While it can be easy to find ghosts in smaller locations such as houses, the ghosts in Phasmophobia are much more difficult to pin down in the larger maps. Because of this, there are certain tools that can save players plenty of time and resources if they are planning on travelling to the high school, asylum, or prison levels.
One lifesaving tool for these large maps is the Parabolic Microphone. It can be purchased in Phasmophobia after players reach at least level seven for $50 in the in-game store. It can detect sound through walls and sounds at long distances. Teams can bring a maximum of two to any given investigation.
At this time, players have noted the Parabolic Microphone to be incredibly finicky at times. While Phasmophobia is undergoing plenty of improvement updates, players may want to use this item at their own risk.
In order to use the Parabolic Microphone, players will need to actively hold it and have it turned on. Once it is on, players will be able to see a set of numbers that measures the amount of sound in the direction it is pointing in. The numbers will not update immediately and will change to reflect what it detects every one to two seconds. Its range is 30 meters ahead of it with it having a width of six meters.
Although the microphone can be used to detect ghosts that are moving, any sound source will cause the Parabolic Microphone to react. This means that car alarms, opening or closing doors, the EMF reader, the spirit box, footsteps of any kind, the fuse box, thrown objects of any kind, camera shutters, lighting lighters, motion sensors, Ouija boards, taking sanity pills, falling paintings, any players talking, placing salt, running sinks, thermometers, and flashlight clicks will cause the parabolic microphone to react.
When using the Parabolic Microphone, it is incredibly important for players to communicate with their fellow investigators to prevent false positives for ghost activity. Considering that this ghost hunting tool is meant to help in larger maps, any kind of false lead can cause too much time to pass by without any solid evidence, putting players at more risk to be killed during a sudden ghost hunt.
This item isn't the only Phasmophobia ghost hunting tool that can be used to detect sound. The sound sensor can be unlocked at level eight and bought for $80. Instead of needing to be carried around by players, the sound sensor can be placed in locations and be monitored via the van.
Phasmophobia is available now on PC.
Source: Phasmophobia Wiki