Sound Shark Parabolic Dish Microphone - Capture Distant Sound
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ธ.ค. 2019
- In today’s episode, we put together some audio samples of sound recorded with the Sound Shark parabolic microphone. A parabolic microphone usually consists of a lavalier microphone suspended in the focal point of a parabolic dish. Let’s have a look and a listen to see how well it can capture sound from a distance.
#SoundShark #Parabolic #Microphone
If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses at school.learnlightandsound.com including processing dialogue audio in Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve/Fairlight, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F4, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders.
Gear used or mentioned in this episode:
Sound Shark
Aputure 300DII LED Light used as a key light - B&H bhpho.to/2y38ga2 Amazon geni.us/7EKTp54
Aputure Light Dome II soft box on key light - B&H bhpho.to/2Osyx8j Amazon geni.us/LirLfz
Aputure 120DII LED Light used for slash of light on background - B&H bhpho.to/2T7FtcR Amazon geni.us/deg3
Aputure Barn Doors used to create the slash of light - B&H bhpho.to/2FZCvFC Amazon geni.us/clnp
Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 6K - B&H bhpho.to/2oeIXA1
Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K - B&H bhpho.to/2JB7W5V
Tilta Half Cage for BMPCC 4K/6K - B&H bhpho.to/2WPkHli
Olymus 45mm f/1.8 Micro 4/3 Lens - B&H bhpho.to/2wMxVDs Amazon geni.us/6cvOQ
Sigma ART 24-70mm f/2.8 EF Mount Lens - B&H bhpho.to/2kjsI2x Amazon geni.us/bhOWVlW
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Copyright 2019 by Curtis Judd
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THIS IS A RE-POST WITH CORRECTIONS: In the original the outdoor Sound Shark and VideoMic NTG samples were not correctly loudness normalized. In this version, that issue is corrected.
Thanks to one of our very well tuned viewers for spotting this issue!
Was wondering what happened. :D
I probably could have used this yesterday. But do you think the off-axis rejection is the same, worse, or better than a shotgun mic?
@@curtisjudd Thanks :)
Thank you Jan!
The off axis rejection of a shotgun seemed better but the shotgun mic had to use almost every last ounce of gain to get a decent signal and ended up with a ton of self-noise/hiss. On the other hand, the Sound Shark picks up more ambient sound than the shotgun but because the dish itself amplifies the sound waves by reflecting them from the entire dish surface to the mic, there’s virtually no self noise. Ideally, I’d mix the sound shark and lavalier in post if I wanted the most natural sound.
Thank you as always. I learned how rode videomic NTG does it wonderfully at such a long distance. Never imagined.
👍
I was really surprised how well the Rode came through at 20 yards outside. I agree with you that probably the best use of it in your examples was the large group. Thanks for the review.
No bad for that far away, though it generates a significant amount of hiss in that situation. I think if I were actually making something of these outdoor clips, I'd use the lavalier and mix in a touch of the Sound Shark track to give it some reality.
This particular microphone is used to keep you at a safe, discreet distance while you record conversations you aren't meant to hear. Like your wife talking to her side guy.
Used one of these at NAB once, they're pure magic.
👍
Thanks for sharing 👍 🙂
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Great demo of why pro sound mixers use expensive wireless and recording gear. The Lav/A10/888 is so clean that you really need to mix in a little ambient sound just to make it seem like it's not ADR.
Agreed - I felt like I'd want to mix in a touch of the Sound Shark track, high passed, to make this feel a little more genuine.
Hi Curtis. Love your videos!
Trying to figure out what to use to record distant (but specific) nature sounds, like birds or other animals. Would you recommend a good shotgun mic or a parabola like this for better quality? Basically the choice I have is Sennheiser MKE 600, Rode NTG5, or Sound Shark with a good lavalier mic in the center.
Your videos speak a lot about the NTG5, but is the MKE 600 also a worthy shotgun mic in your opinion?
Yes, the Sennheiser is a worthy mic. For distance, longer shotguns are generally going to isolate the sound you want more effectively.
Hi Curtis, long time fan of yours! Thank you for sharing so much information with all of us. A little off topic perhaps from this vid, but I wanted to ask a couple questions. When choosing a mic for general use, what is more important- finding a mic that’s frequency response favors or colors a particular voice or finding a mic that emulates how a voice sounds naturally (flat)? Working in sound are we trying to improve how someone sounds or are we just trying to make them sound natural?
Hi Will, I think it depends on the project. There are a LOT of podcasters and live streamers which use dynamic broadcast mics like the Shure SM7-B because 1) they are recording in acoustically harsh rooms and 2) they like the broadcast sound. That's not really a natural sound but it works for podcasts and streaming and a lot of people like that sound. For short films, I usually try to capture a more natural sound on the dialogue and then EQ in post if needed for whatever reason. Best wishes!
