Hello all,
Not sure if this is the right section or even forum for this question so I apologize in advance.
I am trying to build myself a useful contact mic thingy using piezos.
I know it’s better to wire them in parallel (each piezo + and - go to the jack) but I was wondering if it makes sense to wire more than 2 in such fashion.
I’ve only ever seen them max 2, I would like to have 5 though. Will the noise level be too much?
Any tip welcome, many thanks!
While I’ve made countless piezo contact mics I’ve never tried wiring more than two to a single jack (I think that’s what you’re suggesting).
I doubt noise would be an issue, piezos have never given me any noise issues. They’re pretty quiet in that way. I’ve never considered impedance/ loading specs with them either.
I suggest you just wire up your cluster and try it out. You aren’t likely to damage anything. At worst you just take it apart and make smaller groups and consider it experience.
You’re right on with wiring them in parallel by the way.
general curiosity piqued, my first inadvertent google hit was this fellow fwiw
but I found the question asked here bookmark worthy (along with the links here)
so just noting this for future travellers
https://www.soundonsound.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=47591
thank you both for your replies, I’ll attempt my build soon
I’d read the article linked from the forum (the opamp impedance matching preamp) - I’ve been meaning to make a small SMT pcb for it for ages - I’m about to order a load of pcbs soon so I ought to layout one of those for my contact mics…
Thanks for the prompt !
which one are you going for? the cheap or the expensive version?
also, where are you getting the parts from if you don’t mind me asking?
I’d like to build one too.
Actually if I want to link up 5 mics would I have to build 5 preamps? surely not?
I know very little about this!
Thanks
ok so would I need to get parts for just 1 preamp?
Probably - I often use mouser.
Depending on price I may get them assembled - it’s so cheap if the pcb fab have the parts in their cheapo inventory; but then again these will have so few parts (and I’ll have them at home anyway) I may not bother… it’ll probably depend on how many other pcbs I order and the total cost - if it goes over my sense of frivolous spending essentially (I have quite a few designs for eurorack and midi stuff I need to get fabbed !)
Not sure when I’ll order - it’ll probably be over late autumn/early winter as I am struggling with a eurorack design and want to order all in one batch to save on postage… if you’re in the uk you’d be welcome to a board anyway… (cant be arsed to post outside the UK or handle money so cheapo UK postage is ok…)
Just reread your post - I’ll probably only design a preamp for single piezos - not sure how the passive mixing of several mics would work (but it’d be no different to plugging multiple passively mixed mics into any preamp)
Hey thank you so much I am indeed and the uk and wouldn’t mind a board if / when you get them.
Ok well for now I’m just gonna connect 4 or 5 piezos together in parallel to a 1/4 female jack.
would something like this transformer help?
I will be recording drums and percussion mainly
thanks
Hey @taiman it’s been a few months, just curious about how this project turned out.
hello! made the mic and atm I am using it to record an acoustic drum machine I made. I am yet to spend some proper time with it, it sounds good enough to my ears.
Very cool. Thanks for sharing. That contraption has a great Rube Goldberg vibe!
So are the piezos mounted in plastic bottle caps? If so, is this for physical protection or something to do with sound (dampening maybe)? Just curious.
Anyway nice job.
Oh, and props on the Casio. I really like the sound of that part of the mt line. I’ll never get rid of my modded mt-40.
yes I put the piezos in plastic bottle caps for protection mainly