Parabolic Microphone options?

bbooze

bbooze

Member
I've always wanted to get a parabolic mic to do occasional hidden camera style gags. I haven't found much info on them through, it's hard to find definitive comparisons between models.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...w=CRBE3KSC&is=REG&Q=&O=productlist&sku=439439

...seems like it is probably a perfect unit. But $4K is a little much to spend on a lark.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...438&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation
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... is the little brother on that model. But at $2,800, that's still too much for my purposes.

http://spytechagency.stores.yahoo.net/parmicver.html

... is getting a little closer in price, $1,199. But since it's not made and sold through a pro audio company, I am skeptical about the quality, and whether it can even plug into an XLR jack.

http://www.allsecuritydepot.com/bionic.htm

... is an example of a big step down in price from the others. But I would be very skeptical of quality. There are other similar looking units that go down as far as $60.

So can anyone recommend a decent parabolic mic? Is it the type of thing that you have to spend 4 figures on in order to get one that will record voice clearly? I suppose I could get one of the cheap ones and do tests, but that will take awhile.
Also, I already have a long shotgun mic (senn MKH 70), anyone know if there are kits to make existing mics parabolic in nature? Or am I probably misunderstanding how the technology works?
 
Parabolic reflector collects sound from a larger area and reflects the sound waves to the focal point, where a cardioid mic is placed facing backwards.

The bigger the reflector, the better. Because the reflector has to keep its shape big reflectors are heavy, and expencive.

The problem with these cntraptions is that they do not reflect low frequencies (low frequency waves are too big and just pass the reflector unless it is huge). So you will miss everything below 200 Hz or so. It works like a 6dB/octave lowcut filter.

Shotgun & reclector do not work together. Exept maybe if you build a reclector to feed the rear lobes of the mic pointing forward. Usually the rear lobe pickup quality is bad, alas.
 
Parabolics are actually pretty simply to make. All you need is a good condensor mic, an arm that can focus it and a dish. There are DIY plans online that use as kookie things as metal salad bowls that I hear work quite well. I have some link on another computer I will post later if I can find them. The best place to find the info yourself is nature recording groups. Yahoo has a really good one (Nature sounds society).

Parabolics can "hear" at great distances but the sound quality is very poor. They are also tricky to focus on subject well. A plant mic might serve you better.

Cheers
 
Some good points. I guess the more I think about it, any locals I use will be pretty static so I can get away with using a hidden wireless. I've been meaning to get a decent wireless system anyway, so this will just speed it up. I think I was more or less just enamored with the idea of the parabolic mic from a gaget fixation standpoint.

Take care.
 
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