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Clockaudio’s sturdy boundary-level microphones have proved themselves in the ultimate ‘hostile’ environment, reports Dick Trump of Triad AV, surviving determined investigation by several bonobos at one of North America’s largest great ape facilities.
Triad AV was commissioned to provide a 2-way communications interface between bonobos and researchers at a world-class sanctuary and study centre dedicated to the great apes. The objective was to facilitate communication through the heavy glass of the bonobos enclosures, which called for the installation of boundary-layer microphones in the apes’ space.
Sometimes referred to as the Pygmy Chimpanzee, the Bonobo is the closest relative species to humans, with DNA 98% identical to our own. Strong, dextrous and curious, the bonobos made short work of Triad AV’s first microphone installation, ripping off the traditional grille and pulling out the insides of the mics.
Embarking on a market-wide search for the bonobo-proof microphone, Dick Trump discovered the boutique British manufacturer Clockaudio online at Syn-Aud-Con. “The omni condenser microphone we chose was weather-resistant; because the bonobos’ facility is regularly hosed down, our mics had to be moisture-proof. It is made from Delrin which is a very sturdy plastic, so the build quality of the C007 is excellent. Because it was designed for surveillance and recording in sensitive areas - banks, airports, law courts – it has an extremely low profile; we were able to fit it on a stainless steel mount which doesn’t draw attention to itself. Only a very small surface area is exposed, and the parts of the microphone that need to be protected are well hidden.”
Inside each of two bonobo enclosures, Triad AV has fitted two of Clockaudio’s line-level boundary microphones. A Lectronics mixer provides the logic to handle bi-directional traffic between observers and bonobos on either side of the glass, and any researchers in the bonobo space itself. “Some very high frequencies are involved with the bonobo’s vocal mechanism,” explains Dick Trump, “but the system, which includes JBL loudspeakers, is designed around the response of human ears.”
Despite their low visibility, the bonobos have discovered the microphones and done their best to uninstall them. However, Triad AV’s installation stands firm, and its audio quality has been admired even by news organisations working on broadcast feature material at the facility.
At its manufacturing HQ in southern England, Clockaudio is now considering adding “Bonobo-proof” to its claims for the C007 Series.
The C007 is a through-ceiling omnidirectional condenser microphone: