HOW TO – Rotating microphone

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HOW TO – Rotating microphone

Rotatingmicrophone

Mics + motorized motion can create some very unique recording sessions –

This Instructable describes how I made a rotating microphone using just a few basic electronics and some common household items. You can use a rotating microphone to simulate the doppler effect like that of a leslie speaker cabinet. The rotating microphone is the inverse of the rotating leslie speaker. My design is a microphone installed at the center of a lightweight wooden “turntable.” The microphones capsule is connected electrically to the back side of a female 1/4″ TRS connector that is affixed to the turntable. The male end of the Male 1/4″ TRS –> Male XLR adaptor is used as the axis of rotation for the turntable and also functions like a slip ring by maintaining an electronic connection while the female 1/4″ TRS spins around its axis.

Make a Rotating Microphone

12 thoughts on “HOW TO – Rotating microphone

  1. ehrichweiss says:

    Isn’t this just the Lesley rotating mic effect?

  2. volkemon says:

    Think that is covered…

    “You can use a rotating microphone to simulate the doppler effect like that of a leslie speaker cabinet. The rotating microphone is the inverse of the rotating leslie speaker.”

    The use of the 1/4″ plug (TRS jack) as the axis and slip connector is brilliant. Very good idea.

  3. TD says:

    I think it would be especially effective with a binaural mic built into a dummy-head.

  4. sweavo says:

    Does it really get a Doppler effect? i.e. does the pitch change? I can’t see that happening unless you mount the mic at the edge of the turntable (so that it moves towards and away from the subject). With the mic at the centre of the turntable, you will get a tremelo effect as the volume of the subject rises and falls, but you won’t get the effect of a leslie, because the leslie throws the sound around the room, so all the walls and furnishings are involved in creating the effect.

  5. jdw242b says:

    how about using arduino, or other, to make a directional microphone that is source aware?

    I’m no maker pro, but this idea could be used to make a source aware directional mic that turns to receive the audio from someone in a meeting setting, for example. Replacing omni directional mics with a ‘smart mic’ isn’t impossible.

  6. Mike Dixon says:

    And I’m not just saying that because my brother made this Instructable ;-)

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