Can you listen to conversations with a directional microphone?

There is a false image of eavesdropping with directional microphones mainly because of what people see in films. Eavesdropping conversations that people have in their home or car is not possible with a directional microphone. Directional microphones are sound amplifiers that only amplify sound if there is one. So if there are glass, walls or a lot of noise between the directional microphone and what one wants to hear, that will not work.



How can you use a directional microphone?
With a directional microphone it is possible to make sounds and conversations up to hundreds of meters away, depending on the format. Only because there is no glass, walls or other obstacles between the directional microphone and the sounds can a directional microphone be used in very few situations. Also, in a busy shopping street, due to the presence of many noises, it will not be possible to listen to conversations with a directional microphone. For example, a compact directional microphone can be used on a terrace, because the normal directional microphones are reasonably large in size and therefore quickly stand out.

How can you listen to conversations?
There are laser / infrared directional microphones that can be used to monitor conversations behind glass. The disadvantage of these directional radios is especially the price that starts at 20,000 euros and also the format. It is, after all, fairly hefty scaffolding with a computer that processes the sound, so they cannot be used handheld.

The most convenient way to listen to conversations is to place a mobile phone or voice recorder in the room where the conversation is being conducted. For this you must of course have access to this space at least once to place the equipment.

Read more about directional microphones here: www.richtmicrofoonshop.nl