Why KLOVER
Experience the KLOVER MiK Difference
KLOVER MiK 26 Sample Videos
KLOVER MiK 16 Sample Videos
KLOVER MiK 09 Sample Videos
How KLOVER MiK Compares:
Many other parabolic microphones aren’t a true parabolic shape, which makes the audio “muddy” as sound waves bounce inefficiently within the dish. Some use a soft material so the dish can be rolled up for easier transport, but the sound “passes through” the thin plastic and doesn’t amplify lower frequencies. The KLOVER MiK is a true parabolic shape – created to tolerances of only a few thousandths of an inch – which allows for focused sound 500+ feet. The dish is also made with ballistics-grade plastics for superior sound isolation and clarity.
Shotgun microphones provide excellent sound quality within a few feet of the speaker, but they pick up audio up to 90 degrees off the center axis. A parabolic microphone focuses on sound within 15-20 degrees. If the two were cameras, a shotgun would be like a fisheye lens, while a parabolic would be a zoom lens.
Shotgun mics on a boom pole, or boom mics, offer incredible clarity, but you have to be within a few feet of the speaker, and it’s not always practical to follow your subjects around with a boom pole. With parabolic microphones, you simply point the dish at your subject, which is ideal for moving objects or where a boom pole would get in the shot.
Lapel mics have often been a solution for long-range audio, but the drawbacks include picking up rustling sounds from fabric rubbing on the microphone, severe drop-off when the subject turns their head, and the potential for dead batteries at a key moment. It’s also not always practical to put a mic on every speaker. Parabolic microphones pick up a broader range, allowing you to capture multiple speakers, and can be hardwired to plug into an outlet.
The Highest Quality & Safety
KLOVER MiKs were originally developed for audio professionals on the sidelines of NFL games, which can be dangerous places to stand. Ballistics-grade plastics provide premium sound insulation and make the dish virtually unbreakable. All handles and mic yokes are made from carbon fiber tubes, which are designed to crush into small pieces if broken so they don’t become hazards upon impact. Other manufacturers use metal or PVC, which can create sharp edges if broken.
For more protection, all protruding studs have been removed from the front of the dish.
What is a parabolic microphone?
A microphone is an electronic element that converts sound pressure into an electric signal. When this microphone is mounted inside a parabolic dish, it becomes a “parabolic microphone.”
The special shape of the parabolic dish collects the incoming pressures (sound waves) and focuses them onto a single point. The microphone then converts this into an electrical signal. The sound ends up being amplified because the sound energy from a large area is focused on a single point. In addition, the electrical signal from the microphone can also be amplified.
Klover Products manufactures this parabolic collector, the number one manufacturer of parabolic microphones that are employed in capturing the sounds of professional sports. That “on the field” feeling you get from watching many sports events on television is a direct result of KLOVER MiK’s parabolic collectors.
The Secret is in the Dish
While called a parabolic microphone, the KLOVER MiK is technically a collector dish. The parabolic collector is designed with a unique shape so that anything approaching the dish that is parallel to the dish’s center line is then focused onto a single point. The key to understanding this particular shape is a mathematical formula known as a “parabola” – which is why parabolic collectors are named as such.
As sound waves hit its true parabolic shape, they bounce toward a single point in the middle, where a microphone is placed. Its unique design amplifies all noises in front while muffling all sounds behind. The shape of the dish is critical to performance — KLOVER MiKs are created to tolerances of only a few thousandths of an inch. If the shape is not manufactured to exact specifications (matching the ideal geometric shape of the parabola), the sound energy can end up scattered or not focused on the single point, significantly reducing the amplification.
Thick, ballistics-grade plastics in each KLOVER MiK not only insulate the microphone from background noise, they also prevent any movement within the actual dish, which would disrupt sound clarity. This rigid plastic also provides ideal reflectivity for sound waves.