Microphone Mute Pedal // How-To | I Like To Make Stuff

[@MakeSomething]

You do such a great job of simplifying the process! I need to make one of these.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+Make Something thanks man!

[@motzemog]

+Make Something Bob should just make 2 more to send to you and +Jimmy Diresta Love the podcast guys!

[@MakeSomething]

Agree!

[@dneaster3]

+Make Something Disagree... you and Jimmy should make your own and let us see the differences in your process and end product. Variety is the spice of life... be spicy.

[@SpecificLove7]

I am glad you explained why you needed this, makes great sense. Nicely done.

[@BenBrandt22]

Love the wood & aluminum look. Great use for the old license plate aluminum.

[@Retroweld]

Well done! Awesome idea. I think they use these at fast food drive-thrus too. They press it as they talk. It typically sounds like this: "Welcome to Mc...alds can I tak. .our or..r?" LOL That looks great Bob. I can't wait until March 3rd. :D

[@BruceAUlrich]

+RetroWeld ha ha ha...good one.

[@capnskustomworks]

(Ooops, I hope that wasn't supposed to be a surprise, 'cause I gave it away! Hahaha...)

[@andyworks5428]

When I use aluminum at work I take a DA sander with 80 grit paper to get a nice scuffed look. This hides scratches that happen during fabrication and future scratches (like from a shoe). Awesome work Bob!

[@NBryanBlack]

Actually, this should work for a dynamic mic just fine. You're shorting out the signal, not the power going to the mic. In a standard XLR mic circuit, pins 2 and 3 carry the mic signal in a balanced mode (same signal, but opposite polarity) so when you short pins 2&3 together, you're just killing the signal at a very low level. In a phantom circuit, pins 2 & 3 do the same but also carry a shared voltage (usually 48 volts) relative to ground (pin 1) through a pair of (hopefully) matched 6.8K resistors in your mixer. Since you're not shorting either pin to pin 1, you're not shorting out the power, and that's why this works with both types of mics.

[@jasontsh]

That answers one of the questions I was about to ask. :)

[@jasontsh]

Now, I have what is probably a very dumb question, but can this circuit work as the opposite of a mute, to turn the mic signal ON? I.e, how do I wire a non-latching switch to turn the signal on instead of off when pressed down?

[@lohikarmi235]

@@jasontsh There are switches, which can work both ways. When these switches are pressed, they close one pair of terminals and open a second pair

[@ryanperalta5030]

Hi @@jasontsh , wanted to build something like that. Were you able to find out how to wire them? Using a momentary foot switch to turn ON a phantom powered mic. Mute when released. Thanks!

[@shaychromoy]

@@ryanperalta5030 It’s essentially the same thing that he shows right here only need to connect slightly different switch you need a three pole double throw momentary switch for that

[@grandolddrummer]

I do voice over work for my other channel where I make Math videos (former math teacher here, it's a hard habit to break) and this is perfect! Definitely one of those, "why didn't I think of that" things. I'll definitely put this one on the ever-expanding to-do list. Thanks, man.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+grandolddrummer Awesome! I'm glad it was helpful! I've always wanted to do voice over work as well, I've just never known how to break into it. :)

[@whitelion_angel4170]

I just want to say, I really loved the introduction to this one. It was very clever.

[@NickHollenbeck00]

These videos are amazing. I don't even mind the sponsor portion. I know that's what make the videos possible and hopefully everyone understands that too. Thanks for doing what you do!

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+Nick Hollenbeck Thanks Nick!

[@seanblah12]

Bob, you missed a trick on this video. "Hi, I'm Bob and I like to mute stuff".

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+Sean Fitzpatrick Nice :) I did miss that.

[@Tribble_Mama]

The box is beautiful. I love the look of the aluminum agains the wood

[@mightgetinteresting1550]

I like the simplicity of it. It reminds me of the dimmer switch in my old pickup truck. Really cool!!

[@capnskustomworks]

Oh man, that hurt my heart when that corner cracked!!! Looks awesome nonetheless, glad ye were able to press on! One suggestion is that Harbor Freight has dirt cheap black rubber diamondplate tread tiles, the adhesive that comes on them is garbage of course, but a little 77 sprayed on and a chunk of that would make a good non-skid base for such a footswitch! (Also, saw the "sneak-preview" of your shovel djent stick being played last night! Cannot wait for that build video!!!)