Hi Curtis, regarding another subject -- I'd love to know your thoughts on the Rode VideoMic NTG vs. Deity D3 Pro. I have to pull the trigger soon and can't decide which one. Thanks for your superb audio wisdom.
Hi Coleman, my review of the VideoMic NTG will be posted here in about 3 hours. And here’s my D3 Pro review: th-cam.com/video/W9Sde3ey2kc/w-d-xo.html
Looking to capture bird songs and most birders advise a shotgun type. The Rode seemed to volume up the content along with the ambient noise at the higher end.
Now if I could just get a lav clipped to the birds that would be great. Love what you do thanks!
Hahaha! A long shotgun microphone or a substantially larger parabolic would probably be the better options for recording birds.
Curtis would you consider reviewing the Senal MC24-EL Long Condesnser shotgun mic? From the few audio tests on the net it seems ok, but it doesn't have a lot of reviews.
Hi Edward, yes, if somebody sources it for us. :) I don't have the budget for it at the moment.
For wedding videography I prefer the Instamic Pro on the groom during the ceremony and RODE Wireless Go gaffed on the mic during the toasts since it gets passed around, while getting redundancy with a Zoom H4N hooked into the DJ's booth. For corporate I have a heck of a time not getting rustling with a LAV mic no matter where I hide it, so now I use a boom with a RODE NTG3 mic. Just my 2 cents in case anyone is looking at other audio options.
Thanks Matt
Curtis, love your work, and I was hoping that one day you'd review the sound shark or a similar parabolic.
I'm surprised you didn't compare it to a decent shotgun. I've scoured Utube in the past and the comparisons aren't at your standard. Meanwhile, what I did discover is that sound sources directly behind are also amplified quite dramatically, due to them passing through the plastic and bouncing in towards the mic, I presume far more you'd see with a shotgun. Still, there is nothing quite like a parabolic, perhaps you could compare a couple of brands/sizes and find/show the range beyond which they out-gun a quality shotgun? A lot of people would be very interested. :-)
Thanks! No budget at present to buy others but will see if I can borrow some when I go to NAB in April.
What an oddly specific coincidence. I was just researching parabolic microphony for a project. I was thinking of making my own with a reinforced satellite dish and an M5. Roping my other half into machining the custom parts.
Good idea! Let us know how it goes.
@@curtisjudd You bet!
Hey! Love your videos. I think you really should do a video comparing budget audio interfaces (like native instruments komplete audio 1, audient iD4, presonus audiobox 96, Scarlett solo etc.) There aren't much good content on TH-cam, or anywhere for that matter.
Thanks!
Hopefully they make larger dishes, as the size of the dish directly impacts the frequency that can be reflected by a parabolic surface. Lower frequency requires larger parabolic surfaces.
For anyone curious, just look up the sound mirrors used in WW1 off the coast of Kent, England.
Thanks Insanejughead.
If you need larger parabolic microphones, our parent company makes both 16-inch and 26-inch models. The larger version is used by Fox Sports for all football.
@@SoundSharkVideos 👍 That's good news - probably a better option in the 18 meter situation.
I'm interested if you think some sound deadening paint or material on the outside of the dish may assist in reducing sound waves (vibrational or frequency related) having some (minor?) impact on the dish picking them up. Probably negligible...but just wondering because you'll have far more experience than me in this area.
Interesting idea. Worth a test.
They come with an adapter for a boom pole. Did you use the mike the was optimized for the sound shark?
Yes, I used the included, tuned lavalier microphone.
Hi Curtis! Nice overview. How do you think that product would compare in terms of usage and performance to Rode NTG8?
I think a larger dish would have farther “reach” since it physically amplifies the sound waves before hitting the mic. But versus this small dish, the NTG8 might do better.
@@curtisjudd Thanks! That is interesting point, as you compare gear at similar pricepoints.
I am looking for appropriate mic to get the best SNR when I want to record distant sound sources in the nature like birds, bats and distant water sounds like torrents and similar. I was looking on some tutorials about Parabolic Mics and than I came to your video tutorial. I would like to ask you what you suggest me for my situation, when I can not come in close distat with the sources I described above?
Thank you for your help and suggestions!
Matej
Hi Matej, if you go with a parabolic, I'd recommend you consider those which are much larger than this. This did pretty well up to about 3 meters away. But for nature sounds, I'd think you want a larger parabolic which will have much more reach.
@@curtisjudd Thank you for your help and suggestions!
Hello Curtis,
I think you need to check new audio interface from motu (m2 and m4). Its new and not available in my country Nepal but interesting thing is that its says 32bit float. M not sure is it as in zoom F6 or as in mix pre new versions. It would be gr8 coz you are one of the most unbiased and trusted source.
Thanks for gr8 content.
