One contact mic, three ways to attach it
A piezo pickup experiment comparing temporary mounts before committing to an enclosure or gluing anything permanently.
A contact mic hears through the thing it touches. Before arguing about the pickup, try moving the tape.
Use a piezo disc with a documented protected input circuit and a suitable high-impedance audio input. A bare disc is not a universal plug-in microphone. Check compatibility before connecting it to recording equipment.
For the first comparison, attach the pickup reversibly to a scrap surface. Tap the same spot, with the same recording gain, and note the mounting method. Then change only the mounting.
The cable needs its own test. Give it strain relief and move it gently while recording. Cable knocks can easily become the loudest instrument in the room.
Keep a short set of unprocessed recordings. Fancy equalization can wait until the mechanical differences are audible.
Materials
- Piezo disc and documented protected pickup circuit
- Suitable high-impedance audio input
- Reversible mounting materials
- Cable strain relief and scrap test surface
Build Steps
- 1
Build the documented input stage
Check protection and compatibility before connecting audio equipment.
- 2
Record fixed-position taps
Keep surface, tap point, and gain unchanged.
- 3
Check cable noise
Add strain relief before choosing a permanent mount.