[@PixelOutlaw]

Cool project! That metal and dark wood has a great masculine look. It has kind of a retro look to it and I really like the era of wood and metal electronics. If you want to emulate USB input (mouse or keyboard), you can get very cheap foot pedals off eBay and use an Arduino Micro for the USB input emulation. It has a USB input library to emulate keyboard and mouse. Could send mute, volume up and volume down signals to the software. Happy Hacking!

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Great build, looks awesome and sturdy! Those finger joints look really nice!

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+Scrap wood City Thanks! I still could have dialed it a little more to get them perfect, and planing the boards to the same width would have helped with that as well, but it was pretty good :)

[@Udiyo]

What about the 48V from the phantom power? Is that just shorted to ground or is it only riding on the wire that´s not connected to the switch? It seems like it would be a bad Idea to short that to ground...

[@WatchMeDIYIt]

That wood and aluminum combo looks awesome! Also, I feel your pain about the forstner bit. In my ornament video you can see me switching from a forstner, to a spade, back to the forstner bit. Ha! Wonder if I can make a similar build, but for a small motor instead.

[@SarahPoulin]

I created a really cheap switch where I snipped an xlr cable in half, and then I twisted the red wires together and solder it to one side on my switch, and then twisted the white wires together and soldered them on the other side of my switch. There was also a copper wire that was wrapped all around the other wires together, and I just twisted both copper wire sides together and didn't attach it to anything. From my understanding, this copper wire is "pin 1"? So would my switch work with a condenser mic and not cause a popping sound? Right now, it works fine with a dynamic, but we need to switch to a condenser mic.

[@SarahPoulin]

So... there ended being a popping sound for me. I had to solder a capacitor and resistor in (red to positive on cap, negative on cap to terminal where red originally was; white to other terminal, resistor across both terminals). That eliminator the popping sound for me.

[@pastorscottmarsh8627]

Great video, thanks for putting a timer on your sponsor reads. It’s a thoughtful consideration to the viewer.

[@snotcrow]

It turned out great. Good job! Must say that you integrate your sponsors in a good way. Not as an salesman, just from the heart when you talk about their products :)

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+snotcrow Thank you! I appreciate that :)

[@MarindeVree]

Very nice, I like the minimalistic look of the switch.

[@account505]

This is a really cool project, probably my fave small project you've done so far!

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+account505 Thank you!!

[@manipul8es987]

Hey man, love your channel! I've been a fan for some time now. Thanks for putting so much effort and work into it - you're proof positive that great content can exist outside of cable in an awesome format.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+manipul8es Wow, thank you! That's very nice of you!

[@BradleyMakesThings]

This came out really great, Bob! And like +Make Something said, you do a great job of simplifying the process!

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+Carter Wilson Workshop (a.k.a. BradleyMakes) Thank you!!

[@ugnaknak1881]

Really cool project! I would love to see a how to make a talk back button aswell. I box with switches, where one is for talking back on Teamspeak, without the stream hearing it, and then this mute option.

[@KeithDecent]

great job. i love elegant solutions to problems that are typically just tolerated as an annoyance.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Thanks Keith!

[@TheMarcball]

well done, simple sharp crisp etc ! I love wood & aluminium for sure. And Glod Bless Casper for sponsoring you, I'd think about trying them out if I did not live on the other side of the pond. Now, keep on trucking ! (from France)

[@Effect2o]

Hey there. So I tried making one of these and the first time I would get a bunch of pops and clicks when hitting the button. Can you tell me what I did wrong? Second time I made one, it didnt mute it, but cut the volume to maybe 20%. Only difference I have is mine is not a momentary switch. I went with an off and on switch. :) thanks

[@thegreenhornets]

I saw your spade bit and wondered if you've tried the Bosch Daredevil bits. I have a set and find them faster than my auger bits. They have a threaded center like an auger which helps draw them into the wood faster than a normal spade bit, and they also have a relief on the side to help expel the wood better as well. All the best and sure do enjoy your videos!

