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Re: Quick Parabolic

Subject: Re: Quick Parabolic
From: Dan Dugan <>
Date: Sun, 22 Sep 2002 00:07:10 -0700
DAN
>  > I don't like the look of the tube and the end cap area where the mike
>>  has to be. There is so much obstruction. You want the mike to sit in
>>  a spot where, pointing back toward the reflector, it can see the
>>  whole surface of the reflector without obstruction. I see no reason
>>  for having such a heavy structure there. Imagine something like a
>>  lampshade harp.

WALT

>Imagine such a thing hitting brush. Or snagging in it. I've been there
>and done that. That is why the structure was not lightened much more. I
>expect the mic end to be able to bump something without losing
>alignment, or worse, breaking.

DAN
I see your point, I was only thinking of the acoustics. How about a 
stiff wire cage?

>The mic will see the entire parabolic on a sonic level.

Won't there be shadowing at high frequencies? If the sound is out of 
focus, it might have a point source image in the reflector, and I 
would expect the high frequencies to fall off when that point is 
behind a post.

When the sound is in focus, won't there be a high-frequency 
attenuation effect, (above some crossover point depending on the 
dimensions of the slots) as half the high-frequency signal 
approaching the microphone is reflected away?

I'm also imagining resonances across the small dimension of the 
remaining tube roughening high frequency responce. Maybe an 
over-fertile imagination.

>  I've tried both
>styles over the years and both work the same. This is just a lampshade
>harp that's closer to the mic and 4 legged. This is a less expensive
>method while still providing necessary mic protection and the theme is
>inexpensive homemade parabolics that are relatively easy to construct.

Understood. Bigger holes?

>Also think about Omni's being used in parabolics pointing away from the
>dish. That works, even though the Omni pickup has no direct view at all,
>the body of the mic is in the way.

Yeah, I see it, but knowing how directional omni's are at the high 
end, I don't believe it. It's time to flip a mike both ways in the 
focus of a dish pointing at some pink noise, and watch what happens 
on an analyzer.

>You are dealing with a pressure variation, it's not light and not a
>water wave. The focus is actually a small volume in which the pressure
>variations from sound are pretty even. You have to do a fair amount to
>mess it up.

I'm not sure about that. High frequencies have wavelengths in the 
half-inch range, and small dimensions still matter.

>At least for the kind of frequency response of a inexpensive
>tie tac mic.

I know inexpensive mikes sound much better when someone pays 
attention to the acoustics around them.

>Were we using a heavier duty reflector, and willing to drill holes in it
>then a bridge design is common. I used one of those for years. And the
>bridge structure on that was 3/4" wide and in the field of view blocking
>part of the reflector in two directions. It worked fine. (it also
>snagged brush, and had exposed mic wiring which cost me a couple mics)
>Since I was avoiding drilling holes in a 1mm thick Telinga reflector all
>support will have to come off the center.

Yes, all the old ones I've seen have had a either a bar across, 
mostly home-brews, or a crooked arm, as in the little Sonys. The 
Telinga is a radical new design, exciting.

>I've got the mic that it's designed to fit, and a working MZ-R30. So
>I'll see what I can pick up in the next few days. Then we will know for
>sure. My worry is more I might have cut it a slight bit too short for
>accurate focus, I estimated off the Telinga setup, and the mic there is
>in a large chunk of foam so I'm not positive of it's exact location.

Looking forward to your reports.

-Dan Dugan


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