Making a Paper Cup Microphone. Less than $10!

Yes--it's true! You can make a microphone out of a paper cup, some magnets and some wire. It's definitely not going to replace any of my (or your) studio mics, but it's a fun lo-fi DIY project. Did I mention it was less than $10?
Have you built any microphones of your own? Do you have an experience repairing mics? Please share your wisdom and leave comments on how one might improve on this very basic (and hack-y) design!
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[@johnettipio]

So this is how drive thru mics are made.

[@LeoMakes]

Ha! Pretty much!

[@Tacospaceman]

This entertained me greatly, and now I have a science lesson to teach whenever I need to be the coolest guy in the room. THANKS LEO

[@mecanum555]

If anyone wants to do this, you can also try using a speaker or driver from broken headphones in place of the cup and coil. For a challenge, find an amplifier transistor and try feeding the signal from the "capsule" into the gate of the transistor, with some voltage applied between the collector/emitter. You may need to add some resistors so the gate is biased to the right voltage. Solder headphone jack ground to ground, and add a capacitor between the left/right jack inputs and the output of your transistor. It's fun and can make a surprisingly strong signal.

[@TheGman858]

Sounds like when someone calls into an am radio station on air

[@carlosdeandro7046]

Starts here : 4:00

[@jacobgolden]

I love this. I would totally use this on a track!

[@opticalclearance5134]

That's brilliant Leo! Always good to hear ur voice. What an honor working w u in HS 🤩 SD

[@essennagerry]

"I'm still hip" ok grandpa

[@Mr28d23]

Didnt they do a reboot of magyver a few years ago?

[@klebdapleb3928]

@@Mr28d23 yeahh... but it sucked. 18 yo and i love the original show

[@suedelacy]

This actually sounds pretty cool

[@Francois_L_7933]

I recently made a guitar pickup using the coil from a small wall transformer and a magnet. Works beautifully and I didn't have to wrap wires for ages. Besides, who doesn't have a ton of those wall-wart transformers from broken electronics in a box somewhere?

[@LeoMakes]

Good point!

[@Francois_L_7933]

@@LeoMakes You have to make tests first using some alligator clips. I find that the winding with the thicker wire doesn't really work. So I remove this one (save the wire for something else) and shorten the plastic holder to save space. The metal loop that goes around the transformer is a bit harder to get off. I used a ball peen hammer and a vice... not pretty but it works.

[@essennagerry]

I think it's pretty cool, thanks for sharing!

[@BinaryCounter]

That sounds mich better than i thought it would. All i expected was some unintelligible crackling. Could be fun to double up normally recorded vocals with this. Maybe like a screamo part. Awesome stuff

[@LeoMakes]

To be honest, I was pretty sure it was going to sound terrible (unintelligible) when I did quick-and-dirty prototype. You can imagine my surprise when it actually worked!

[@bobafruti]

LeoMakes It sounds like a paper cup telephone... Pull a wet paper towel along that string and you’ll get some wild sound effects!

[@bobafruti]

It wouldn’t be a huge leap to make this project into a more usable form. You might even be able to wrap the wire around the cup and glue the magnet to the bottom. Though I’m sure a big coil like that would pick up even more interference.

[@MakeSomething]

That's really cool! I like the sound of it!

[@shadowhenge7118]

Most people under 30 think MacGuyver is Lucas till, but he'll always be Richard Dean Anderson to me.

[@klebdapleb3928]

True!

[@ViviSectia]

Lay it on it's side and it becomes a guitar pickup though you might need a bigger magnet.

[@LeoMakes]

You know, that's a really good idea!

[@kriss3d]

Or reverse it and put it to the output and you have a speaker. The principle is exactly the same.

[@chadcdavis]

Great video - love the vibe & presentation & production :)

[@chadcdavis]

Dunno if I can do the 10k though.

[@florianbeck4283]

Great! It's great to see how easy it really is. Very informative, thank you! I've actually buildt one by myself now. It doesn't work as fine as yours, but at least it records sound :).

[@ANSWERTHECALLOFJESUSCHRIST]

Hahaha I LOVED the end! God bless!