[@NGinuity]

I like this and may take it a step further and make a PTT switch option in the same enclosure and switch between the two by putting a tri-way switch in front of it so you could use it as mute or PTT. Incredibly useful for ham radio, although I'm not sure how many subscribers you have that are into that. There are transmitter keying considerations to handle but I think the idea is sound with a bit of modification. Most ham mics aren't phantom powered.

[@ot9er]

I was thinking the same. One toggle switch to make the momentary switch act either normally open or normally closed.

[@gamehulk]

Very cool, I was just about to build one of these. Except I'm going to use a switch with NC and NO terminals and a toggle that toggles between pin 2 on the NC or NO side of the main switch. This will let me go from Push-to-Talk to Push-to-Mute with the flick of a toggle.

[@curvedspace88]

Bob, I'd like to build one of these with a toggle switch. But it would be great to have a little light on it so I could look down onstage and see its status, off or on, rather than fiddling around with my foot to check. (I sing and play upright bass in a band.) Can you suggest what I would need to do to add a light to the wiring in the box? Thanks.

[@PhotonCommander]

My thoughts would be use an LED/bulb that can handle +-48v and power it off of the phantom power.

[@ChrisReedJr]

I would looooove to know how to wire that! That is exactly what I need!

[@Effect2o]

This is AWESOME!! so perfect... I need this. but I have a question.. What would it take to make the switch turn it off until you click it again? Sometimes I need my mic muted for a while and wouldnt want to keep my foot rested on it that long. But Im so building this!!

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Just a different type of switch. I was using a momentary switch (only works when held down). You'd just need a normal click switch.

[@Effect2o]

Awesome!! O I cant wait to make one. Thank you so much and thank you for all the wonderful videos! so many great things I need to make. ha ha

[@valefore82]

If you could make some guitar pedals (distortion, delay, reverb .etc.) that would be pretty sweet

[@Joky_Joe]

Could i change the circut to make it to talk when i step on it, and on USB??

[@pavanpanchal4340]

You have excellent skill on mounting and cutting and planing awesome.

[@silver.cap.baby_la]

I want the make a pedal that does the exact opposite. muted until you step on it. is there a switch that does that?

[@fabledrides]

What type of soldering iron is that I like it?

[@anwarlaziz1]

perfect for when I'm gaming and my mom comes in starts yelling.

[@andries4561]

Fifth Division Exactly so your mates dont hear it

[@samaker4]

at 2:29 did that corner joint break? I like the solid look of it.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+sa-maker It cracked a little, but not so much that it separated from the rest of it.

[@GranulatedStuff]

Superb instructional ....beautifully shot and edited... just wish it fully matched my project (LED & ON/OFF rather than momentary)... but cheers dude.

[@TomHowbridge]

Even though 301 club doesn't exist anymore, in under 200 ! Awesome love aluminum and wood contrast !

[@alejocristancho]

Can you out a switch to reverse polarity? To make it mute when unpressed and activate when you push the switch?

[@miracle7088]

I love the new camera angles! Awesome Job your videos are amazingly professional!

[@danthemakerman]

I heard you guys talking about this on the @MakingIt podcast, it came out really nice.

[@saifj.wongsoikromo7267]

can you show us how to make diy silk screens for screen printing.

[@LemricVillaflorOfficial]

Hello Sir...I would like to ask...I made a same equipment,...but with a latching Switch...the problem is that It has a pop sound each time i switch it...Is there anything I can do to eliminate the pop sound?

[@NanochiTwitcharchive]

can the switch be changed to one that you can press to mute then press again to un mute?

[@GersonGbj]

great video, and, how ccan put a leds colors reference?, red "on air", and green "ready but out air"?

[@SzellPatrick1]

Can You make a wooden mallet? I would like to see how you do that, and I would do it with your ways.

[@FlytePenhaligon]

I really like the color of the wood... I wish, I could find this kind in my diy store... but I think, it's hard to find it in Germany

[@therockbrigade]

With the same thing work with a latching switch and for a dynamic mic with no phantom power?

