Electrify and amplify anything

How to make a cheap contact mic. I use this combo in all my non-electric projects (see the deth uke). These mics pick up subtle sounds, and are so cheap that if they get smashed in a musical melee, it's no big deal. In this vid I amplify a dryer, a teapot, and a stockpot with water in it. Drone on!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• DIY
• D.I.Y.
• noise
• music
• punk
• distortion
• modification
• instrument
• microphone
• cheap

[The2010SnowDay]

how did you break the case on the buzzer?

[DocDrone]

@The2010SnowDay - I broke case with needle nosed pliers. Brute force. LIKE HULK!

[Chachalon]

Very interesting. I'll get some of those piezos for my bass anyway, I guess I'll get me some more and try it with other things... do you know how it sounds when you attach it to a drum?

[DocDrone]

It can be a very sharp and overdriven sound if too close to where you strike the head, but maybe that's what you were hoping for... placing the buzzer further from the drum head in the body of the drum is probably what you want.

[GutteralGrowling]

what's the point of taking the insides of the buzzer out of the plastic ?

[DocDrone]

depending on what you want to amplify, the plastic cover may mute a portion of the sound. I can hear my heartbeat with the plastic off, but not with the plastic on.

[mattpolofka]

Thank you for providing me with hours of fun

[wshf22]

Great! I have been looking for a way to amplify my pager for work while swimming. It does not have a way to hard wire or plug into it. Question: Would there be a way to be "voice activated" not literally voice, but a way it does not make noise unless the pager goes off? So I dont have a ton of background noice to listen to? I just want to be sure I can hear the pager while swimming?

[coondogtheman1234]

@RainxSiN

I think I have a small radio shack pocket amp around here somewhere. I could give this a shot.

[RainxSiN]

@coondogtheman1234 yeah, it does work, do the setup like he did, to a mini amp(pocket amp) put your headphones into the 1/8 headphone jack in the pocket amp, and plug the transducer into the 1/4th jack and turn up the volume really high and place it on a door or a wall.

*note, will not work on solid walls, or solid wood/concrete/steel doors. drywall yes and hollow doors yes! (I don't know about windows as all of my windows are high in my house)

[coondogtheman1234]

can this be used as a spy device like placing it on a wall and being able to hear people talking in the next room? how about a window?