# Looking for Contact Microphones



## davidnaroth (Jan 29, 2022)

I was wondering if any of you have any recommendations for a good contact microphone as well as a cheap one that isn’t half bad. I was looking at the Akg c411 for a higher end one, but don’t know much about it, and I love hearing recommendations from people who have used something rather than based off of just specs. And then I also want to get some cheap ones I don’t mind banging up too.

Thanks!


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## timprebble (Jan 29, 2022)

davidnaroth said:


> I was wondering if any of you have any recommendations for a good contact microphone as well as a cheap one that isn’t half bad. I was looking at the Akg c411 for a higher end one, but don’t know much about it, and I love hearing recommendations from people who have used something rather than based off of just specs. And then I also want to get some cheap ones I don’t mind banging up too.
> 
> Thanks!


I've done a ton of recording using contact mics - the two pro models I use are in a different league to the cheapy/DIY (due to matched preamp)

- Barcus Berry Planar Wave (I have two of these)
- Trance Audio Stereo Inducer

I wrote about my experiences & why the matched preamp is crucial for low freq response:


The first rule of CONTACT MIC club – Music of Sound


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## fakemaxwell (Jan 29, 2022)

timprebble said:


> I've done a ton of recording using contact mics - the two pro models I use are in a different league to the cheapy/DIY (due to matched preamp)
> 
> - Barcus Berry Planar Wave (I have two of these)
> - Trance Audio Stereo Inducer
> ...


I know replying "this" in a forum is unnecessary, but just to drive the point home....this!!


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## timprebble (Jan 29, 2022)

timprebble said:


> - Barcus Berry Planar Wave (I have two of these)
> - Trance Audio Stereo Inducer



If it's any help, I find the BB mic elements to be far more fragile. They are designed to be attached to a piano or harp, and over the years I have broken and replaced maybe five or six BB elements. But I am attaching them to all sorts of things - industrial machines etc...

The Trance Audio mics by comparison seem unbreakable, and I mostly use these now.


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## Pier (Apr 18, 2022)

I've been looking at getting a decent contact mic that isn't a DIY piezo or one of those cheap violin pickups.

Ideally I would like to get a Lom Geofón or the Trance Audio mics Tim is using, but these are out of my budget for now.

So I was looking at the AKG C411 and then discovered the VS 3CAP manufactured by a Spanish 
company.









VS Audio Systems | Pickups


Transductores de alta calidad para instrumentos de cuerda




en.vsaudiosystems.com





Instead of a piezo mic, it uses 3 low noise condenser capsules. It costs about $100 with free shipping worldwide.

I've been quite impressed with the Youtube demos and bought one. I'll let you know how it goes once I receive it.

This is a video comparing the C411 with the 3CAP. It's in Spanish but the audios demos start around 5:00. Unless there was something wrong while using C411, the 3CAP is really in another league.




This is a video by the manufacturer comparing it with another pickup of theirs:


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## timprebble (Apr 18, 2022)

A few other options:

Cold Gold contact mics





Cold Gold Contact Microphones - Online Store







www.contactmicrophones.com





Jez Riley


JrF - contact microphones



Geophon are interesting, but be aware they don't pickup much above 150Hz


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## Pier (Apr 18, 2022)

timprebble said:


> A few other options:
> 
> Cold Gold contact mics
> 
> ...


Thanks for the suggestions.

I actually ordered a couple of mics from Jez Riley years ago and didn't have a great experience. Never received the mics.


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## timprebble (Apr 18, 2022)

Pier said:


> Thanks for the suggestions.
> 
> I actually ordered a couple of mics from Jez Riley years ago and didn't have a great experience. Never received the mics.


wow that's not good... with tracking # should have been able to at least prove they weren't received and should be replaced, but I know sometimes things sent via post (USPS or UK post) the tracking doesn't work...


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## Øivind (Apr 19, 2022)

I have used the AKG C 411 PP a while (recording sound effects) and for the most part I find it working pretty well. The only issue I am having with it is that it picks up electrical interference very easily, to the point where I have to turn of my phone if I'm close to the microphone.

Attached a short raw recording I did of someone playing the violin. I didn't do any research on where to best put the mic because it was just done as a test, so it's placement is most likely not optimal.

View attachment akgc411pp_violin.mp3


edit: the VS 3CAP does sound pretty nice, might pick one up.


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## Pier (Apr 19, 2022)

timprebble said:


> wow that's not good... with tracking # should have been able to at least prove they weren't received and should be replaced, but I know sometimes things sent via post (USPS or UK post) the tracking doesn't work...


Yeah I asked for some tracking number or some receipt to be able to ask the local post office... But he never provided it.


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## Pier (Apr 19, 2022)

oivind_rosvold said:


> I have used the AKG C 411 PP a while (recording sound effects) and for the most part I find it working pretty well. The only issue I am having with it is that it picks up electrical interference very easily, to the point where I have to turn of my phone if I'm close to the microphone.
> 
> Attached a short raw recording I did of someone playing the violin. I didn't do any research on where to best put the mic because it was just done as a test, so it's placement is most likely not optimal.
> 
> ...


