UPDATED: Mic Housings, 3D Printed Ribbon Capsules, 2 sizes

[gafro]

I have finally finished the ribbon mic kits!

Firstly we have these housings I have built. Made out of copper with steel mesh. These are specifically designed for the 30mm ribbon capsules but could be used for any mic project. The inside diameter of the body is 39mm but I can also offer custom sized housings for a very reasonable price. The standard housing uses 2 M4 rods running up the mic which means any components can easily be attached using a couple of nuts or cable ties!
The cost for these housings is £35 each






Also available now are 2 different sized capsules!
The 30mm long magnets for £30


And 50mm long magnets for £35:


And for those feeling adventurous I have decided to sell just the 3D printed shells for you to add your own magnets and ribbons to. These can be drilled and threaded on request. Ideal for anyone wanting to build from scratch, as I found this was the hardest part to build by hand. These will be available for £8:



Here is a sound sample of one of the fully built mics using a FAB Microphones transformer:https://soundcloud.com/gus-turner-549049338/sets/ribbon-microphone-motor-demos

I can also offer one off fully built microphones, capsules or housings to custom specs so get in touch if you are interested!

 

[ghiatorino]

very cool, i'd be interested in some but need to ask a few details such as dimensions of the motor and mounting screws size.
are magnets and ribbon included? if yes can you detail the the magnet and ribbon specs?
are you using a specific donor body?
many thanks

 

[gafro]

Yes these are fully assembled with the ribbon and magnets. The ribbon is 1.6 micron and I believe the magnets are n42 neodymium. The motor is 5cm long as it was originally designed to fit a SE2200a body I had spare. However if you have something else in mind I can do a custom one.

There are currently no mounting screws as in the past people have been mounting them in very different donor bodies. However I am working on a very cheap housing which will be designed for these.

 

[afdobbert]

Hello,

Any idea if this would fit Nady RSM-4?

 

[anjing]

Or the mxl r144?

 

[gafro]

They are pretty small capsules so I imagine they would! The dimensions are 5cm x 3.5cm x 1.75cm (Including screws which could be trimmed)

If these wouldnt fit I can offer a custom sized one built to your specs

Gus

 

[gafro]

I've been working on a larger capsule aswell which will be available in around a week. This one has a 50mm long ribbon and magnets.

 

[afdobbert]

Hey! I'll take one. PM details for payment, thanks!

 

[shabtek]

What metal(s) are used?
How are they tuned?

 

[gafro]

What metal(s) are used?
How are they tuned?

The metal strips which are the contacts are copper and the mesh is steel. The ribbons are tensioned by eye and are not specifically tuned to a frequency however from the 6 I have tested they have been fairly consistent

 

[shabtek]

Aluminum ribbon?

Copper contact?

 

[gafro]

Aluminum ribbon?

Copper contact?

Yes, the standard appears to be the ribbon laying on a copper plate on one side with a plastic strip. So I thought why not switch it round and the conductor doubles as the strip to tension it. It the same materials in contact and the copper allows me to attatch a solder tag to the screw (not shown but every capsule comes with this)

 

[gafro]

Aluminum ribbon?

Copper contact?

I originally thought there my be some corrosion issues over time but if your microphone is submerged in water for a few months I think corrosion is the least of your worries! They seem to be holding up well

 

[shabtek]

there is some relevant info here and elsewhere regarding resistance of contacts and wire in transformer. I have built a few motors with 3d printed frames based on a model published here 4 or 5 years ago and used 'upcycled' gold plated pcb for contact points; cu to al is not ideal--In electrical grid work, we say 'A over C' or 'copper never topper' when making connections of dissimilar metals out in the elements, and there is a smear of corrosion inhibiting goo involved...but that is 60hz at amps. On important connections at substations and big busswork there will be no dissimilar metals, and even cu-cu connections will often be silver or tin plated.

 

[gafro]

Housings now available!

 

[Di_Sousa]

.

 

[okgb]

Nice effort, good luck!

 

[bpapaya]

Hi!
I'd like to buy a 30mm long magnets for £30?
How can i do it?
best,
Renato

 

[Di_Sousa]

Nice,
it looks like the Austin DIY Ribbon Mic that I built in the past:

http://www.diyribbonmic.com/