Waterproof Speaker For Better Shower Singing

If you are like me--and I know you are--you LOVE to sing in the shower and you SUCK at it!  There's nothing I can do about having a terrible singing voice, but the thing that really bugs me, and probably everyone else within range of my voice, is that I can never remember the words to the songs.  I keep repeating about a line and a half from the chorus and then accidentally end up singing an entirely different song altogether. 

I've occasionally brought a set of computer speakers into the bathroom with me and plugged my mp3 player into them.  While this is nice, it's a pain in the behind and I'm always nervous about splashing them and shorting something out. 

I decided what was needed was a waterproof enclosure for the speakers and the mp3 player.  I actually built this project as a Christmas gift for my girlfriend, as she loves singing in the shower even more than I do and is actually good at it.  I did my best to make this look nice and professional, rather than my usual cobbled together mess of wires and circuit boards.

Just a quick warning, I don't know how waterproof this really is.  I suspect it'll be safe to splash it every now and then, but I wouldn't recommend actually using it IN the shower.  Nearby should be good enough.

Here's a little youtube video I cooked up for this instructable.  Some of the shots are pretty dark, but I think I've figured out how to avoid that in the future.  On the plus side, It does have me singing in the shower!




***UPDATE 5/5/10:  If you build your own set of waterproof speaks, post some pictures in the comments and I'll send you a patch!***

Step 1 Gather Materials

This instructable requires two major components plus a few miscellaneous bits and pieces.

Major Parts:

• 1 pair of 9 volt computer speakers (from your local thrift store)
• 1 waterproof container that opens easily (I used a pantry storage bin from Fred Meyers)

Bits and Pieces:

• 1 power button of some sort (mine was harvested from an old printer)
• 1 pair of disposable rubber gloves ***dustinbikes suggests using nitrile gloves, as they don't deteriorate from chemicals as badly, and are more resistant to ripping.  I suspect this would be a good way to go!
• A small amount of light fabric
• 1 9 volt battery clip
• Epoxy
• Silicone sealant
• Solder
• Hot Glue
• Wire or plastic mesh
• Some plastic to use as a frame
• About 3" of 5/16 or 1/4" dowel
• Electrical tape
• Spray paint

Tools:

• Drill
• Glass/tile boring bits
• Soldering Iron
• Hot glue gun
• Dremil tool
• Hand saw
• Permanent marker
• Hobby knife
• Scissors (very sharp!)

Get everything together and move on to the next step!

Comments

[cantth1nk0fnam3]

wouldn't it be easier if you just wrapped a normal speaker in saran wrap or a plastic bag

[Alpvax]

yeah, or you could just go but a waterproof case...



great fun that would be.
its a great 'ible, looks good, is practical and is unique

you could choose the design yourself, unlike a plastic bag.

[depotdevoid]

Thanks Alpvax!  One of the reasons I didn't go with a store bought waterproof speaker is because I really don't like the looks of them.  Also, they're mostly designed for ipods, and the black with blue lights style I went with matches my girlfriend's Sansa.

[Alpvax]

actually i was being sarcastic, where's the fun in buying a case when you can design and make your own?

[depotdevoid]

Wow, I must have totally misread your comment!  Not sure what was going through my head at the time, but it's obvious you were being sarcastic.  Sorry, I'm a bit dense sometimes!

[Alpvax]

haha don't worry about it

dense people don't make instructables this good lol

[Alpvax]

sorry, meant buy. typo


great instructable, im going to look for a case right now :P

[DanielIt]

Nice intructable and nice video on it! I dont think will have the time to build one,and in the most cases i got my disco loudspeakers in the other room covering all the water sound,so no need for water proof.

[depotdevoid]

Thanks Daniellt, I'm glad you liked it!  I spent quite a while on the video so I'm happy to hear it was enjoyable.  Hopefully the next time I do one of these I'll have the lighting situation fixed.

[depotdevoid]

Easier?  Yes.  Nice looking?  No.

[cantth1nk0fnam3]

i don't really care about looks as much as function. as long as the sound quality is good and it's waterproof, i'm fine with it.

[mattnoks]

Well then wrap your speakers with saran wrap. Did you really have to post a comment about how it would just be easier to wrap it with saran wrap?

Oh I know,  Why don't you just turn your normal stereo up real loud and open the bathroom door.  Then you don't have to do anything.

[cantth1nk0fnam3]

well i wouldn't want to blow my speakers and i wouldn't be able to hear it if it was in another room

[mattnoks]

You clearly don't understand sarcasm.  Why don't you write an instructable on wrapping your mp3 player & speakers with saran wrap, I'll look foward to reading it.

[cantth1nk0fnam3]

you must be pretty stupid if you'd look forward to reading such a pointless instructable

[mattnoks]

By the way, nice instructable.

[depotdevoid]

Thanks mattnoks, glad you liked it and took the time to comment!

[FastEd88]

Now add a lcd screen and you could have karaoke too!

Fast Ed

[depotdevoid]

Sweet!  Maybe I should just install a flat screen in the shower?

[luvit]

for christmas I got an old 17" TV for my sister. I placed it on the end of her tub for her to enjoy... I made sure there was plenty of extension cord.

