Cheap 'n easy mic body... UPDATED!

[pinchemotherloaf]

Hello all,

New to the club and wanted to show everyone my new, cheap 'n easy mic body. It's simply a common metal bell box with cover, wire clamp and 2 small cooking strainers for capsule shielding. Cost was $15. The idea is to find 'off the shelf' parts to make a body for R&D use. My thoughts for the strainers was making something acoustically open. Anyone else doing similar kludges? I would be interested in seeing what you've all made!

 

[shot]

True DIY!
Congrats!
This is excellent!
It looks simple but I'm sure this is detailed precision work that you did and it's not so simple as it may look
Bravo!

 

[noizetoys]

Are you kidding me? That is AWESOME! I suddenly have a desire for some very small pasta or very large tea....

 

[abbey road d enfer]

Very nice. Somehow reminiscent of Ear Trumpet Labs
https://www.eartrumpetlabs.com/

 

[pinchemotherloaf]

True DIY!
Congrats!
This is excellent!
It looks simple but I'm sure this is detailed precision work that you did and it's not so simple as it may look
Bravo!

Thanks, but it's nothing precision! The hardest part was cutting the handles off the strainers and straightening the steel out.

 

[pinchemotherloaf]

Very nice. Somehow reminiscent of Ear Trumpet Labs
https://www.eartrumpetlabs.com/

That's interesting because I just became aware of their stuff and how they are using simple hardware too. This idea of using strainers has been kicking around in my head for a while. The bell box and clamp system came to me at the hardware store (where I'm going today to look for some springs and thick rubber to make a mounting ring for capsule!)

 

[pinchemotherloaf]

Are you kidding me? That is AWESOME! I suddenly have a desire for some very small pasta or very large tea....

Lol! Thanks much!

 

[pinchemotherloaf]

Just posted another thread on one of my old DIY mic body ideas here if interested:
A copper DIY microphone case "plumber's mic"

 

[Pip]

Fully functional! Awesome concept and execution. What circuit will reside in this temple of shielding?

 

[pinchemotherloaf]

Fully functional! Awesome concept and execution. What circuit will reside in this temple of shielding?

Thanks! Was going to do an RCA but decided on Sony instead!

 

[pinchemotherloaf]

Update on Cheap Mic Case. Wired up a circuit like Sony C37 using a 15k:600 xformer and 500m grid leak. Shunt resistor increased to 18k. The tube is a Sylvania gold pin 6au6. Capsule is from Dachman Audio. As you can see, things got a little tight trying to fit the output coupling cap in there. I used springs and an O-ring to suspend the capsule. Actually sounds not too bad! Plenty of output and not noisy. But... it's just a microphone so that's that!

 

[Ricardus]

Amazing!

 

[3nity]

I wonder what the PSU case looks like! Nice DIY!

 

[pinchemotherloaf]

I wonder what the PSU case looks like! Nice DIY!

Thanks! I used this 'DJ-8' supply I bought on ebay. 200 and 6 vdc.

 

[rmburrow]

Update on Cheap Mic Case. Wired up a circuit like Sony C37 using a 15k:600 xformer and 500m grid leak. Shunt resistor increased to 18k. The tube is a Sylvania gold pin 6au6. Capsule is from Dachman Audio. As you can see, things got a little tight trying to fit the output coupling cap in there. I used springs and an O-ring to suspend the capsule. Actually sounds not too bad! Plenty of output and not noisy. But... it's just a microphone so that's that!View attachment 87655View attachment 87656View attachment 87657View attachment 87658View attachment 87659

Look at the closeup of the output transformer..it says 20 kc - 25 kc. Hopefully that is not a narrowband transformer. Gapped transformers built for dc in the primary probably have better bandwidth with primary current way below rated maximum. I can't see that 6AU6 drawing more than a couple of mA in that operating mode.

 

[jhaell]

I built this earlier in September, mainly to see how a microphone with little shielding handles RFI and how the basket affects the sound.. Circuit is UM91 with NOS Philips EF86 and AMI transformer. Maiku CK12 capsule.




obviously I’m no metal-worker, but I think it turned out not horrible. Really nice HF response and dead quiet.



In action!

 

[pinchemotherloaf]

Look at the closeup of the output transformer..it says 20 kc - 25 kc. Hopefully that is not a narrowband transformer. Gapped transformers built for dc in the primary probably have better bandwidth with primary current way below rated maximum. I can't see that 6AU6 drawing more than a couple of mA in that operating mode.

Yes, you caught that! I know what you mean, but surprisingly enough it works fairly well! Anode is at 200V (2.5 mA.) Maybe the higher voltage makes up some of the difference?

 

[pinchemotherloaf]

I built this earlier in September, mainly to see how a microphone with little shielding handles RFI and how the basket affects the sound.. Circuit is UM91 with NOS Philips EF86 and AMI transformer. Maiku CK12 capsule.

View attachment 87693


obviously I’m no metal-worker, but I think it turned out not horrible. Really nice HF response and dead quiet.

View attachment 87694
View attachment 87695View attachment 87697
In action!

Wow, that looks great! You made it yourself, that's cool! That capsule looks pretty decent too.

 

[Gus]

looks a little like a Didrik DeGeer

 

[noizetoys]

Besides looking awesome, they don't look like every other microphone on the market. I think that may be my favorite thing about these mics (besides the tubes, I like tubes!).