (leaving the Linux-specific realm): I used
hypercardioid Oktava MK-012 capsules (I think 0.5" diameter membranes).
Would cardioid or even omni be less sensitive to wind as a rule?  Or is
this a solid "it depends" or "naaah"?

All the best, thanks for any hints

-- 
David Kastrup