Pop Filter/Mic Technique?

Did you ever wonder what that round screen between the singer, or voice actor and the microphone is? It is called a pop filter. A pop filter is used to reduce "plosives". Plosives are bursts of energy (or air from your mouth) that are created by saying or singing P or T or F's. When a microphone is not shielded with a pop filter, it is possible for the air from your mouth to hit the diaphragm of the microphone causing an audible POP or distortion. Some people refer to pop filters as "spit guards", which is also somewhat accurate. The pop filter will, in fact, reduce the amount of corrosive saliva that hits a microphone increasing its lifespan. A pop filter is sometimes incorrectly referred to as a windscreen. Windscreens are slightly different in that windscreens are typically used for outdoor applications and live on stage performances. Here is a tip: If you have an artist that loves to get too close to the mic, use the pop filter to establish the correct distance (then tell them not to move it!)