Stereo Microphone

It has come time for me to update my home recording studio to continue recording my own brand of intergalactic low-fi, disco, funk, folk rock. Rather than spend big bucks on a stereo mic setup that won't offer me the low quality sound that I am accustomed to, I have decided to build my own for next to nothing almost entirely out of found parts. Now I can get awesome panning effects that can easily be mimicked in software, but never truly replicated.

For those that don't know what a stereo mic is, it is basically using two microphones to record to both the left and right audio channels of a stereo music track to give that "3D" effect.

Step 1 Go get stuff

You will need:

- A flexible lamp arm
- 24" x 6" sheet of 1/8" acrylic
- 12" x 12" sheet of 1/8" milky white acrylic
- A laser cutter (or handsaw)
- A heat gun
- An oven mitt
- Table clamps
- An IKEA clock frame
- Two metal washers
- Two 1" (or larger) rubber grommets
- Two dynamic microphones
- A dozen LEDs
- Two BC546 transistor
- Two 100uF capacitors
- Two 2.2K resistors
- Two 47K resistors
- A 220 ohm resistor
- A 5V power transformer (give or take 1 volt)
- Red and black solid wire
- A panel mount stereo jack
- An SPST pull cord switch
- A power drill (with assorted bits)
- Assorted hand tools

Comments

[kushalverma]

Hi Randofo,
I am also trying to make a desktop microphone(with my destroyed earphone which contains a mic.) at home with very simple steps can you help me to make it in a easy way plz help me ,mail me on [e-mail]
THANKS.....

[Yerboogieman]

I hate this new way to add comments, all the computers i have used it, have froze up, even on my quad core. Is there a way to change it back, BTW, Nice instructables.

[Hatredman]

Try using another browser.

[Yerboogieman]

I used 5-6.

[ReCreate]

I dare you to (try) To say "Arduino Duemilanove" in it!_{(and upload the sound file)}

[randofo]

Why that?

[ReCreate]

Just a random idea. ;)

[Hatredman]

Good project! I know you wanted a lo-fi sound, BUT, to be fair, i must say that with this setup (wich resembles the ORTF quasi-coincident setup) you'll get a very unnatural phase distortion, even if the stereo image is a little wider. I would prefer a X-Y or coincident microphone technique. Easy to accomplish: just make sure the diafragms of the mikes are on the same vertical axis and 90 degrees apart.

[bishely]

Ditto - this doesn't strictly look like real ORTF (but it's kinda similar) and coincident/xy generally gives better stereo results... I reckon this setup would work best with omni mics (unlike proper ORTF), but dynamic omnis are rare... Still I guess it's supposed to be lofi, so... :)

[Default117]

That's alot of parts for a seemingly simple device. 0_o

[Houdinipeter]

yeah. couldn't you just put two mics on a a special stand?

[T3h_Muffinator]

Rockin' the Stereo Street Swag! 've been wanting to do a stereo recording i'ble...

[randofo]

You should do one! Make us proud!

[Default117]

VERY nice project! : D

[Swishercutter]

It's funny, I just made one of these last week from 2 cardioid condenser mics, a piece of aluminum and an old tripod.

According to this site http://emusician.com/daw/emusic_going_wild/ (about halfway down the page)

"The ORTF technique, which specifies two cardioid mics 110 degrees apart with 6.69 inches between the capsules, was designed to mimic human hearing."

I set mine up the way they state and it works great. I have a Tascam US-122 USB sound card that has Phantom power on it hooked to an old laptop (Compaq presario, AMD K6), I use it for outdoor field recording (crickets, traffic, creek sounds, etc)

[scoochmaroo]

ROCK!

[rimar2000]

This is very useful, thanks. I want to do one of these for me.

[gmjhowe]

Very nice, i would have liked to have seen a little frame on either side, holding the mic's with elastic bands! especially if your holding it..

[craig3]

couldyou use this to record holyphonic sounds?