How to Remove Mic Pops and Plosives From a Vocal

Step 1: Prevent them at the mic

Place a pop filter a few centimetres in front of the capsule. Angle the mic a little off-axis so the air goes past it rather than into it. Keep the same distance for the whole take.

Step 2: High-pass filter

Voice has little useful content below about 80 Hz. A high-pass filter in that range removes most of the low thump while keeping the body of the voice. Raise the cutoff only if the voice sounds thin.

Step 3: Fix the worst words by hand

Zoom in on the pop: it is a short low burst at the start of the word.
Cut the burst or lower the volume for a few milliseconds, then fade back in.
Listen at normal speed. A fix that you can only hear when zoomed in is good enough.

Limits

Pops that hit hard enough to clip cannot be fixed well. Some plosives overlap with the note itself, so over-cutting makes the word sound clipped. Stop when the speech sounds natural.

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Frequently asked questions

What causes mic pops?

Bursts of breath on P, B, T and K sounds hitting the diaphragm of the microphone.

Does a high-pass filter change the voice?

It removes low rumble and thump. Keep the cutoff gentle so the voice does not lose its warmth.

Is a pop filter needed?

It is the simplest fix. It costs little and saves a lot of editing.