naturerecordists
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: Shotguns for Nature Recording

Subject: Re: Shotguns for Nature Recording
From: "umashankar" umashanks
Date: Fri Jun 16, 2006 6:12 pm (PDT)
historically, the multitube was earlier than the slots. the slotted tube wa=
s a 'simplification'

  i have made multitutube with as few as 7 tubes and a total length of six =
inches, and have even used drinking straws. it works. i have not taken them=
 too seriously only because shotguns do nothing to improve the noise figure=
 of a cheap capsule. there are three ways around that; a pzm ( six db impro=
vement, and surprisingly directional, if you mount a five or six inch plate=
 on a microphone stand - there is no pickup at the back at all), array micr=
ophones, also on a five inch plate (six db + the gain from multiple capsule=
s, even greater directionality), and a parabolic reflector (gain can be mor=
e than 20 db).

  actually i have preferred five capsules paralleled on a five inch plate e=
verytime.

  umashankar

Walter Knapp <> wrote:
From: "stoatwizard"

>>> Ok, so what happens when you take a copper tube and just screw the
>>> math and start cutting slots into it to build a interference tube
>>> shotgun mic?
>
>
> don'tcha have to cut about 50% of the material out of the tube, ie wide
> slots not skinny? I could see your saw blades won't appreciate that,
> but take a look at a Sennheiser MKH70 or even the ME64 and you see the
> slots seem to be as wide as the non-slots. Might help the frequency
> response. There agan I know jack about the maths - it's just an
> observation from every shotgun mic I've ever seen.

The slots are probably easier to cut with a milling machine where all
diameter of cutters are available and extreme control is available, but
not everyone has one of those. I suspect the commercial interference
tubes are cut on a CNC setup. Which is a computer controlled milling
setup. Train it once and it will churn out the precise shapes fast.

There is a lot of variation in the holes in shotgun interference tubes.
Which to me indicates it may not be as critical as it seems. The metal
of the tube could be important too.

I plan on someday doing the multitube setup just to see what it's like.
It's math is a bit easier to understand.

Walt




"Microphones are not ears,
Loudspeakers are not birds,
A listening room is not nature."
Klas Strandberg
Yahoo! Groups Links









 __________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com






<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Admin

The University of NSW School of Computer and Engineering takes no responsibility for the contents of this archive. It is purely a compilation of material sent by many people to the naturerecordists mailing list. It has not been checked for accuracy nor its content verified in any way. If you wish to get material removed from the archive or have other queries about the archive e-mail Andrew Taylor at this address: andrewt@cse.unsw.EDU.AU