Thanks Santu, will check it out!
@@curtisjudd Yeahhhhhh, thanks man.
is it possible to use a satellite dish parabole as a micriphone recording for birds song
or it is no the proper surface for reflaxion of sound
It would probably work, you’ll just need to optimize the position of the mic.
Hi Curtis , can you review The (Swedish manufacturer) Telinga parabolic dish w a Sennheiser MKH mic? I like to record birds but like to know the quality per ur opinion.
Hi Bruno, unfortunately I do t have access to them.
Hi,
I need help recommending a microphone. I am taking a class and have asked the professor if I can record the lectures while she teaches. To keep the recording simple, I am going to be using my Google Pixel 3XL. I want to be able to capture better than phone audio. What mic can you recommend to use in this situation? A shotgun or stereo mic? Which will be better in this situation? I am looking for a simple solution that doesn't distract a lot in class but captures better audio. I am will not of course be able to mic the professor. Thanks
Can you put your phone at the front of the room near the prof? The best thing you can do is get the mic as close to the prof as possible.
thanks for this. I gonna have to livecast some tennis matches outdoor and sound is the #1 problem. I'm looking for a solution to prevent background (wind) noise and get the ball and players' feet rallies sounds. Any tips ?
Either a medium to long shotgun microphone with a Rycote windshield is the first idea which comes to mind. Often they use larger parabolic microphones at professional sporting events - much larger in diameter than this one. I don't know what they do for wind protection.
@@curtisjudd thanks for your answer . I think, I'm gonna build a DIY case with acoustic foam to minor the sound at the back of the mic ( trafic road and unwanted noise) Got a Zoom H6 shotgun and will try to couplet it with another shotgun. DO you think Rode NTG4+ will do the job ?
@@LaurentPrugnieres I'm not a big fan of the NTG4+. I'd have a look at the DEITY S-Mic 2 before the NTG4: th-cam.com/video/x4tPO0G8b2Y/w-d-xo.html
@@curtisjudd Gonna make some tests live , just found your atem mini sound course and will purchase it.
it's a kind of a challenge to get multicam, scoring and decent sound for outdoor live tennis. Your advices may help
Do smaller dishes allow for longer ranges of hearing?
Inverse, actually, larger dishes have more "reach".
Thanks for your review Curtis! You did an amazing job, this is just a horrible product unfortunately. You just saved someone a lot of money! I will still give a thumbs up and watch this video in its entirety because you deserve the credit for all the work you put into this project
Thanks Jett Life Productions. I think a bigger dish has some promise, but this one is just a bit too small to have much reach.
Hi Curtis, I'm interested in transmitting and receiving sound over greater distances via 2x 36 inch dishes , one is centre fed, the other is offset feed, right now I'm experimenting with these dishes on 1296 mhz RF communications
Neat!
Hey! Do you believe microphones such as these are optimal for long-distance nature videography? I'm hoping to find ways to record such audio (e.g animal calls).
Edit: I just resumed the video and saw you said it's a decent option for bird watchers 😅 but I'm still happy to hear if there are better and [most importantly] affordable options.
If you want to pinpoint sounds, you’ll either want a bigger parabolic mic or a long shotgun mic like the RØDE NTG8.
@@curtisjudd Great, I'll look into it. Thanks!
There anyway to remove the static with software?
reduce it a bit, yes.
It's good for ambiance and envirenment and Sport like football it's very good
👍
Hi Curtis! Do you have any videos that cover 'Genlock' sync and when to use it etc? It's hard to find clear information and real-world examples on this topic. Cheers :-)
Nothing specifically on genlock as I’ve never used it. Sorry about that.
them dove pants are pimpin
😀
What do they use in the NFL to hear what everyone is saying across the field?
The referees wear wireless mics. Is that what you mean?
@@curtisjudd It might be a Parabolic Microphone. Sometimes the camera zooms in and you can hear what the players are saying to each other.
@@OU8Aspark Yes, could be. In some cases, athletes are now miked with wireless flexible transmitters as well. But yes, good chance they use parabolic mics, likely much larger than this one.
02:35 that hissing of the videomic is not normal at all, or is it?
At that distance and gain and post normalizing, that isn’t unusual.
It sounds like you could get the same effect with a large metal coffee can, the size sold at discount club stores. Whether at four feet or 20 yards the in-camera and on-camera mics clobber this device for intelligibility. (Is that a word?)
Agreed, I believe the shape of the dish is quite important.
The samples in this video are not post-processed. The parabolic microphone should provide an audio signal that can be adjusted to sound good. A tin can - or any other shape - will provide a mangled audio signal with missing and distorted frequencies that just can't be adjusted to sound good.
Maximum distance?
Not very far - I'd say 12 feet, realistically.
