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Handbuilt contact mics for all your noise-making and up-close recording needs.
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INFO
Contact mics are designed to pickup surface vibrations. That means that if you tape one to, say, a board, and step back and talk, the microphone most likely will not pick it up. But tap, scrape, or in some way touch the board and even the softest vibrations will be picked up.
These mics will work as pickups for acoustic instruments, but work best for more non-traditional uses. Freeze one in an ice cube and listen to it crack and melt. Tape it to all kinds of objects to make weird percussion sounds.
These also work great as drum or sample triggers. They can be plugged into a trigger to MIDI converter (Roland and Alesis make inexpensive units) or hooked up to a sampler or drum machine with a trigger input.
We will soon be releasing a kit for building trigger pads, complete with parts for making the contact mic and rubber pad.
We ship all mics USPS First Class Mail in a durable cardboard box.
If you are ordering from outside the US, please email first for shipping rates (usually $12-15 for Priority Mail).
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BASIC CONTACT MIC
$20.00
An basic, uncoated contact mic.
- Three foot heavy duty shielded cable
- Standard 1/4" mono plug.
This is the bare-bones version of the deluxe. Works the same, but with no frills. For when you think you may destroy your mic, or if you want to stock up on the cheap.
w. Neutrik male XLR plug - add $5
DELUXE CONTACT MIC
$30.00
Contact mic dipped in a tough, waterproof rubber coating.
- Three foot heavy duty shielded cable
- Gold 1/4" mono plug.
The rubber coating means you can get this mic wet, freeze it in ice, etc. The coating also protects and reinforces the soldering and helps bond the mic together, making it much more durable than the basic mic.
w. Neutrik male XLR plug - add $5
CONTACT MIC KIT
$10.00
All the parts to build your own basic mic
- Three foot heavy duty shielded cable
- Standard 1/4" mono plug, plus detailed instructions.
You will need a soldering iron and solder, a wire stripper, and needle nosed pliers.
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SOUND SAMPLES
All sampled recorded direct to M-Audio MicroTrack with the deluxe mic and no eq or effects, unless otherwise noted.
THE CLASSIC
A contact mic, frozen in a block of ice. The squeals and creaks recorded are very quiet, so some compression and EQ were added for clarity.
ACOUSTIC GUITAR
Taped to the top surface of a small, nylon-stringed acoustic guitar. This isn't the ideal use, but it does create an interesting sound.
TABLE TOP
Taped to the surface of a table. The table top was tapped, rubbed, scraped, and struck lightly with various objects.
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RECOMMENDATIONS and PRECAUTIONS
Because the microphone is picking up vibrations from the surface rather than air, the sounds it captures are not as "acoustic" as a regular microphone - there is a slight overemphasis on lower frequencies and a loss of higher pitches.
Contact microphones, due to their size and structure are somewhat fragile. All steps are taken to ensure their durability, including the soldering, cables, and rubber coating. However, rough handling, long-term exposure to cold and water, and "non-standard" uses can result in the microphones breaking.
Please be as careful as possible. They're pretty rugged little guys, but they have their limits.
We recommend using masking or "artists" tape to attach the mics. Duct tape is too strong, and you may damage the mic when removing the tape. Do not leave a mic taped to any object for more than a few days or you may leave a sticky residue that is difficult to remove. For permanent applications, we recommend using hot glue, which will not greatly dampen the sound and will bond much better than tape.
Also, please keep in mind that these mics, especially plugged directly into an amp, are really really really loud. Turn the amp all the way down, plug in the mic, and then find the appropriate level.
These mics come with a limited warranty:
Basically, if it arrives and doesn't work we'll replace it for free. If you use it and break it, sorry.
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CONTACT
mail@ContactMics.com
If you have any questions or would like to place a special order (different color rubber, special plugs, longer cables, etc) please feel free to send an email.
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ABOUT
[performance at the Department of Safety, Anacortes, WA]
[the contact mic labratory and studio, seen from the storage loft]
ContactMics.com is run by Jeff Thompson, an artist, musician, and teacher living in Long Island City, New York - just across the river from Manhattan in a great 175+ year-old firehouse.
You can check out:
www.jeffreythompson.org - artwork, sound
www.myspace.com/jeffreythompson - music
www.texasfirehouse.org - alternative art and performance space
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