DIY microphones!!!

[KaosCill8r]

Mainly looking to DIY a few microphones. Mainly for shits and giggles but also for unique sounds. A kick drum/bass cab mic would be desirable. Also a DIY ribbon mic for guitar cabs. Also anything unique and wacky. Anyone have any ideas and plans?

[eatyourguitar]

the kick drum mic is the only one you should DIY. DIY ribbon mic I highly doubt unless you have a broken ribbon mic to start with. dynamic cardioid bass cab mics are difficult to design even for the professionals. do you have a machine that sprays gold? can you make lightweight discs of exact thickness, roundness and weight? can you manufacture conductive gaskets?

however, you can make diy mics from electret capsules and contact mics. this is the unique and wacky category.

[wildebelor]

^ What? You can totally build any microphone! Just research into what capsules and housing is required. Plenty of info on the web about DIY mics too.
I've built a u47 within the old behringer shell and it was awesome!

[eatyourguitar]

^ What? You can totally build any microphone! Just research into what capsules and housing is required. Plenty of info on the web about DIY mics too.
I've built a u47 within the old behringer shell and it was awesome!

what you are suggesting is that he go and buy a capsule from a $8,495.00 condenser and stick it in any old shit body. this technique is usually done by studio owners that have experience in what every mic sounds like. they often swap capsules in a very calculating and intuitive way that gets them semi-predictable results. it is not uncommon in that field for a studio tech to try a capsule in 5 different body's and do some recording with each one. these people have the recording studios, the ears, the experience to do this with intention and purpose. I would not suggest it to someone poking around the DIY fuzz forum trying to make something cheap. most of the time these projects are born out of opportunity with studio owners trying to save a broken microphone. you can easily do the electronics in any phantom powered mics if you want to but that only makes sense if the electronics are dead or low end. if it ain't broke don't fix it.

[wildebelor]

Wow.

[kaeth]

I've thought about doing this one a few times, but never got around to it.

http://paia.com/proddetail.asp?prod=9506K&cat=27