[@jacobkouns3599]

So if you wanted the pedal to be muted until pressed, would you just reverse the wiring?

[@AwesomeWoodThings]

Phantom powered mics with XLR... that technology has been around for decades and, frankly, produces the BEST sound. Great tip!!

[@s.h.v.c2865]

Could you make one for a 3.5mm jack instead of microphone plugs? Would the wiring be the same?

[@luisayala1466]

Hey Bob, I have two 4 pole panel headphone jacks and a 5 pin latching switch with a ring LED in the button powered by a 9v battery. How would you wire this setup so that when the mute switch is on the LED ring lights up and off when the mic is active? Please let me know.

[@PlainOldKendall]

How would you wire the switch if you wanted to use it as a "push to talk" so the mic does't work unless the button is pressed?

[@igorstjepanovic8556]

Wanted to know what the box joint jig was and its in the description. Amazing content creator keep up the awesome work.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+Igor Stjepanovic Thank you!!

[@cauevaleriano8208]

brother Is there a way to make it work the other way around? that the microphone works only when you press the key

[@Wordsnwood]

I've thought that programmable foot pedals that hook up to your keyboard would be a cool thing -- Put the shift or control down there and speed up your typing/coding... Great little project, Bob!

[@PixelOutlaw]

+Wordsnwood (Art Mulder) I have made just the thing you talk about. You can get cheap foot pedals off eBay from china then purchase an Arduino Micro (look for that model because it has a USB keyboard emulator library baked in). Be sure to "debounce" your pedal inputs in your code and ground the pedals electricity. My setup has 2 pedals, one for alt and one for ctrl when using Emacs.

[@estebanalcantaro]

excellent project, but when used with a powered microphone with phantom power eventually ruin and begin to malfunction, but it is a good project for dynamic microphones. excellent contribution !

[@Inkreptile]

can someone plz tell my what he is doing on 0:05 and what the title of that video is thanks

[@necrodarco]

Congrats' dude! I do live your videos, as a product designer I think that they are very educative and helpful to get an idea how we could make bigger stuffs! Keep making cool stuffs bro! Cheers from Brazil ;)

[@aziqadam577]

Man i love this build! You should do more of these audio related builds! Love it Man!

[@johnbandrofchak7657]

I need one to engage not mute, would that just be a different switch with the same wiring?

[@Superjainsavestheday]

How do I make it work in reverse, as in, it should remain muted until pressed down?

[@tacticalultimatum]

What's the video with the chuck key. I can't find it on your channel

[@geolj02]

so in theory i could replace the momentary switch with a toggle switch right?

[@BillSinWorkshop]

Hey Bob, awesome project..simple but very handy for this reason...but to day the truth, i like to hear you or Jimmy and David coughing in zhe podcast 😉...good job! Thank you for sharing

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+Bill Sinapidis Don't worry, you'll still be able to hear Jimmy and David make plenty of noise on the show :)

[@tamirli]

You just make it look so easy. Keep on the good work

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+Tamir Lishinevski Thank you!!

[@waffellover98]

Could you do some videos on how to make cheap easy guitar pedals ?????

[@BruceAUlrich]

Really cool how it just shorts it out. You'll love having that. I can imagine that when you have to sneeze, every second counts to not have to search for the on-screen mute button. ha

[@Bluedog5581]

Do you have a shop first aid kit . If so can you show us

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+sam cooperman I do. It's just a simple kit with the standard stuff, but I also keep one of these at hand in case of a really bad injury. These will stop you from bleeding out before you get help. amzn.to/1Rxx3FM

[@Bluedog5581]

+I Like To Make Stuff thanks so much for the response . If you ever need a video idea you should make a medicine cabinet out of wood . Once again thank you for the reply

[@juliust8411]

In your intro you were burning wood. What was that video?

[@jesuschristus377]

Julius Tuquiero theres no

[@shxrpe3646]

I believe he just filmed it for his intro, I don't think it was actually featured in one of his uploads but I may be wrong...

[@MarcSchaefermeyer]

Nice video! Sounds like you need to build a counter sink bit holder. (hehe) Keep rockin'!

