# How good are parabolic microphones at listening through buildings?



## ironpony (Mar 27, 2018)

I've done some research but everyone has different answers to this.  Basically for my story, I want my MC to be able to listen in on a conversation between the villains, without the villains knowing they are being listened in on.

So I thought a parabolic mic would be the best option, but if you are hidden out of sight, in a parked car or something can you actually point the mic, at a building, and pick up a conversation that is going on in that building, as long as it's not too busy or noisy of a street maybe?

I read that one mic has a pickup of over 1000 feet with the parabolic dish, but what happens about listening through a building?  One person who worked in audio told me it should work as long as there is a glass window near the villains, even if it's closed, but does anyone know?


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## Ralph Rotten (Mar 27, 2018)

Parabolic mics pick up a lotta background hiss so they usually require post event analysis to really understand them.

However, there is a laser device that uses windows to pick up conversations by measuring vibrations. The feds have used these for years.


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## ironpony (Mar 27, 2018)

Oh okay.  For my story, basically the guy listening in picks up about how the villains are on their way to to kidnap someone to get info out of them, and then possibly kill that person, depending on what info is.

However, after hearing this the MC is going to want to save them and act fast.  So the MC does not have time to record the conversation and take it home to do processing on it to see be able to hear it correctly.  So is there a way he can understand the conversation while listening to it live at all?


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## Ralph Rotten (Mar 27, 2018)

Sure, if the conditions are perfect, range perfect, and no wind.

But you could make yer hero look the genius if he/she smartly uses the landscape to their advantage, for instance shooting them through a long alleyway that shields them from all the ambient sounds.


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## Ralph Rotten (Mar 27, 2018)

You can buy a cheap parabolic dish for under $30. Get one and play with it.


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