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

Check out how I made a mute pedal for my phantom powered microphone using some scrap aluminum and hardwood!
HERE'S WHAT I USED:
amzn.to/1NCVmAb - SawStop cabinet saw
amzn.to/1GMrfGL - Dewalt 20v drill driver combo
amzn.to/1GMjjoW - Dewalt compound miter saw
amzn.to/1HdQuwD - Grizzly G0555LANV Bandsaw
amzn.to/1GyGjbg - Grizzly Drill Press (WAAAAY overpriced (3x) on Amazon, buy from Grizzly directly.)
amzn.to/1OuSe6F - Incra Box joint jig
amzn.to/1OuJopE - Momentary Stomp Switch
amzn.to/1T6RA7B - Male XLR jack
amzn.to/1OuJj5j - Female XLR jack
amzn.to/1P9bHN6 - Soldering iron (I prefer this one)
amzn.to/1S5UsAh - Cordless soldering iron (used in this video)
amzn.to/1hm39qY - Wire strippers
amzn.to/1eVTjKG - Thin solder
amzn.to/1DtOnsn - Fiskars cutting mat
Subscribe: bit.ly/ILikeToM...
Check out my TopVideos!: bit.ly/ILikeToM...
Learn 3d modeling, get digital plans, and cool merch at
iliketomakestu...
Want to support ILTMS? Get exclusive content and more...
www.iliketomake...
FOLLOW:
/ iliketomakestuff
/ iliketomakestuff
/ iltms
#ILikeToMakeStuff
About I Like To Make Stuff:
We have lots of projects including woodworking, metalworking, electronics, 3D printing, prop making and more!
These videos are our attempt inspire and empower others to make the stuff that they want to have. Hopefully you'll see something here that will inspire you to make something that you're passionate about!
Microphone Mute Pedal // How-To | I Like To Make Stuff
• Microphone Mute Pedal ...
I Like To Make Stuff
/ iliketomakestuff

[@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.

[@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

[@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...)

[@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.

[@BenBrandt22]

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

[@anwarlaziz1]

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

[@andries4561]

Fifth Division Exactly so your mates dont hear it

[@AwesomeWoodThings]

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

[@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!

[@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. :)

[@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 :)

[@KeithDecent]

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

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Thanks Keith!

[@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!!

[@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!

[@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.

[@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!!

[@whitelion_angel4170]

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

[@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!!!)

[@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.

[@TomHowbridge]

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

[@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!

[@GranulatedStuff]

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

[@danthemakerman]

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

[@MarindeVree]

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

[@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!

[@account505]

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

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+account505 Thank you!!

[@MarcSchaefermeyer]

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

[@AdventuresInDIY]

Awesome solution! Simple and useful

[@pastorscottmarsh8627]

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

[@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

[@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 :)

[@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.

[@valefore82]

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

[@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!!

[@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 !

[@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.

[@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)

[@pavanpanchal4340]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@miracle7088]

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

[@Homarya]

when you muted the microphone in the intro I thought my earphones were being ironic 👏😂 great build as always Bob :)

[@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 :)

[@tbucsclw1]

I love these types of projects.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+YODA 1 Thank you!!

[@tbucsclw1]

+I Like To Make Stuff :)

[@DesignBuildExecute]

Nicely done, Bob!

[@UthoRiley]

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

[@Kajws]

just want to point out that the presence or absence of 48v phantom power would not change the internals of this project, as phantom power is just a voltage supplied down the xlr connection from the mixer to power the microphone (usually a condenser microphone) and as you break the connection with the switch both the phantom power and the audio signal get cut off. For a microphone that does not require phantom power such as a dynamic microphone the switch is only cutting the audio but the result still remains the same.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+jack swetman I realized that after I'd posted it. I was incorrect in assuming there was a difference. Thanks for the info!

[@Kajws]

+I Like To Make Stuff no problem, audio equipment is not the easiest stuff to get to grips with

[@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

[@cjnesi]

Can't wait to share this with podcast community! #BobRocks

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+Christopher Nesi Sweet! I hope it's helpful!

[@aziqadam577]

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

[@Mrcaffinebean]

Cool vid bob! Love the aluminum and wood combo

[@tooljunkie555]

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

[@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!

[@JaredShue]

Great video as always Bob!

[@LivefreeanddiyTv]

Looks awesome... I'm pretty surprised your mic doesn't have a cough switch built-in. But all I have is a Blue Yeti USB mic... don't know much about those bigger ones. As always, thanks for the video!

[@capnskustomworks]

The Yeti is excellent! It's slightly irritating that the button is right on the mic body though, great for dialogue, but not so good for music...

