Wildtronics Amplified Parabolic Microphone User Manual

Amplified

Parabolic Microphone

User Guide

Wildtronics, LLC

Thank you for purchasing the versatile Wildtronics Amplified Parabolic
Microphone. This innovative built-in electronic amplifier system will add many
useful features including: a direct headphone output, a line level output allowing
low cost recorders to record with much better quality, an amplified microphone
output for DSLR and video cameras, and even mixing capability for the Mono­Stereo model. This User Guide will help you connect your equipment and offers
advice for several specific applications.

Controls and Connectivity

All of the Wildtronics Parabolic Microphones use standard XLR and 3.5mm
stereo connectors so you can source cables easily. The amplified outputs use the

3.5mm stereo connectors. For mono use, the left and right channels have equal
levels. 3.5mm is the most common connector for headphones, line inputs, and
cameras. For most applications, you would only need a common, stereo 3.5mm
male to male cable to connect your equipment. The XLR outputs are not
amplified, and are for those with low noise, balanced input XLR recorders. All of
the connectors can be used simultaneously to further increase your versatility.

To use the amplified outputs, you must install and use a 9-volt battery in the
parabolic microphone. Refer to the Parabolic Microphone Manual for
instructions on installing the 9-volt battery. The power must also be turned on,
using the power switch behind the handle. Up is on and down is off. The switch
center position is also off and is used during assembly of the microphone. When
using the amplified outputs, we recommend turning off the Phantom power in
your recorder to save it's battery life. If you use only the XLR connections, you
may use Phantom power to power the microphones, but Phantom power will not
power the amplifiers.

From the graphic below, you can see how different devices are connected to the
amplified outputs on a Amplified Mono-Stereo model. The headphone and line
level output connector is on the left, and the amplified microphone output is on
the right. The gain control for the mono dish microphone is on the left. The
stereo gain control is on the right, for the Amplified Mono-Stereo model. Rotate
the gain controls counter-clockwise to increase the gain. White markers on the
gain control knobs will give visual indication of the gain, with the 6 o'clock
position being minimum gain. There is a switch, on the Mono-Stereo model just
above the power on/off switch. Move this switch to the left for mono only
operation. Move the switch to the right to mix in the stereo microphones. The
center position is also mono only, and is used during microphone assembly.

The Amplified Mono back panel connectivity is similar to the Amplified Mono­Stereo model.

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Applications

Headphone Use:

To use headphones, simply plug in your 3.5mm headphone cable into the left

3.5mm connector. Adjust the gain controls to obtain a suitable volume. Mono
signals will be heard in both ears. Point the microphone in the direction you want
to hear, and enjoy hearing much better than you could unaided. A parabolic
microphone is very directional, so you must accurately point the microphone at
the subject you wish to hear. If you have the Mono-Stereo model, you can
increase the stereo gain to give you better awareness of where sounds are coming
from. You may use the headphones at the same time you are using any other
outputs. Note, if the gain is turned up too high, you may hear a loud ringing. This
is called feedback. Feedback occurs when the microphones pick up sound from
the headphones and starts an oscillation. To prevent feedback, reduce the gain,
move further away and behind the dish, or use headphones with greater isolation
(larger ear cups). The headphone volume is limited to protect your ears from
damage. It is recommended not to listen to loud sounds for long periods of time.

Recording with Line Level:

The internal amplifiers are very low noise and will add no audible noise to the
already exceptionally low noise Wildtronics Parabolic Microphones. Using the

3.5mm line level output with low cost, hand-held recorders will dramatically
improve the recorders signal to noise ratio, often resulting in performance
comparable to that of recorders costing over $1000. The main weakness of low
cost recorders is high microphone input noise. This is because low noise parts are
expensive and they wouldn't fit into the design budget of a low cost recorder.
Using our line level output and selecting line input on your recorder, eliminates
this weakness. Turn the gain controls on your recorder all the way down, and use
the gain control on your Wildtronics microphone to adjust the level for best
results. If your recorder features limiters or automatic gain control, turn those
features off if you can. Those features can be handy in certain situations, but they
will cause distortion and other undesired effects. It is better to adjust your levels
so that the loudest sound recorded will not clip. If you are recording with the
purpose of submitting sounds to an accredited sound library, they will almost
always require recordings made without limiters or automatic gain control. With
a 24 bit recorder, you can record with your average signal level at -20 to -30dB.
Post processing, with computer audio editors, can normalize the audio to an
optimal level.

A very useful and popular recording technique is to record two mono signals, one
on the left channel and one on the right channel at different gain levels to insure
one unclipped recording. Wildtronics Parabolic Microphones have the mono
signal on both the right and left channel of the 3.5mm stereo connector. To use
this technique, set up your recorder to unlink the gain level between channels, set
one channel 20db less than the other, and you can easily use this valuable

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