How can the dish have so much bass for its small size ? Even larger 50cm dishes like my Telinga are not that great when it comes to bass.
I would guess it has to do with the voicing of this particular lavalier mic which is tailored for the dish.
As mentioned in a previous reply, the low frequency response is determined much more by the reflectivity of the dish that the dish diameter. (This is due to the type of wave that makes up sound.) The very flexible material used by Telinga and its competitors have very poor reflectivity and this greatly reduces its low frequency response.
@@curtisjudd It is a combination of the equalized microphone and the reflectivity of the collector dish.
@@SoundSharkVideos Thanks!
@@SoundSharkVideos That is interesting, I thought they all reflected sound in about the same way, that the shape of the curve was more important. What reflective material would be good for a parabolic dish ?
hm... curious idea for a pet project to build this thing...
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You have a SD 888?!
Confirmed!
Thank you.
Maybe the audio quality will be much better, if they will adapt it for a "mini" directional mic.
I think a bigger dish would enable more reach. 18m is a bit far for this size dish.
I'm afraid you can't use a direction mic inside a parabolic without giving up a great deal of amplification. kloverproducts.com/can-use-shotgun-in-parabolic-microphone/
Just put a damn lavalier mic on the bird! 😌
Hahaha! Or plant a mic in a tree.
That would be a really hawkward operation
@@JosephHHHo Hahahah!
Lawsuit central, invasion of privacy tool
Hint hint former neighbor 😂
LOL
Rode Videomic NTG clearly kills this. Wireless is naturally the best.
Interestingly, the VideoMic NTG is pushing a big self-noise hiss and more high frequency articulation while the Sound Shark picks up more ambience and bass in the 18 meter test.
هل تبيع هذه القطعة
No
Caution! I just went out to the Klover Products website through the link that you provided; then, when I clicked on its "shop here" tab, my anti-virus software warned me about a potential trojan virus.
Thanks Keith, I’ll let them know.
Not sure where will it be useful except wild life bird videographers can catch those sounds.
Thanks for the feedback!
This is the worst sounding parabolic I have heard. And I mainly work in TV sports...Almost bought one for smaller games, glad I did not.
I've done a lot of field audio with a parabolic and I agree that this sounds really, really bad. There is no way around the laws of physics and a small dish like this will simply have no bass gain no matter the microphone used. The dish diameter sets the lowest usable frequency and no amount of marketing will change that.
Thanks for the feedback, should be helpful for the Sound Shark guys!
Thanks for that. I agree that a larger dish has a lot more promise for practical use.
@@roboanalogtom I'm sorry that you dislike the sound of the Sound Shark. It was intended to be a tool for situations where lavaliere microphones cannot be used or where a tighter pickup pattern is desired.
I know this will bring about a great debate, as it always does, but the frequency response of a parabolic microphone is determined primarily by the reflectivity of the dish and not by its diameter. As sound waves are longitudinal not transverse like electromagnetic waves are. This means that low frequency sound does not have an amplitude that is "too large" for a small diameter collector. (th-cam.com/video/7cDAYFTXq3E/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=AnimationsforPhysicsandAstronomy)
@@SoundSharkVideos No, the directivity is determined by the Rayleigh criterion which is a function of the diameter of the dish and all small dished will have a poor low frequency response as demonstrated in this and your videos. It sounds amateurish for voice work in every Sound Shark video I've seen..
gain = dish efficiency times (4pi/wavelength squared)/ area of dish. Area is directly proportional to the diameter of the dish.
Here is the academic source:
www.montana.edu/rmaher/publications/maher_aac_0805.pdf
You are being completely disingenuous by saying that diameter does not play the dominate role in frequency response and gain by wavelength. I've used toy 12 inches dishes that had a better low frequency response so let's keep in real here.
It sounds terrible. Very limited use case for this mic. Pass.
Thanks for the feedback, should be useful for the people over at Sound Shark.
Interesting idea but unfortunately not good enough sound.
Wonder what would happen with a larger dish and different mic.
Also, the logo itself makes me feel this product lacks quality. Would benefit from having some more thought to this, or maybe they found the right spot and not actually targeting professional users.
Since I know this expertise a lot better than sound, I know there's many layers behind the process of branding and graphic design.
Thanks for the input.
@@curtisjudd Thanks for the video and hope you all have a marvellous holiday
That dish is far too small. Cheap 50cm dishes are available that are much better.
Yes
Terrible audio from this dish. I'd rather use a wireless lapel or even a shotgun mic. Even the camera mic sounded better in some of these examples.
Good luck lav-ing up a bird. ;-) I understand what you're saying. I think a bigger dish would prove more useful.
The sound shark sounds like shit, in all of those examples. Everything else immediately sounds better, and would be better to deal with in post. Thanks for posting this, now I know it’s garbage.
Thanks for not holding back, Bernie. :)