[@poetical2475]

You should totally do a how-to on making a stomp box (the instrument). Relatively easy but super nice for any person who makes music.

[@matthewgatt9484]

How do you make this in an AB switch option with 1 input 2 outputs?

[@gigaphonicon]

So I'm a huge fan of your work and you've gotten me more into wood working and I was curious do you ever use dovetail joints? It's something I'm trying to learn to do

[@valtteripontiskoski2103]

what if you buy an adapter for usb-> whatever that is and make that box and outcome just new adapter to usb?

[@miltontuffpuff]

There is this pedal from radial named dm1 could you do one of those too ?

[@UthoRiley]

Awesome build as usual! :D LOVE the Aluminium plates as a finish!

[@ykhemani]

This is great! Is there a switch you would recommend if I wanted to make it an on off button rather than a press to mute/press to talk button? Also one where I can connect an LED and battery to indicate whether it is on/off? Thank you!

[@AdventuresInDIY]

Awesome solution! Simple and useful

[@Mrcaffinebean]

Cool vid bob! Love the aluminum and wood combo

[@Daniel-fc5ok]

What if you put an led in a parallel circuit with a different switch and the led indicates if your muted or not?

[@redmodpedals9100]

any idea how to make it for phantom power?

[@tpm4life]

I'm trying to set up microphones to record on a tablet for better audio do you know of any resources for tips and tricks on wiring up different plugs.

[@arquesmartin]

great job, I like how you pay attention to every small detail :)

[@mihumus]

Very nice video as always, looks a so practical device. Great project, Bob!

[@nichpak1]

Well done! Great for Studio/Home recording applications.

[@matt3642]

Nice project. Looks solid and Long lasting !

[@RivertownWoodcraft]

Cool idea! Thanks for answering the USB thing too. Also, maybe some Tung oil or something, might help the walnut "last" a bit longer, otherwise could be a cool thing to show your kids after 10 more years of stomping, it'll look so beat lol

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+Rivertown Woodcraft Well, this isn't a stage pedal. It will get minimal use under a desk.

[@johnleiker5132]

my question is wouldn't it slide on the floor as it's aluminum when you push the button?

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+John Leiker I've got carpet in my office so it doesn't here, but you could add small adhesive rubber feet to the bottom that would help it stay put on a slick floor.

[@tooljunkie555]

great idea. looks great too. i wish i was more in touch with tech stuff..

[@lukebtaylor]

On the podcast you said that your operation method would be to short the signal line to ground, which on XLR connectors is pin 1, but in the video you're shorting 2 and 3. Is this to avoid phantom power pops?

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+Luke Taylor If I said that , I misspoke in the moment. The ground never gets touched, that would be bad. You short 2 & 3.

[@lukebtaylor]

I Like To Make Stuff For unbalanced would you short to ground or just break the circuit?

[@hrb41801]

How would you go about making one for a dynamic mic (one without Phantom Power)

[@francescomarchisotti]

Does it work with jacks too? I need to make a volume pedal for my guitar and to make it simpler I thought to make a switch like yours the allows me to switch between two volumes and maybe add another that mutes the whole thing. Do you think it could work?

[@nilkanthroutray1145]

Do you have the schematic for this switch for Dynamic mics?

[@Nicholasfilmsit]

I've sanded my floor recently and I can't decide on a colour for varnish. What varnish should I use to get it the same colour as that wood?

[@tacticalultimatum]

Clear polyethylene lacquer

[@tacticalultimatum]

+Tactical Ultimatum polyeurethane

[@NotAwar]

How about if it was non momentary? If you pressed a switch and then everything totally muted, then press it again to start again. or do you just need another kind of switch?

[@kylesimmons2631]

+Awar Abdulkarim He would need a latching switch, but if he had to turn the microphone off for an extended period of time it would make more sense to just do it in software. This is for if he has to talk to somebody on his end.

[@NotAwar]

kyle simmons Yeah, I just asked because I'm trying to decide if I wanna make one. Thanks for the help though.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+Awar Abdulkarim Yup, Kyle is correct there. A latching switch would work as a simple replacement though.

[@NotAwar]

I Like To Make Stuff Thanks a lot, I'll probably try doing something like this.