tookatooka
3037 posts
Aug 21, 2012
10:24 AM
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I was blown away by Jodanchudans tone on his last track, I decided to have a go and see what I can do in that area. This is a two minute burst to a LaGrange backing track using a common-or-garden piezo electric element (MuRata) fixed in a chrome light fitting bulb holder thingy. I'll take a picture and add it to this post. I'm playing through a Roland MicroCube using maximum gain, quarter volume, and a little Delay through my Line-in into my computer.
Both the playing and the mic needs work but just thought I'd throw this up for comment and/or critique at this stage.
Many thanks.
Last Edited by on Aug 22, 2012 9:02 AM
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tookatooka
3038 posts
Aug 21, 2012
11:01 AM
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OK, Here's an image of the mic internals. The piezo element is connected to the socket via a 10K resistor on the central lead. I still need to fiddle with it but don't think there's room for much further improvement.
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rogonzab
91 posts
Aug 21, 2012
6:51 PM
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This is like a crystal element right?
Sounds good to me.
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tookatooka
3039 posts
Aug 22, 2012
5:14 AM
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Yes it's a piezo crystal siren speaker really. They are dead cheap and can be used as a crude mic.
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lor
148 posts
Aug 22, 2012
7:32 AM
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I'd be interested to hear how it sounds through the amp set for clean tone, no gain distortion and no delay. Just to get the flavor of the mic itself.
Also, where did the round screen come from?
This is really a neat idea! Thanks!
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rogonzab
92 posts
Aug 22, 2012
8:11 AM
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Yah, please put a clip of a clean recording.
This can be a very useful things to start making DIY mics.
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tookatooka
3040 posts
Aug 22, 2012
9:11 AM
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OK Heres a short file demonstrating the piezo mic with absolutely no effects gain etc. Volume at 50% Recorded directly into my computer using the Rec-Out from the Micro-Cube to the Line-In of my computer. All the speech in this file was made using the piezo element as a regular microphone and held about six inches from my mouth. I was using a Special 20 in the key of D.
I have covered the hole in the piezo element with some latex from a latex glove to absorb some of the higher frequencies and it doesn't sound so metallic now. The main problem I have is one of feedback. It does tend to feedback quite easily so this could be a problem which needs addressing but then again it may be due to my particular amplifier set-up.
Please let me know what you think and let me know the results of any experiments you may conduct yourself.
@lor. The round screen. I can't remember. Maybe a little speaker grill that I saved from a scrap radio?
Last Edited by on Aug 22, 2012 9:17 AM
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norrin_radd
25 posts
Aug 22, 2012
9:28 AM
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Sounds pretty good. those piezo pickups are used alot in cigar box guitars, they sound really cool to me. They even make some that are rods
I had thought about trying to make a mic out of one of those a while back but never did.
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lor
149 posts
Aug 22, 2012
10:29 AM
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Clean check actually sounds quite good - lacking a bit of bass perhaps. Might be able to balance the tone with a small capacitor across the prongs of the jack, around 1500pF ought to do it. A greater capacitance would make bass even more relatively prominent. Note, the cap won't increase bass, but only decrease treble, making the mid and bass frequencies relatively more prominent. However, if the crystal won't provide bass signal, then it won't be there! You could also put a volume control in series with the resistor you already have, a potentiometer 0 to 50K perhaps. I'd guess you already thought of these things though.
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