Mics in noisy areas, recording a distant but significant signal

L

Lespaul001

New member
Hello!

I have a use case, where I need microphones in traffic situation, attached them to a car. The estimated noise in this situation is around 56dB. In our use case, we shall detect ambulance/police/fire truck sirens from a distance, where usually people ears can listen as well. What kind of microphone/microphone setup do you recommend for this use case?
After some research, I'm thinking about:
- omnidirectional MEMS microphones - gets sounds from all around, even from the back of the mic, so the ego-noise shall be cancelled
- 2-3 cardioid mics - the ego-noise is canceled because of the architecture.
Other than that, what parameters shall I check when I choose microphones?

Thanks for your further answer!
 
You might want to get 2 digital recorders that each have a pair of microphones oriented at 180 degrees from one another. Take a look at Tascam digital recorders.
 
JefferySmith said:
You might want to get 2 digital recorders that each have a pair of microphones oriented at 180 degrees from one another. Take a look at Tascam digital recorders.
Click to expand...

I would second this approach.

Omnidirectional mics will pick up 'all around' but using only one would be about the equivalent of laying your head on a pillow and having only one ear.

Using two digital recorders facing away from each other with mics pointed at 180 degrees (maybe a little less - 120), will give you a more 'true' representation of the auditory plane that a person hears sitting in a car.

I've used these before, and they're pretty handy: Product: DR-40 | TASCAM
If you aren't going to use any external microphones, then make sure you get a model that you can adjust the angle of the onboard microphones.
 
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