[Da Nugesta]

nice 'ible!! 5/5! wat model name wer the speakers from cos the drivers r really nice!! again great job! :)

[depotdevoid]

I wish I could tell you, but I've actually had those disassembled for about six months now.  I was going to use them for a different project that fell through, so I threw away the case (along with the part numbers) back in July or so!

Thanks for the complement and the rating Da Nugesta!

[sawatzky]

 uh, two points,
1. If, as you say, you might not want to use this IN the shower, just nearby... what's the point of this exercise??? Normal speakers tolerate high humidity levels. I have a 1950's era tube radio in my bathroom with two paper speakers in it... no problems there.
2. You will need more power and larger speakers than this project allows to be able to hear anything besides a noisy rattle if you're actually listening to this while showering. I have a waterproof radio in my shower. The sound just bounces around and sounds like white noise no matter how high I turn the volume. 

[depotdevoid]

Both good points, here are my thoughts:

1.  It has been used in the shower, I am just worried someone might put it directly in the flow of water and blame me when their speaker/mp3 player craps out.  Also, I was concerned about splashing said expensive mp3 player, so the enclosure is designed to keep it out of harms way.  I usually use it outside of the shower anyway, just in case.  I don't want to find out I made a leaky enclosure or one of the glove parts ripped the hard way!

2.  I suspect you have bad acoustics in your bathroom, or your waterproof radio doesn't have as much power as these computer speakers.  I have no problem whatsoever hearing either music or spoken word while listening to this in the shower, and only end up with a rattle if I crank both the volume and bass up to 11.

I guess basically the point of this exercise was to create an enclosure that would protect all the elements of a speaker system and an mp3 player from the dangers of a wet bathroom environment, while at the same time reducing cord clutter and looking nice.

Thanks for the comment Sawatzky! 

[mds2004]

 Nifty idea. Who was the artist for the songs played during your youtube video? I looked up that Rosco Abernathy which resulted in nothing so that must be you...hah. 

[depotdevoid]

Thanks mds, but the musician wasn't me.  It was my old friend Ian, who sometimes goes by Rosco P. Abernathy, sometimes by Ian James, and other times goes by An Infinite Coincidence.  I forgot to link back to his music site!  Thanks for pointing out the oversight!

[spydercanopus]

 For some reason, this was the last instructable created by David.  Further investigation found the shower radio works under water (not recommended) as well as under electrocuted bodies.

[depotdevoid]

Nice . . . of course it would take one hell of a 9 volt battery to electrocute someone.  Maybe David used a full on bass amp for his speaker?

[layzieyez]

Does this have to be powered by 9 volt battery?  I'd want to go with some sort of rechargeable battery like a couple of AA instead.  Good project, I just disagree with the power source.

[depotdevoid]

You could of course go with another power source, but most computer speakers don't work too well on less than the full 9v so you might be packing a lot of AA's into the case. 

Also, I used rechargeable 9 volt.  Cost about 8 bucks, but it was worth every penny.

[Derelicte]

Very cool! The only recommendation I would have is to not hook it up using a 9V battery, but rather use a standard cord and plug it in to a GFCI receptacle found in your bathroom. They are the receptacles with the "test" and "reset" buttons found in their center. These type of receptacles are made for being near water and are probably safer. They detect the slightest changes and break the current path in under 1/13th of a second. Its what is used in underwater pool lights and best of all, its probably already sitting in your bathroom. Just a recommendation :)

[depotdevoid]

Yeah, that was the original plan--if you look closely as some of the pictures, you'll see a small hole drilled in the back of the case for the power cord, which has been plugged with black silicone in later pictures.  I ended up going with the 9-volt battery because the plug is located all the way on the other side of the bathroom from the shower.

Thanks for the comment Derelicte, and I'm glad you liked my project!

[J@50n]

i am making one as we speak (well i speak/write/whatevea)......  

[depotdevoid]

Sweet, I'd love to see a picture when it's done!

[J@50n]

 it does not look near as good as yours, as i used a different container and have no lights or switches. im painting now, ill  put up pics tonight.

[depotdevoid]

How did it turn out?  Can I see a picture?

[J@50n]

 still gotta take pics, went on an unexpected trip up north...

[shiannejessica]

I feel like I need to defend my honor here and insist that you play a recording of me singing in the shower.  Just so you all know:  I love (with a capital "l") all of the little gadgets that Depotdevoid makes for me, but I sing in the shower much better than this.

[depotdevoid]

Dear Shiannejessica,

Please see the intro, paragraph 3, for a reworded stating of your shower singing prowess.  The author of this instructable never meant to imply that you were in any way a sub par shower singer.  He sincerely apologizes for any confusion or inconvenience this has caused you.

Also, Mr. Devoid would like to let you know that he would be happy to post a recording of you singing in the shower, either without aid or with the assistance of the device know as "Waterproof Speaker For Better Shower Singing."  Please let him know when a good time to acquire said recording will be.

Thank you,

Rev. I. Fagan, Ph. Dk., Reverend of the Church of the Subgenius and Doktor of the Subgenial Arts, acting legal representative for Mr. Depot Devoid

[dustinbikes]

if anyone is concerned with the latex gloves deteriorating there is always nitrile gloves, that i am sure would give similar results and they are much more resistant to chemicals and ripping