Simple Ways to Stop Plosives in Speech

Stop air hits at the source

Plosives happen when a burst of air hits the mic from hard consonants like 'p' or 'b'. The simplest fix is to block or redirect that air before it reaches the capsule.

Small changes work best. Moving the mic slightly off axis or increasing distance a little can stop the blast while keeping tone intact.

Use physical barriers

A basic pop filter placed between mouth and mic catches most bursts. Keep it a few inches from the mic and a bit away from the mouth so it does not muffle speech.

In a pinch, a clean cloth or foam shield can help for a test. For regular use, a mesh pop filter is easy to position and does not block high frequencies as much.

Adjust mic position

Tilting the mic up or to the side so the burst passes off axis is very effective. This redirects air away from the front of the capsule without needing to cover the mic.

Raising the mic slightly above mouth level and speaking across it also cuts plosives. This keeps a natural tone and leaves room for small head shifts.

Redirect air, do not cover the capsule to cut plosives.

Fix in editing with care

If a few hits remain, gentle volume edits or short fades can help. Avoid heavy low cuts across a whole phrase as they can thin speech.

Prevention is still faster. Fixing placement or adding a pop filter takes seconds and leaves the natural sound of the voice intact.

Key takeaways

• Redirect the air burst by angling the mic off axis.
• Use a mesh pop filter between mouth and mic for consistent control.
• Raise the mic above mouth level and speak across it when possible.
• Make only small edits to remove leftover hits.
• Test with 'p' and 'b' words at the chosen position.