Parabolic Microphone 33 cm diameter

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Here we compare two small parabolic microphones with a 33 cm diameter dish: a monophonic version with the microphone capsule positioned exactly at the focal point of the parabola and a stereophonic version, the latter with the capsules positioned quite outside the focal point of the parabolic dish. By adopting this stereo configuration with the capsules positioned in a “non-traditional way” (out of the focal point), we are able to have an enlargement of the background sound scene, approaching the perfect stereophonic effect that is difficult to achieve when using a parabolic microphone.
If we compare a monophonic recording see Ortolan Bunting song with a stereophonic one (see recordings by Guido Pinoli and Gianni Pavan), we immediately discover what are the differences that characterize the two types of sound recording in nature: extremely defined in the monophonic version, but without the background “sound contour”; much more pleasant as immersion in the soundstage the stereo recording with a wide background.
In other words, if we need a selective recording of a single call, song, or any other emission uttered by a subject of a single specie in view to study it by the mean of spectrograms, waveform and other parameters, we’ll use a microphone well focused inside a parabolic dish; on the other hand, to obtain a recording of a subject well inserted in its soundscape (which represents the photograph of the environment we are investigating), we need to use a stereo recording, better if a parabolic stereo microphone system wide focused.

Zoom F3 and Stereo Parabolic Microphone XLR type connections

Here are two very short examples of video recording with audio coming from the same parabolic dish, same Primo EM172 microphones, but powered by the video camera through Phantom 48V.

Cervus elaphus rutting
Buteo buteo singing in the snow

Thanks to the courtesy of Marco Omodei Salé

Canon XHA1 and 33 cm Stereo Parabolic Microphones System

Marco Omodei Salé, the author of the two videos above; the wildlife filmaker is perfectly camouflaged ready for a naturalistic video shooting session
See also https://www.naturesound.it/2020/12/04/video-and-audio-recordings/

---

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

“Fresh snow, and ice, fall from the spruces, the branches crack…” (Grégory Ghamming’s)

Recorded by Grégory Ghamming’s in Lozere – 35 cm Stereo Parabolic Microphone

Grégory description: “Lozere, 02 March 2023. Installed to record the Black Woodpecker, I let myself go to the soft song of the forest: Fresh snow, and ice, fall from the spruces, the branches crack, in this soothing orchestration… 36cm stereo dish, Zoom H2n“.

________________________________

Below Turdus philomelos Song Thrush recorded by Grégory Ghamming’s in Lozere – 35 cm Stereo Parabolic Microphone XLR type connections and Zoom F3