isaacullah
331 posts
Sep 07, 2009
10:44 PM
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Hey all. I made a detailed instructable on how to build you own high quality bullet mic. Check it out at the following link: http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-quotbulletquot-style-harmonica-mic/
I hope you all enjoy it!
~Isaac
PS. For those of you who don't already use instructables.com, I must apologize in advance for leading you to your next new online addiction! :) Instructables is awesome!
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The magnificent YouTube channel of the internet user known as "isaacullah"
Last Edited by on Sep 07, 2009 10:56 PM
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Sirsucksalot
58 posts
Sep 07, 2009
11:28 PM
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Its great. I used that to make my own mic. first time soldering and now its my favorite mic. found all the parts just laying around my house. Anyone not satisfied with the commercial options should try building their own.
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jaymcc28
139 posts
Sep 08, 2009
6:43 AM
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Isaac, I'll check this out. Based on your 'video series' I had built my first mic but did so w/out a pot. This past week I added the pot but then it wouldn't work. I was too tired to take it all apart and recheck my wiring but I've got to do that soon. I have enough parts for 2 separate mics (everything I bought happened to come as 2 to a pack!) and I was thinking of a 'bullet' style as the second one. I want to use my first one as my 'test bed'. Thanks for all the guidance!
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Gwood420
27 posts
Sep 08, 2009
8:49 AM
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isaac, that thing is sweet!! i think i might just make one..
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isaacullah
332 posts
Sep 08, 2009
8:29 PM
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Thanks guys, I'm glad you liked it! I just added some sound clips to it (at the end), so go on over and check those out...
This mic sounds really great. It has really good tone and great response. I was playing it for like 4 hours straight this afternoon. This mic is heavy enough to feel good in the hands and to really give you a sense of holding something real, but not heavy enough to give you shaky arms by the end of the night. It's much lighter than an all metal bullet mic, and it's also much lighter than the original Audio Technica stick mic I took the element out of. It's also just the perfect size to get into a nice tight cup. It's definitely my new favorite mic! This project is quite doable, and it won't break the bank. Give it a shot and let me know how it goes!
Cheers,
Isaac
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The magnificent YouTube channel of the internet user known as "isaacullah"
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Gwood420
28 posts
Sep 11, 2009
7:36 PM
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ok isaac, i did it.. not sure on the element as it is from a cheap $30 mic, and i also cant really try it out till tomarrow due too sleeping kids.. i know it works, just no idea how good yet.. it was so easy to make, it offered me the chance to get creative.. with paint..
to anyone out there that isnt sure they can do it, i could have sat with all the stuff and done one in maybe two hours.. but, i like color.. :) so it took a few days. i changed it a bit, in that i used a white pvc cap that was about 1/16th-1/8th of an inch wider than the metal cap, and used 2 rubber bands (you can see one in the second pic) to seal the gap up.. so i didnt have to carve out the inside of the cap...
cant wait till tomarrow to try it out!
Last Edited by on Sep 11, 2009 7:37 PM
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isaacullah
333 posts
Sep 12, 2009
11:49 PM
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WOW Gwood! That looks FANTASTIC! Great job on the paint! Super retro looking. I love it!
Yeah, let us know how it sounds when you get a chance to plug it in! The cool thing about this is that if you don;t like the sound with one element, it's a since to put another in (I'm on the second element in mine). Out of curiosity, what mic did you steal the element from?
Anyway, this is totally awesome! I'm glad that my instructable has helped you!
~Isaac
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The magnificent YouTube channel of the internet user known as "isaacullah"
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Gwood420
29 posts
Sep 14, 2009
11:46 AM
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ok, i have had a chance to play it, and it sounds way better than the donor mic.. which was a samsung m15 from target.. i really have noidea what the element is.. i have been looking online for some good elements i could replace it with.. havent made up my mind yet..
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isaacullah
351 posts
Sep 22, 2009
4:06 PM
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Well, Gwood, you inspired me to paint my own mic too! I added some photos of it the end of the instructable. It's not as nice a paint job as you did, I just spray-painted the metal end cap with some yellow enamel. i left the black PVC part unpainted. I think it looks much nicer this way! Thanks for the inspiration!
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The magnificent YouTube channel of the internet user known as "isaacullah"
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Gwood420
34 posts
Sep 22, 2009
7:23 PM
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your welcome.. :) i like the yellow, i wish my pvc was black, i would have left it black like you.. but mine was white, therefore needed paint..
the green i used is actually just primer, with a clear coat.. other than that, i just used a gloss orange i had in the garage and some masking tape..
glad i could help..
i have been playing it more an more, and i swear it turned a crap mic into a good mic.. not a great mic.. but my poor ass cant afford a great mic right now.. this was very heplful.. so thank you!
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isaacullah
354 posts
Sep 22, 2009
9:17 PM
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Yes, I found rehousing the element to have made a very positive change in tone. The AdudioTechnica mic I stole the donor element from sounded pretty good in the first place, but it really SCREAMS in the new housing. This difference has to be the new "acoustic space" created with the new mic shell and gasket. After a lot of experimenting with different shell material (spice canisters, flashlights, etc.) and elements (new kobitone crystal elements, crappy karaoke mic elements, cheap vocal mic, tape recorder elements, etc.), and gasketing materials, I think this combination is a winner. The gasket REALLY works. The shell is very resonant, and has a great acoustic shape, and the element from a good quality instrument mic all combine to make a mic that is better than the sum of it's parts. It is definitely my new favorite mic now.
My advice: take an afternoon out of each month and go scour the secondhand stores. I got that AudioTechnica mic at Savers for $2.99. New it goes for $40-50... I've found a total of 6 good quality vintage and current production professional mics at thrift stores, all for MUCH less than you can find them at normal retail outlets...
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The magnificent YouTube channel of the internet user known as "isaacullah"
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Sirsucksalot
152 posts
Jan 13, 2010
5:00 PM
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Here's the one i made.
[ ]
Last Edited by on Jan 13, 2010 5:01 PM
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nacoran
792 posts
Jan 13, 2010
7:45 PM
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SirSucksalot- That is awesome.
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