Lo-fi Mics, Crazy Mics, Carbon Mics - What do you love?
Lo-fi Mics, Crazy Mics, Carbon Mics - What do you love?
So, I have a new project and I want to pic up some cheap cool mics for some aural craziness. I've been away for a while so just checking in to see what people are using?
I recently ran across the old phone handles that have been converted to mics on ebay. I would do one myself if I could locate an old phone but haven't found any scrounging around the local goodwills etc. Anyone using one of these?
I loved my Copperphone but I didn't get enough useage out of it to justify keeping it around so this time I was hoping to pick up a couple of cheaper flavors of poor quality
I recently ran across the old phone handles that have been converted to mics on ebay. I would do one myself if I could locate an old phone but haven't found any scrounging around the local goodwills etc. Anyone using one of these?
I loved my Copperphone but I didn't get enough useage out of it to justify keeping it around so this time I was hoping to pick up a couple of cheaper flavors of poor quality
[Asked whether his shades are prescription or just to look cool]
Guy: Well, I am the drummer.
Guy: Well, I am the drummer.
- A.David.MacKinnon
- ears didn't survive the freeze
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I used to have a big collection of telephone sounding mics - telephones, dispatcher mics, cb handsets, etc. Sold them all when I got an Altec Salt Shaker. It's probably a similar price to the copperphone so not the cheapest option but it is a great, great mic and I use it all the time. Often it gets used beside a better mic and at mix time it becomes the treble fader.
It's great on snare and can make any upright into an instant tac piano.
It's great on snare and can make any upright into an instant tac piano.
I've bought and made a bunch of stuff over the years, but my fave is the earpiece from a Bakelite telephone I wired to the working half of a guitar cable twelve or so years ago. The body involved a coathanger, faygo bottle, and both kinds of tape.
It just sounds good. On all kinds of sources.
It just sounds good. On all kinds of sources.
Village Idiot.
- joninc
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i have a pile of crystal mics from flea markets and thrift stores that i've picked up over the years. they are little mics that would have come with cassette decks and home stereos. Mostly they have mini plug ends on em. brands like GE etc...
put it in front of your drums and run that into a RAT pedal or a DYNA COMP. instagrit.
or record it next to your nice Condenser mic for vocals and season to taste.
I always think it's weird to spend a bunch of money on something that's supposed to
sound lofi.
put it in front of your drums and run that into a RAT pedal or a DYNA COMP. instagrit.
or record it next to your nice Condenser mic for vocals and season to taste.
I always think it's weird to spend a bunch of money on something that's supposed to
sound lofi.
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Yeah, totally agree. I loved my copperphone (and wouldn't consider it lo-fi) but even if I left it up most of the time i was only able to really use it here or there. If I had a massive mic locker, I would totally have kept it but I don't really need that now.joninc wrote: I always think it's weird to spend a bunch of money on something that's supposed to
sound lofi.
Cool, thanks for the ideas, pretty much what I thought I was going to get. I had forgotten about the Pawn shop route though, I'll hit some of those and see what I can scrounge up. I definitely want to try the phone thing. I also have an eggstatic mic that I use occasionally but looking for a few other paths to weirdness.
[Asked whether his shades are prescription or just to look cool]
Guy: Well, I am the drummer.
Guy: Well, I am the drummer.
- A.David.MacKinnon
- ears didn't survive the freeze
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If you go the phone route remember that the mic needs power (6 volts I think but the correct info out is there). Lots of people wire up the handset speaker as a mic but if you want to use the mic as a mic you'll need a power supply.
A friend of mine bought one online and who-ever built it used a circuit to convert phantom to a usable voltage. It's got an XLR jack and is plug and play ready. Super cheap too if I recall.
A friend of mine bought one online and who-ever built it used a circuit to convert phantom to a usable voltage. It's got an XLR jack and is plug and play ready. Super cheap too if I recall.
Thanks, that's good to know. That sounds like the one I am looking at.A.David.MacKinnon wrote:If you go the phone route remember that the mic needs power (6 volts I think but the correct info out is there). Lots of people wire up the handset speaker as a mic but if you want to use the mic as a mic you'll need a power supply.
A friend of mine bought one online and who-ever built it used a circuit to convert phantom to a usable voltage. It's got an XLR jack and is plug and play ready. Super cheap too if I recall.
[Asked whether his shades are prescription or just to look cool]
Guy: Well, I am the drummer.
Guy: Well, I am the drummer.
I keep seeing things about the Bing but I can't find anything on them. guessing they aren't around anymore?blungo2 wrote:I like my bing carbon mic a lot, but i don't know if they're still in business.
i'm curious about the wasaphone mics. I've liked the sounds i've heard from them.
[Asked whether his shades are prescription or just to look cool]
Guy: Well, I am the drummer.
Guy: Well, I am the drummer.
- MisterMark
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T-rex, yeah Bing is no longer... However, if you are considering a carbon mic, we finally have our Carbonphone available:
http://www.placidaudio.com/products/carbonphone/
It's about as pro level as you can get for a 'lo-fi' carbon mic as it employs a transformer balanced military grade carbon element... used in tank intercoms and air traffic controller headsets. And with the Tone Box you get 5 unique tone settings to further tailor the sound.
Hope that helps,
Mark
http://www.placidaudio.com/products/carbonphone/
It's about as pro level as you can get for a 'lo-fi' carbon mic as it employs a transformer balanced military grade carbon element... used in tank intercoms and air traffic controller headsets. And with the Tone Box you get 5 unique tone settings to further tailor the sound.
Hope that helps,
Mark
Placid Audio - Home of the Copperphone
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It's pretty well known around here but I'll mention it anyway, the Alice mic's made by Scott Helmke (if he's still making them) are fantastic. The mids are really aggressive with a bit of low mid heft. No mud, awesome color. This mic reminds me of the incredible aggressiveness you get from the AT 4041, just not as bright.
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