Electro-mechanical distortion/OD?

[sfr]

I was reading articles on Wikipedia about microphones and telephones for whatever reason, and ended up reading about Carbon microphones, and the bit about them being used as repeaters/amplifiers prior to the widespread use of tubes struck me as interesting. 

I'm intrigued by the idea of using one of these as a dirty booster.  Would it sound good?  Would it be worth it?  I have no idea, but I like the concept.  More info about mechanical amplifiers here

I have a couple of carbon button microphones from old phones kicking around here somewhere.  While rigging something entirely true to the methods shown might be difficult, I might have to experiment with using a small speaker to drive one of these.  I'd really like to find a way to rig up an electromagnet and a armature, like in the first diagram on that page linked, and see what happens when I hit this with a guitar signal.  I wonder how hard it would be to get carbon granules and make something like this from scratch - probably harder than I want to try, but interesting none-the-less.  Maybe I'll just have to start poking around eBay. 

I guess it's just some early-morning ramblings, but I found this interesting. I suppose there's easier ways to make your guitar sound like it's coming over a telephone.  Anyone done anything with these things?

[KerryF]

Hmmm... I think its definately worth a try.  For all we know, it could be the new, best sounding pedal...  How much do you think it would cost though for the... well, whatever the thing you need is.

[Seljer]

setting the bass and mids on my amp to 0 while keeping the treble on 10 gives me a pretty lo-fi sound. You can do it even better with an EQ pedal (just cut all the bands and bump up one of them all the way)

here is a thread from just a while ago on using a phone as a mic: http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=47982.0

the lofomofo by Tim Escobedo http://www.geocities.com/tpe123/folkurban/fuzz/snippets.html#lofomofo

and i remember reading something on a "pipe bomb" mic type thing, where you had a PVC tube with a small speaker mounted on one side (use a LM386 to drive the speaker) and a cheap mic on the other end of it. I can't find the page anymore but it didn't have much info beyond the general concept on it anyway....


edit: another one http://geofex.com/FX_images/lofi.gif

[DDD]

Yes, the "pipe bomb" is just what you're speaking of. Actually there is enough info in its description including a draft picture. Regretfully I didnt save the article, but I think you'll easily find it on the Net using "pipe bomb" as keywords.

[slacker]

but I think you'll easily find it on the Net using "pipe bomb" as keywords.

good way to get the Feds knocking down your door as well 

[Seljer]

but I think you'll easily find it on the Net using "pipe bomb" as keywords.

good way to get the Feds knocking down your door as well 

Yeah, I tried that earlier. But besides the exploding type the only music related thing I could find is that Tool used a similiar contraption on their new album.

Though just now I tried searching again and I found it as the first result http://www.montagar.com/~PATJ/pipebomb.gif

I also remember reading something about certain reggea producers using long tubes like this with mics and speakers in them for a resonant kind of reverby sound



and speaking of electro-mechanical distortion/OD, before the era of fuzzboxes and such in the 60s, certain people would go and slash up their amps speakers for that fuzzy sound.

[Wimpy]

I have seen a description of mechanical amplifier, that used a sticky wire attached to "loudspeaker" cone or membrane

The wire was suitably resting on rotating motor axle, suitable friction on that

The other end of the wire was attached on microphone membrane or record player pickup or anything that pushes and pulls the wire when sound is detected

When the wire tightens it sticks on motor axle which reinforces the amplitude

[phaeton]

It's funny how often we all reinvent the wheel 

A little while ago I had taken a pair of 2.5" 8ohm speakers and clamped them together face-to-face with a semi-moist paper 'gasket' between them.  The attempt was not only to make a mechanical sound coupling, but also to make it airtight to see if the air compression/decompression would add more artifacts to the sound.....


And then I set it aside and went on to build something else without even testing it.


Damn.


For a carbon mic, isn't it possible to say, hot glue a set of electrodes into the backside of a plastic cap (chapstick, water bottle, soda bottle, etc), fill it pretty full with carbon dust, then cover one end with saran wrap, balloon fragment, etc?  (zipties are your friend!)  Instead of using carbon dust (sanding charcoal briquettes or a charcoal pencil) can't you also use graphite from normal #2 pencils?

Would it work better if the layer of dust was on a large flat surface, like posterboard, and had a thin membrane (paper, latex, etc) put over the top of it?  Or even just in an ordinary paper envelope with two bare wires running the length on the inside?

Am I high on levalbuteral again?

[DDD]

"...but I think you'll easily find it on the Net using "pipe bomb" as keywords.

good way to get the Feds knocking down your door as well..."  :-0 

Needless to say "NEVER name your fuzzbox something lile Hezb@llah or B@n L@dden". ;-)