You Can Make Your Own Ribbon Mic With A Gum Wrapper
1 min read
Summary
A YouTube video from Something Physical demonstrates how to construct a working microphone using aluminium foil from a chewing gum wrapper.
The foil, which serves as the vibrating membrane in a ribbon microphone, is first washed to remove the paper backing.
It is then placed in a homemade press to add ridges, providing a larger surface area.
A “motor” is constructed from plexiglass, copper tape and magnets, with the aluminium foil stretched between the magnets to form a diaphragm that will vibrate in response to sound.
The microphone is then hooked up to a custom-made transformer before being tested, with additional shielding and an enclosure added to reduce background noise.
While the video uses a chewing gum wrapper, the builder suggests that similar results can be achieved with different types and thicknesses of aluminium foil.
