What is a contact mic?
Well, it's simple. A little brass disc called a "piezoelectric transducer" is affixed to a standard guitar jack. Plugging it into a guitar amp, mixer, or a recorder, this strange little device reveals itself as a microphone! But... it's not your typical mic. You see, piezoelectric contact microphones are designed to pick up physical vibration; this in turn allows you to amplify anything that emits even the slightest pulse. Imagine then, if you will, an electric stethoscope... this is essentially what a contact mic turns into: allowing you to amplify acoustic instruments, metal objects, wire fences, cat purrs, tea kettles, balloons, tree branches, one's own body... and that's just the beginning! Whether you love to dabble in sound experimentation or simply want an inexpensive, solid mic to hook up to your instrument, a contact mic will open up world of sounds!
I've been using my own contact microphones for over twenty years. You might say that I've done the hard part for you by field testing these mics through countless tours and shows, subjecting them to probably the most abusive circumstances (as well as audiences). While these are fairly simple devices, there is something of an alchemy involved as to how a good contact microphone should be built. For instance, I only use the best piezoelectric elements possible: manufactured right here in the USA, and designed exactly to my specifications. While some distributors may sell low cost piezo elements, my experience has been that these are not only inferior in sound, they're also poorly made -- and simply not up to snuff. I try to build mics made for the artist in mind; not only tough enough to tour with, but also able to handle any variety of recording & installation applications. Here are just a few of the designs that I have currently available for purchase. Click on some of the photos for larger images; click on the audio picture for a listen!
-Plug Ugly ($22)
The Plug Ugly is terminated to a female 1/4" jack, allowing you to use any length guitar cable. Best of all, the PU is designed to withstand not only the demands of touring, but also that of just being a klutz. A good dose of silicon is fastened to the mic AND the jack, so that pressure and vibrations are absorbed throughout the body, NOT the piezo element. The result is a contact mic that is extremely durable. Highly recommended for percussive use, harsh noise abuse, and quite possibly elephants. Cable not included.
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-Plug SP ($20)
Want something more sensitive? The Plug SP operates much like the Plug Ugly: take any length cable and plug it into its 1/4" female jack. Unlike the PU, the SP doesn't possess all the extra silicon, allowing for more delicate vibrations to be picked up. By no means dainty, the Plug SP also features the same tough, made-to-spec/piezo elements used in all the Crank mics. This contact mic is very well suited for electro-acoustic performance, as well as general studio use and field recording. Cable not included.
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-Depth Charge Gamelan ($30)
If one likes to shake it, then the DCG expertly follows through as an electric maraca with a twist! Loaded with rattles, a spring wobbler, and topped off with a big red button kill-switch, this little unit takes the crunch from my previous shaker model (the Crank-in-a-box) and blasts it up a notch by adding ricocheting reverb and on/off switching to the mayhem! A perfect accompaniment with noisy FX, heavy gain, and (of course) high volume.
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-20 Arm Dire ($15)
This long legged monster is actually a stereo electret microphone designed specifically for your portable recorder. Two mics are soldered at 10' lengths, terminated to a 1/8" stereo jack, giving you 20' of stereo spread! Use it with your cassette walkman, portable minidisc recorder, DATman, IC recorder, or handheld flash recorder. Bear in mind that this is an electret style mic, and as such, can ONLY be used with portables; mixers, live sound applications, or plugging it into an amp will NOT work. If field recording is your thing, the 20AD can supply countless results.
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-Town & Mouth Report ($10)
This here is a raw little number... it's not a contact mic, but my version of a vocal mic! Affixing a weird lil' speaker to a 1/4" female jack, the T & M Report produces beautifully crude garble... supplying countless variations of vocal sputter, howls, and wailing. Plug it into big nasty FX for uber-vox, run it clean to sound like a lo-fi circus barker, OR even use it as a micro speaker. Cable not included.
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-Barky Box ($30)
The Barky Box takes the simplicity of the Town & Mouth Report and combines it with the off/on switching you'd find in a CB microphone. Add your favorite noisy FX and it's amazing! Equipped with a momentary switch (standby mode is in the "off" position), the Barky Box can roar with the press of a thumb. Like all of our mics, this one is terminated to a 1/4" female jack, so you can use any length cable to call all those diesel trucks, Daleks, or dribbling dialectics!
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-Boggle Blargh ($25)
Ahh, the Boggle Blargh. This saucy radar dish adopts a standard light switch for its to-go regimen. By adding noisy or pitch-bending FX, the microphone can really shine, simulating glitches and cut-up sounds with the flick of its switch. Snazzy, jazzy, and simply unholy, don't bring it on the airplane without proper ID! Light bulb not included.
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-Magnificent Object ($15)
For an additional palette to your sonic canvas, try the Magnificent Object! Operating with a "readymade" philosophy, this is a contact mic housed in an old plastic film cartridge, which in turn acts as a funky resonator box. By adding cool wobbly stuff (like springs or plinky objects), the Magnificent Object transforms into a remarkable little all-in-one instrument. Wedge it under guitar strings, use it as a scrubber, attach it to metal strapping, add rubber bands, et cetera. As an additional testimonial, watch Crank put this into action! Beard not included.
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Prices include shipping for all orders within the USA. International shipping rates vary from country to country; bear this in mind when ordering. So how do you purchase one of these devices? Write down this email address or click on it to go to our contact page. 
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Click on the mouth for full descriptions of our audio samples. Bait included!
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