Is this the raw recording?

It seems to have much less noise than the video I posted above comparing the C411 with the 3CAP.


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## Øivind (Apr 19, 2022)

Pier said:


> Is this the raw recording?
> 
> It seems to have much less noise than the video I posted above comparing the C411 with the 3CAP.


It is (compressed to 320kbps mp3). It was connected to a Zoom H5.


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## dannthr (Apr 25, 2022)

I have had success with the Cold Gold contact mics, well constructed, rugged, etc.
You won't get the same detail as your BB, but if it's for more active sound design activities, you'll find them fairly durable and you won't feel bad if you lose one.


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## Pier (Apr 26, 2022)

Just received the VS 3CAP.

It comes with a bag, a 2.75m cable, and some adhesive. It's super tiny!

I will post some sound examples in the weekend.


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## Pier (Apr 26, 2022)

I found another contact mic that might be of interest. The Guda OM.

Here's a video comparing it with the 411 and another one which doesn't seem to be available.


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## Martin S (Apr 27, 2022)

Pier said:


> Just received the VS 3CAP.
> 
> It comes with a bag, a 2.75m cable, and some adhesive. It's super tiny!
> 
> I will post some sound examples in the weekend.


This piqued my interest. I can’t seem to find any reference on their website regarding frequency response, but I was wondering if this would pick up low(ish) frequencies, too ? - I’m hoping I might be able to use the VS 3CAP on my double bass (blended with my existing pickup) to maybe soften the Piezo ‘Honk’ of the latter.

Looking forward to hearing your examples, and - if possible for you - maybe also an example of lower frequencies (f.ex. Low E String of acoustic guitar).


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## Pier (Apr 27, 2022)

Martin S said:


> This piqued my interest. I can’t seem to find any reference on their website regarding frequency response, but I was wondering if this would pick up low(ish) frequencies, too ? - I’m hoping I might be able to use the VS 3CAP on my double bass (blended with my existing pickup) to maybe soften the Piezo ‘Honk’ of the latter.
> 
> Looking forward to hearing your examples, and - if possible for you - maybe also an example of lower frequencies (f.ex. Low E String of acoustic guitar).


Just yesterday I asked my wife where our guitar was (to test out the mic) and turns out she lend it to our niece 😂

I know someone who has an acoustic guitar though so I will try to test that.

This mic uses 3 condenser capsules instead of a piezo so it should perform a lot better regarding frequency response.


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## Martin S (Apr 27, 2022)

Pier said:


> Just yesterday I asked my wife where our guitar was (to test out the mic) and turns out she lend it to our niece 😂
> 
> I know someone who has an acoustic guitar though so I will try to test that.
> 
> This mic uses 3 condenser capsules instead of a piezo so it should perform a lot better regarding frequency response.


Much appreciated, Pier 

Yes, the three capsules sounds very intriguing and should - at least on paper - provide a wider frequency response range. Even if it can’t reproduce the very low end of the spectrum very well (below 50-60 Hz), my existing pickup can provide that.

Edit: I almost forgot; wondering also about feedback resistance. Should be less than an ordinary condenser or dynamic mic, I assume.


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## Pier (Apr 27, 2022)

Martin S said:


> Even if it can’t reproduce the very low end of the spectrum very well (below 50-60 Hz), my existing pickup can provide that.


What pickup are you using now?


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## Martin S (Apr 27, 2022)

I‘ve got two that I alternate between, depending on the gig and/or venue: Both by David Gage - The Realist (copper) and The LifeLine


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## Martin S (Apr 29, 2022)

Just FYI : I wrote an email to Emilio from VS Audio Systems and he was kind enough to send me the tech spec’s for their capsules used in both their contact mic models:


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## Pier (May 1, 2022)

So here are two recordings of an acoustic guitar with the VS CAP3.

There's one closer to the neck of the guitar and another closer to the bridge. These are the raw recordings and I just normalized to 0db.

I have zero experience with contact mics, so I don't know if this is good or bad for a contact mic. Sounds meh. Maybe a better sound could be achieved with a different position.

The mic captured a lot of stuff near 10Hz. At first I thought this was preamp noise but it's not constant and it happens even when there's no playing going on. Seems like the guitar body captured traffic rumble or something. Of course this is really inaudible and it can be easily filtered out.


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## Martin S (May 2, 2022)

Thanks for taking your time to do this, Pier. 

Yeah, I agree… the result isn’t as impressive as I’d hoped. But remember that the placement of the contact mic usually requires a lot of trial and error (maybe even on the back of the guitar - or inside). Small adjustments can make quite a difference in sound.

Also, make sure to use only a thin layer of the provided adhesive and press the mic as close to the surface of the instrument as possible, in order for it to sense the vibrations.


