Hi Klas,
Yes, I see what you are saying about how the increased higher frequency
amplification by the parabola can add a sense of presence or make one
feel that he is right there with the bird or subject. Often this is
just the effect desired and results in a pleasing recording.
There are also situations where this high frequency amplification is not
desired. For example, if there are high frequency sounds behind or in
front of the subject these will also be greatly magnified. All of the
higher frequency sounds in an imaginary cone extending outward from the
parabola will be magnified. This often happens with 1) breeze or wind
in rustling leaves in front of or behind the subject, 2) many other
birds within the directional path of the parabola but not necessarily
near the subject desired, 3) crickets or cicadas within the path of the
parabola that become greatly magnified beyond what would be heard in an
omni mic placed near the subject.
A second situation where the parabolic effect of bringing the subject's
high frequency sounds close preferentially over the low frequencies is
not desirable occurs when the subject has significant aspects of the
sound in both high and low frequencies. A bull elk bugling, a gurgling
stream, or waves in a tide pool are all situations where the
amplification from a distance of the high frequencies but not of the low
frequencies will distort the end effect.
That said, my recordings with my Telinga Stereo DAT are, in my opinion,
just awesome and I greatly appreciate your creation and highly recommend
it to others planning directional recording work.=20
I do often reduce the higher frequencies by 3-5 dB later in my studio to
adjust for the inherent parabolic effect. I do not consider this a
problem or a nuisance. I clean up my recordings, cut out the garbage
such as stomach sounds, trim the unwanted silence, fade in and fade out,
and tweek the EQ a bit before archiving them. This is just a routine
part of my housekeeping and I do not consider it a burden.
Thank you again for a great product.
Kevin Colver
-----Original Message-----
From: Klas Strandberg
Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2004 6:06 PM
To:
Subject: RE: [Nature Recordists] Coloration
Yes, you should! Then you also gain self-noise! (Have you read
"Parabolic
microphones - reality, mono and stereo sound" at "whitepapers" at
telinga.com??)
In the "old analog days" this parabol response was a problem, as the
high-frequency gain could cause tape-distortion. Then you had to turn
down
the gain of the recorder to avoid that risk, but then you got tape noise
instead.
Klas.
At 17:12 2004-02-17 -0700, you wrote:
>One problem is that a parabola focuses the higher frequencies more than
>the lower frequencies, thus coloring the sound with and emphasis on the
>higher frequencies. Sometimes I have to knock down the higher
>frequencies in the studio later to achieve a more natural sound when
>recording with the parabola.
>Kevin Colver
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>"Microphones are not ears,
>Loudspeakers are not birds,
>A listening room is not nature."
>Klas Strandberg
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
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Telinga Microphones, Botarbo,
S-748 96 Tobo, Sweden.
Phone & fax int + 295 310 01
email:
"Microphones are not ears,
Loudspeakers are not birds,
A listening room is not nature."
Klas Strandberg
Yahoo! Groups Links
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