Contact mics are an inspiring way to get creative with found sounds, processing and fx.
And while you absolutely can make your own contact mic, if you're not feeling time-rich or handy enough, why not take a look at the latest incarnation of Zeppelin Design Labs' Cortado microphone, the Mk III?
The Cortado MkIII, says the Chicago firm, is "a rugged, versatile, easy-to-use contact mic that reveals the hidden sounds in the solid world around you."
Equally useable for sound design, music recording, and venue sound reinforcement, the mic's sensor head attaches with clamp, tape or putty, and is tethered to the preamp chassis with a 6’ (2m) shielded cable.
David Grundtvig, broadcast sound engineer for the NBA 2020 season in Orlando, Florida, used Cortado to capture arena sound effects. “We used 130 Cortados under the three courts.
"I’ve put them on NFL goal posts, on foul poles in Major League Baseball; I’ve had them on the Green Monster at Fenway and had great success.”
You can even hear a full demo recorded by Chicago band The Unfortunate using only Cortados to mic the entire band at cortadomic.com.
The mic will retail at At $159 MSRP and an accessory kit including a variety of clamps and adhesives is also available.
Cortado MkIII features
• Sensitive piezo sensor
• Rugged steel enclosures
• Balanced and buffered signal for wide bandwidth and low noise floor
• Phantom-powered preamp circuit
• Built-in -10dB pad
• Bass Boost for extended low end response