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## Pier (May 2, 2022)

Martin S said:


> But remember that the placement of the contact mic usually requires a lot of trial and error (maybe even on the back of the guitar - or inside). Small adjustments can make quite a difference in sound.


Yeah I should have tried more positions. Maybe I will be able to trying again in the future with a guitar.



Martin S said:


> Also, make sure to use only a thin layer of the provided adhesive and press the mic as close to the surface of the instrument as possible, in order for it to sense the vibrations.


I followed the provided instructions and used the adhesive that came with the mic.

Next time I will try with some blu tack and also try to use a thinner layer. Thanks for the tip.


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## Pier (Dec 27, 2022)

@timprebble is this one of the contact mics you recommend?



In this video it seems a bit muffled on the high end. Is this because they used too much blu-tack?


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## timprebble (Dec 28, 2022)

Pier said:


> @timprebble is this one of the contact mics you recommend?
> 
> 
> 
> In this video it seems a bit muffled on the high end. Is this because they used too much blu-tack?



yes thats the model... as per the blog article I linked

What are you comparing it to when you say its a bit muffled?

How do you know they are using blutack?


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## Pier (Dec 29, 2022)

timprebble said:


> What are you comparing it to when you say its a bit muffled?


Probably your own recordings I've heard on Youtube and by others. But on hearing that video again I think it doesn't sound that muffled now. Maybe it's just that I expected it to be brighter.



timprebble said:


> How do you know they are using blutack?


Hmmm I think I saw it in one of his other videos... but I can't seem to find it now.

I seem to remember in your article you mentioned using too much blutack could be an issue.

BTW I've found this other mic. It has its own preamp that is charged via USB and outputs line level. Costs less than $100 + shipping. There are multiple versions depending on the gain of the preamp.





The manufacturer has this playlist with tests.


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## timprebble (Dec 29, 2022)

Having used contact mics a lot, the tonality and timbre varies massively based on the object itself, the material its made from (eg not just wood, but what kind of wood, thickness, weight etc) & with placement. Vibrational resonance varies with frequency, as revealed visually by a chladni plate with a specific metal for example. I sincerely doubt you are going to be able to discern what is what by watching youtube videos of random objects, it would need to be a side-by-side comparison. Michal Fojcik did a shoot out comparing methods of attachment & that might be more useful for attachment (tape versus blutak versus clamp.) But I don't know of any examples comparing contact mic/preamp combos, since even two contact mics side by side can affect the resonance of the object due to their weight/dampening. But a piano or harp would be more predictable for comparative recording.
There are lots of cheap contact mics out there. Why not start with DIY?


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## gzapper (Dec 29, 2022)

timprebble said:


> Having used contact mics a lot, the tonality and timbre varies massively based on the object itself, the material its made from (eg not just wood, but what kind of wood, thickness, weight etc) & with placement. Vibrational resonance varies with frequency, as revealed visually by a chladni plate with a specific metal for example. I sincerely doubt you are going to be able to discern what is what by watching youtube videos of random objects, it would need to be a side-by-side comparison. Michal Fojcik did a shoot out comparing methods of attachment & that might be more useful for attachment (tape versus blutak versus clamp.) But I don't know of any examples comparing contact mic/preamp combos, since even two contact mics side by side can affect the resonance of the object due to their weight/dampening. But a piano or harp would be more predictable for comparative recording.
> There are lots of cheap contact mics out there. Why not start with DIY?


Agree, I've got expensive ones and cheap ones and the DIY ones are my go to. 
Acoustic guitar pickups are generally piezo crystals that sit under the saddle, that gives them lots of direct vibration from the strings. Attaching contact pickups to the body will give the string sound filtered heavily through the resonance of the wood at that position. Its worth moving them around and finding the spot that sounds most natural, but on the body they will feedback and tend not to sound natural. 

I've put them on floors, walls, metal bars, instruments, tables and just about anything. Closed a sound installation where I had them on steel beams holding up a highway. The best are buzzer piezos, super cheap but a bit of a pain to solder. 

Buy a bunch, solder them up (quickly on the crystal so it doesn't burn and slowly to heat up the brass on the ground) to an xlr cable like the photo below and you'll get great gain and use. The clamps on the picture were there to hold the piezos down while the glue dried. Then clamp the piece of wood to whatever you want loud.


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## timprebble (Dec 30, 2022)

gzapper said:


> Buy a bunch, solder them up (quickly on the crystal so it doesn't burn and slowly to heat up the brass on the ground) to an xlr cable like the photo below and you'll get great gain and use. The clamps on the picture were there to hold the piezos down while the glue dried. Then clamp the piece of wood to whatever you want loud.



DIY a preamp with matched impedance too, to retain low frequency response.
This article is required reading:








Using Piezo Contact Mics right


Cheap, innocent looking piezo elements do okay as greetings cards sounders. They seem to cause grief when used as contact mics. They seem to promise a lot, but easily sound rough as commonly applie…



www.richardmudhar.com


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