DIY Shotgun Microphone

Matthew P

Matthew P

Well-known member
Hey everyone, a while ago I made my own shotgun microphone for my camcorder. It's pretty cheap to build at £12, and sounds great because it's got its own wind cover and in-built shock mount! It's very directional too! I've had several requests about how I built it, so I made this detailed overview video so people will be able to build their own.

I'm posting it here as I think some of you will find it very interesting. :)

Please take a look at tell me what you think! :

 
While I applaud your DIY efforts, you might want to rename this, as it is a cardioid mic not a shotgun mic.

All the Best!

Dave
 
David W. Jones said:
While I applaud your DIY efforts, you might want to rename this, as it is a cardioid mic not a shotgun mic.
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+1. And to clarify, shotgun mics are usually based around supercardioid elements. It's not exactly the mic element that makes the shotgun a shotgun; it's the interference tube that's placed around the element.
 
Iagree it's interesting, and sounds decent, but you didn't show how you really constructed it. Maybe a tutorial with all the needed parts and a step by step walk through on how to build it would be helpful to anyone wanting to take on the project. I have some old mics that would work well for this, just for a fun little hobby project.
 
Aha, sorry about that guys. Should have looked into its name a bit more. Too bad I can't rename the topic... \:

Somebody's suggested that I make an interference tube and actually construct a proper shotgun mic. I'm set on doing it now... but I haven't got much idea as to how one actually works. Is the capsule at the end of the tube (which to me doesn't make sense), or is it surrounded by the tube with it extending out in front of the capsule?
 
I thought that this was a rather simple project, which is why I didn't do any step by step instructions (I'd also have to build it again). I may do a stereo version sometime in the future though, so I'll make sure I do a tutorial for it, when I do it. :)
 
Matthew P said:
Somebody's suggested that I make an interference tube and actually construct a proper shotgun mic. I'm set on doing it now... but I haven't got much idea as to how one actually works. Is the capsule at the end of the tube (which to me doesn't make sense), or is it surrounded by the tube with it extending out in front of the capsule?
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I'm thinking by the time you get an audio engineering degree and do computer simulations and modeling, you could have bought a dozen Schoeps. There's a ton of science, engineering and a bit of ghost-in-the-machine mojo to microphone design. You could find a used Azden or similar shotgun on eBay for less than $100 that won't sound pro but would likely sound a lot better than a mic element, duct tape & cardboard... but if you go that route, let us know how it goes!
 
To be honest, it's not the cost that's driving me to make DIY mics. It's genuinely interesting for me, and I learn something new with each project. For example, why do PC enthusiasts build their own PC's, instead of buying them cheaper ready made? Why does a painter paint?

Besides, shotgun mics were invented in the 50's or something, and they didn't have computer simulations and all that stuff. I don't think it's at all as complicated as you're making it out to be :) they're just waves, after all.

We'll have to wait and see whether it's doable.
 
Matthew P said:
...why do PC enthusiasts build their own PC's, instead of buying them cheaper ready made?
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Actually, all the parts PC enthusiast want come in cheaper if they build it themselves. Why spend more on buying an already made PC and adding the parts you really want than if you can build it custom for cheaper? Actually, many of us don't even build them anymore - the shops do that for free.

Just a lil' nitpicking.
 
kylevant said:
Actually, all the parts PC enthusiast want come in cheaper if they build it themselves. Why spend more on buying an already made PC and adding the parts you really want than if you can build it custom for cheaper? Actually, many of us don't even build them anymore - the shops do that for free.

Just a lil' nitpicking.
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Not when you factor in a Windows license ;) in the UK at least, it's more expensive to build one yourself
 
Matthew P said:
Not when you factor in a Windows license ;) in the UK at least, it's more expensive to build one yourself
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Considering that most pre-built PC's don't come with 64bit Ultimate versions of Windows, you'd have to take a new license into consideration in any case (if you're an enthusiast that is).
 
Shotgun interference tube design remains as close to "black magic" as there is in the audio world. Huge piles of money has been spent on research and development by all the different vendors of shotgun mics. Some very high-end vendors (like Schoeps) came to the game only very recently because they wanted something representative of the quality we expect from them. And many other well-known vendors don't make any shotgun models at all. The mechanical/acoustic design of microphones is far more complex than it appears to the casual observer. Suggest studying patent documents of various popular microphones to see what goes on inside.

I found it quite disappointing that the selection and source of the microphone element was so casually dismissed with no useful details.
 
The thing is, I'm not a "casual observer". ;)

Getting a useable shotgun mic that can be made yourself is different from making the cutting edge baby of scientific research (which are obviously expensive). I'm pretty sure getting something useable will be possible, and if not, I'll have gained some more knowledge about the mechanics of microphone design.

If I get a design that can easily be made by following instructions, then I will have done something useful for the low budget recording community who can't afford to spend ridiculous amounts of money on microphones.

I gave all the info needed regarding mic capsules: it was a generic cardioid. There were no more "useful details" to give. :)
 
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