How to Make PVC Microphone to Read
A rigid microphone stand will cause low frequency feedback. The microphone will record the extraneous sound and the sound quality is diminished. You want to shock mount the microphone to record a reading. The shock mount suspends the microphone and removes the feedback. Take the microphone out of that rigid stand and put it into a homemade PVC pipe shock mount stanchion.
Things You'll Need
- Length of 1/2-inch PVC pipe at least 27 inches longs
- Tape measure
- Marker
- Small tooth saw
- 2 three-way 1/2-inch PVC T-joints
- 4 three-way 1/2-inch PVC elbow joints with one opening threaded
- 4 two-way 1/2-inch PVC elbow joints with one opening threaded
- 12 3/16-inch by 7 1/2-inch rubber bands
- 3/4-inch microphone clip
- Microphone
Instructions
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1
Lay the strip of 1/2-inch PVC pipe on the ground. Use a tape measure and marker to mark off every 1 1/2 inches. Make four of these marks.
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2
Keep the tape measure in place. Mark every four inches beyond the last mark 1 1/2-inch mark. Make four more measurement marks.
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3
Measure out 5 inches from the last 4-inch measurement mark. Make one 5-inch measurement mark.
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4
Use a small toothed saw to cut the pipe at every mark. Mark the 5-inch piece with a "C" so that you know it is the cross piece.
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5
Build one of the stanchions. Push two 1 1/2-inch base leg pieces into a three-way joint without threads. The base leg pieces go into the corresponding ports on the joint, leaving the stand-alone port vacant.
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6
Place the three-way joint assembly on your work table with the vacant port facing the ceiling. Push a threaded three-way connector onto a base leg. The threaded port should point to the ceiling, and the vacant port should be resting on the table facing away from you. Place a threaded three-way joint on the other base leg in a similar manner.
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7
Push two 4-inch pieces of PVC pipe into the vacant ports on the threaded three-way connectors. Push them into the ports facing away from your body; the ports that lack threads.
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8
Push two threaded two-way joints onto the 4-inch riser pipes. The joint without threads goes onto the pipes. Position the threaded two-way joints so they face the ceiling, mirroring all vacant ports on the stanchion.
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9
Screw four threaded caps onto the threaded ports facing the ceiling. The threaded ports are on the four corners of the assembly.
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10
Wrap a rubber band around the top-right screw cap. Stabilize the band between the raised hexagonal head and two-way joint body. Stretch the band across the stanchion and stabilize it on the lower-left screw cap.
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11
Repeat step 10 but connect the upper-left screw cap with the lower right to create a criss cross. Layer the criss cross by repeating step 10 -- alternating top-right to bottom-left and top-left to bottom right -- until there are six stacked rubber bands.
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12
Make another stanchion. Repeat steps 5 through 12.
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13
Connect the two stanchions with the 5-inch piece of pipe marked with a "C." The cross pipe will push into the open port on each stanchion. Position the stanchions so that they are a mirror image of each other.
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14
Slide the microphone through the web of rubber bands. Right down the center is a diamond-shaped opening that the stem of the microphone can fit through. The microphone will be shock-mounted between the two stanchions.
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15
Connect the cross piece to a 3/4-inch microphone clip.
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Tips & Warnings
The shock mount can be disassembled and reassembled for easy transportation and storage.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