[@icebob8555]

A mic is a speaker and a speaker is a mic

[@bobafruti]

Ice Bob an LED is a solar panel and a solar panel is an LED.

[@Bleats_Sinodai]

It's a coil, not a magnet. A coil. C O I L.

[@sytiravajous]

What would happen if you feed 48v phantom power to that? xD asking just in case

[@shotab8758]

Will this work with simple 3.5mm headphone jack plugged in laptop?

[@tukushtacos2518]

It actually sounds like those phone mics that sound lofi compressed sounds

[@alexcoover]

SM57 is usually the mic you'd put on a snare or a guitar cab, a 58 you'd be more likely to put on a human. Also, the 103 is also my go to mic!

[@LeoMakes]

You're absolutely right. Fun fact: Did you know the 57 and 58 virtually identical inside (same exact cartridge and, I think, the same electronics). Only difference is the pop screen. I've tried a lot of mics around the same price as the 103 but none of them have that bright-but-not-harsh sparkle and high-freuency magic.

[@fgbhrl4907]

That's surprisingly good... One question: why not just use the whole spool of wire instead of winding your own?

[@LeoMakes]

Solid idea and that was actually my original plan! I was just going to connect the leads without unwinding at all, but the inside lead was not accessible from the inside hole (they cut it too short). Also, you really do want to make sure it's nicely wound and tightly packed. The wire I got from the store was a little bit sloppy, so I re-wound it. Thanks for watching!

[@kishonoi191]

Wow thanks for the tutorial

[@bainmack]

this would be a cool effect. nice job! found you from gearsltz

[@MartinOmusiK]

Great video Leo!!

[@LeoMakes]

Thanks Martin! You should sing through this mic and see if you can get something cool effect in a mix!

[@maestrodmc]

You keep on calling the spool with the wire a “magnet”. It’s not, it a “voice coil”. The magnet moving inside the voice coil generates the tiny electrical signals that are amplified into sound by the trusty H6. Don’t believe me? Try picking up a paper clip with your voice coil, after you’ve wound it. It won’t work ,because it’s NOT A MAGNET. Sorry to nitpick, but it’s quite an important detail.

[@LeoMakes]

A voice coil is an electromagnet. If you attach a 9V battery to a voice coil (electromagnet), it will most certainly pick up a paper clip! It is not a permanent type magnet like the neodymium ones I attached to the wire but it is absolutely a magnet. Thanks for watching!

[@maestrodmc]

LeoMakes Yes, it becomes an electromagnet ~if~ you apply current. But it is a “Motor” in the case of a microphone. Instead of working as a magnet, the voice coil is generating current. To call it a magnet is ignoring the “why” of what is happening electromagnetically. Really great and enjoyable video. You’ve inspired me regardless. Great job.

[@thejamesonproject]

man, this is awesome

[@LanzaMartineta]

Hi can you help please ...there’s a guy called Cam Cole - all over You Tube...he uses a cup! I wondered if yours was the same thing?

[@CodedGamer972]

can you make this using single thread wire?

[@matthiasmartin1975]

I got a kick out of it!

[@cusnirstefan7256]

Can I connect it directly to a small speaker without an amplifier?

[@LeoMakes]

No, you’ll need an amp. The output from the coil is way too weak to drive a speaker (even if it is tiny)

[@NoahKainWhittington]

Can this be plugged into a computer if I use a pre-amp?

[@RealElaineee]

impressive

[@mattpaul5389]

very cool

[@gabrielmartinmiguel2173]

Tendrias que hacerle una caja metalica conectada a masa para que no reciba ondas de radio y los 50 hercios de la red electrica

[@gabrielmartinmiguel2173]

Tambien puedes intentar hacer una capsula llena de carbon, o algo mas moderno con un piezoelectrico.

[@BarbieChaite]

1:30 you have money

[@5XWAZM]

Im 21, deffs know who MacGyver is

[@kallepa]

First! (Sorry, always wanted to do that.)

[@joachimekermann8267]

Wohoo!

[@Caczx]

Could we make it less lofi and more um studio?

[@RyanHarlin]

Instant Edison: "Mary had a little lamb..."

[@thedrizyupsets9950]

Yes i am a fifth grader

[@dcpsbokaro5366]

But I am a cild nine year old