Windscreens vs Pop Filters

Here's How:

1. If recording outdoors, you'll need a windscreen. Windscreens are made of a porous foam, and fit securely over the microphone. While this helps keep wind noise out, there's a fairly wide difference in high-frequency loss depending on the quality of the foam. This is why large, elaborate windscreens for live outdoor recording are very expensive.
2. When indoors, and recording vocals, you'll want a pop filter. Pop filters are a light, nearly transparent mesh placed over a wire or plastic frame, and held in place over a microphone diaphragm with a special clamp. This is useful in reducing "plosives", or exaggerated P and S noises. Windscreens, as mentioned above, offer negligible high frequency loss, which is not desired in a studio setting.
3. If in extreme conditions outdoors, chances are you'll need a "windsock" or "dead rat". These are large windscreens that work by suspending the microphone in the middle, while a soft, long-fibered fabric surrounds the microphone suspension. This creates plenty of air space around the microphone, in a transparent enough manner to allow clean recording in harsh conditions.

Tips:

1. Windscreens vary in quality; for higher-wind events, you'll need better quality windscreens. DPA is a favorite brand of many engineers for inexpensive, high-quality windscreens. Most condenser microphones come with windscreens already custom-fit to their individual capsule, but keep in mind they may not be the best quality.
2. Good pop filters are worth the extra money; you may think a $10 pop filter sounds like a good deal, but spending around $20 more will get you into a much better filter.
3. Avoid pop filters with spring-loaded clasps. Only buy pop filters that attach to your microphone stand by clamp.