Frequently Asked Questions

We don't specify a single range as it is highly dependent on the volume of the subject, the surrounding noise, and the frequency of the subject. You can listen to our many audio samples with listed distances to get a better idea. Birds would have much higher gain and range compared to human subjects. For human subjects, since we get this question a lot, a good rule of thumb is: If you can hear that someone is talking and can't understand what they are saying, then a Wildtronics Pro Parabolic Microphone will allow you to clearly understand what they are saying at that distance. If you only see their lips moving and can't hear anything, that is too far away. This rule of thumb will work from quiet country settings to crowed rooms. Range can vary from hundreds of yards, in a quiet area, down to just 20 feet at a noisy event.

No better than you could hear through walls with your ear. Walls and glass block sound waves. Depending on how thick or how well insulated the wall is will determine how well the sound is blocked. The microphone in the parabola would capture the slight sound that makes it through the wall, but the parabola would do little to help. Using a contact microphone placed on the wall itself would be a better way to hear what is on the other side of a wall.

The good news is that there is no discernible difference in sound quality between the parabolic reflectors we offer. There is also no difference in the amount of sound isolation from the rear. The choice is more about how you use the microphone. In general, use the Standard, 0.060 thick, polycarbonate dish unless you need the super light weight and portability of the Feather Light polycarbonate dish. The Black Ops dish is less rugged, lower cost, but can be easily painted.

Yes, very well. But there are some things to keep in mind. A parabolic microphone will pick up anything in front of it. So, if there are subjects in front of the subject, it will also pick them up. You can elevate the parabola to help isolate a single subject. Also, if you are using the microphone with a live public address system, feedback will be highly likely unless you have anti-feedback systems in place.

Keep in mind that the 11 inch Pro Mini Parabolic has improved reach compared to a shotgun microphone. Compared to the larger dishes, the gain of a Pro Mini starts at 400Hz vs 200Hz for a 22 inch dish. The polar response, at 2KHz, is about 40 degrees vs about 20 degrees for the 22 inch dishes. Gain is also reduced by 6dB with the smaller Pro Mini. Overall, about 3-4 times less range. The Pro Mini does very well with closer subjects and when it's 7oz weight is critical, such as with video where the range is limited by lenses. With subjects over 75 feet away, our 22 inch dishes are preferred.

Due to many requests, we will be offering a water resistant, XLR output parabolic microphone soon. Check back with us, follow us on Facebook, or sign up to our email list for updates. Otherwise, no, our products can not be kept outdoors in the rain. The main issue is that quality microphone elements are not waterproof. We have made some custom waterproof units for special applications in the past.

Yes, you can connect 3.5mm connector headphones directly to our Amplified Parabolic Microphone products, our Amplified Omni Microphone, or our Stereo Ambient Array Microphone (SAAM). Headphones can not be used with our non-amplified parabolic products.

Yes, very well. This is a good application for parabolic microphones and this technique is commonly used on football fields. There is one exception: Using the microphones to pick up live sounds for a public address system will most likely result in feedback.

The SAAM is specifically designed to be used for recording low noise stereo and binaural soundscapes. From live events to low level field recording, the SAAM excels in stereo perception since it is based on a human head model. They are used in remote surveillance, live events, sound design applications, and nature soundscapes.

The SAAM is based on a human head model. Where it differs is that it is also shaped to provide additional gain and it uses much lower noise microphones than other human head based products. The added gain allows the SAAM to absolutely excel in low level field recording applications. The SAAM also includes internal electronics for connecting to almost any recording device including headphones.

The booster plate represents a small area compared to the much larger 22 inch dish, but it technically does block about 0.5dB, 5%, of the sound level -- very little. The advantages of having the booster plate are much greater. You get increased subject isolation, and a gain boost due to the effect of using the plate. In addition, frequency response in the 500-1500 Hz region is greatly improved when compared to parabolas without the plate.

First of all, the XLR outputs are retained. There are people that definitely need the amplified microphones. If you want to use the microphone to aid your hearing by directly connecting a headphone, you will need the amplified microphone. Another great use of the amplified microphones are to take advantage of their very low noise amplifiers to increase the signal level for low cost equipment. Having a larger signal will overwhelm the noise associated with low cost recorders allowing you to make professional quality recordings. Small recorders allow you to greatly lower the overall cost and are much more portable. You can purchase our Mini-Accessory Bar that allows you to directly attach a small handheld recorder to the handle of our Pro units. If you have a recorder that has a -120dB or less equivalent input noise (EIN), you won't need the amplified microphones, unless you want to keep the option open for future use. If you are interested in our Mono-Stereo Parabolic model, and are using a 2 channel recorder, you will need the Amplified version because it includes a mixer. Remember, the amplified microphones can connect to almost any recording device, even cameras, cell phones, and Bluetooth transmitters.

The Mono-Stereo parabolic microphone is an all in one microphone that can be used in a few different ways. You can use just the parabolic microphone, just the stereo microphones, or any combination by using a multi channel recorder. The amplified model includes a built-in mixer that allows you to use a two channel 3.5mm connector recorder. The stereo pair microphones are away from the parabolic focal point so the parabola has little effect on their response. Therefore, the stereo microphones have a 180 degree polar pickup angle. The stereo microphones are a useful option, however they won't perform as well as a dedicated stereo pair such as a SAAM. It is ideal for mixing in a wider stereo content to supplement the focused parabolic microphone subject.

The short answer is never use a shotgun as the microphone in a parabolic reflector. The shotgun uses an interference tube and has a narrow polar pickup angle. The shotgun will not be able to intercept much of the reflected signal from the parabola, and therefore the parabola has little effect. Pointing a shotgun towards the dish will also yield poor results. For maximum gain, an omnidirectional microphone should be used, and pointed towards the parabolic dish. A cardioid microphone pointed towards the dish yields improved directionality and bass response, but reduces overall gain. Wildtronics Pro series uses special techniques and booster plates to combine the advantages of both omni and cardioid microphones.

There are a number of cases available from different manufacturers. See this PDF document for some specific case suggestions and part numbers. It is recommended to store parabolic dishes uncurled and to "roll" only for temporary transit. Do not store our polycarbonate dishes for longer periods in polyethylene plastic bags, because the polycarbonate can haze when in contact with polyethylene.

No. There are a lot of reasons why some products cost more. Usually, it is because the products go through markups from the manufacturer, to the wholesaler, and to the retailer. These markups can quadruple the price. Wildtronics offers their products factory direct at near wholesale prices. We are not currently aware of better performing, quality built parabolic products at any price.