[@LivefreeanddiyTv]

+CapnsKustomWorks I've actually had a few problems with my blue yeti, have had it warranty replaced twice now. This third one seems to be better though. I only use it for dialogue too, I'm musically challenged :).

[@mihumus]

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

[@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

[@muhammadsaad7638]

Can you please show us how to make a REALLY SIMPLE fathers day gift.

[@markowalski1]

Band saw boxes. If you have a table/scroll/band saw they're very easy and quick to make out of one piece of wood

[@nichpak1]

Well done! Great for Studio/Home recording applications.

[@Neffers_UK]

Thread some holes in the base and fix some running shoe spikes on the bottom to avoid slipping if used on carpet.

[@arquesmartin]

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

[@HughKermode]

Brilliant - just what I was looking for! A great build and perfectly explained...hell, I may even buy a mattress. A tiny question though, would it be possible to make one which muted 2 mics. In my studio I often have more than one mic "up" at a time - if the person on mic 1 needs to cough (or whatever), muting their mic would still leave mic 2 open...any thoughts? Happy New Year everyone!

[@nicoduck]

Nice box, but most Podcasts I know prefer to do the mute in software, in case of a mistake during the recording. They tend to use a Wii-Mote or a tablet with some sort of midi software.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

That very well may be, but this one is for my podcast :)

[@tamirli]

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

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+Tamir Lishinevski Thank you!!

[@nathandash7081]

You should make some guitar pedals in the future! Awesome videos!!

[@KyleAckerProductions]

Just now finding this channel and it's AWESOME!!! Also is there a way to make this but have it work in reverse? A press to talk situation instead.

[@mattiachie]

beautiful, I would have added 4 rubber pads for non slide, congratulations! Ilike

[@matt3642]

Nice project. Looks solid and Long lasting !

[@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...

[@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

[@kd1s]

Well - in a lot of apps the space bar or some other combination will start/pause. So a USB connected HID type device attached to a stomp pedal would PAUSE the recording.

[@grandolddrummer]

+kd1s Yeah, but that option doesn't involve box joints and band saws...

[@AndyLawsonawl]

Nice one Bob. I like that a lot. Are you going to X-carve the face of it with some kind of design? STOMP ME!! or something?

[@outboundprojectworkshop1270]

At the beginning you sound like Grant from the channel The King Of Random!

[@fernandocabette6050]

Piratical and beautiful!

[@GregTheNomad]

Awesome creation love your videos keep up the great work

[@ryanmartinson4531]

So change the switch from normally open to normally closed, then it could be a "talk back" mic for a control room, or drum booth, in my case.

[@Joky_Joe]

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

[@GersonGbj]

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

[@callumbulmanmalone9015]

Hey bob , you should try to make an electric longboard

[@lordsybren]

Dude, you should make a pedalboard for guitar effects. That would look epic with that type of wood.

[@Simon-cx1qr]

Hey Bob, I really like your channel but can you make more projects with palletwood like tables, tv stands,...

[@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!

[@profedemus]

I love the editing video quality... Very good proyect!! And I do agree that you have to do 2 more... Hahahaha

[@DoNaSbaR]

Very good project, but why not use inside the box, proper mic coaxial cable to prevent incoming noise? But as I said its a very nice job (as always)!

[@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

[@MikeKapotsy]

Nice job Bob.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+Mike Kapotsy Thanks Mike!

[@MandrewMakes]

That is AWESOME! I saw the word PreSonus on your computer. Is that the sound board that you use connected by firewire?

[@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.

[@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 ;)

[@joethompson4372]

This makes me want to remake all my guitar stomp boxes!

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+Joe Thompson Do it!! I need to make some new pedals, it's been too long since I've done one.

[@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!

[@SzellPatrick1]

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

[@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...

[@thebornmaker]

You could probably cut 90% of the police sirens out of the podcast if you gave Jimmy a push-to-talk version.

[@waffellover98]

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

[@spenserolson9594]

What kind of wood did you use for this project? Really love the natural color of it. Thanks!

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+Spenser Olson You know, I'm not sure what it is :/ It was a scrap that someone gave me. It looks similar to teak, but isn't oily enough and the grain isn't quite as tight. It's also similar to walnut, but is too red. I'm really not sure :(

[@TheEsbenkam]

Great video! A simple but awesome project!

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+Esben Mortensen Thank you!!

[@Engineer9736]

For a microphone, shorting out the signal is sort of acceptable, but i would not put this device in the signal path of any other device like a CD player. And especially not in loudspeaker XLR connections. Big chance you kill the amplifier then.