Contact/piezo pickup for less than $10

keithb · 01-15-2008, 11:06 PM

I've been wanting to to experiment with a contact pickup for a while, and finally got around to it tonight. Here's a little instructional for those who may be interested:

We're aiming for something like this: DMS - Artist Transducer™ which is basically just a piezo element on the end of an instrument cord.

So, head down to Radio Shack and get yourself a piezo buzzer. There are various opinions around about which part is the better pickup - I just chose a cheap one that looked around 1" in size. Also find a cable you don't mind hacking up - I chose to buy a cable with a 1/4" jack on the end rather than a normal instrument cable.

Carefully break the piezo element out of the plastic casing, being careful not to damage the element in the process.

Cut one end off the cable and split the shield and inner conductor.

Solder the shield to the metal part of the piezo, and the inner conductor to the center part. It may be a good idea to use the existing wires since the piezo proved difficult to solder (as seen by the complete mess I made).

Wrap the piezo and connections in something to help prevent breakage due to wear and tear. Electrical tape works well.

The pickup can be stuck onto anything with a bit of hot glue or poster putty. A guitar is an obvious first choice, but be creative!

How does it sound? Not bad, for less than $10 in parts and a few minutes work. Here's a quick clip - the first half is directly into the instrument input on my M-audio Firewire Solo, and the second half is through an acoustic model on the PODxt. No EQ or other processing has been applied, other than normalization.

Media Player

Click here to download.

OzzyC · 01-15-2008, 11:12 PM

Hm. Interesting.

How would you say the sound compares to what you would here in the room?

eon_shift · 01-15-2008, 11:19 PM

thats a really good idea with pretty good results i might have to try that.

Jason · 01-15-2008, 11:20 PM

Awesome Keith.

ibznorange · 01-15-2008, 11:22 PM

thats freaking awesome!
it needs some comping on the bass response, but what the hell ever. thats great

keithb · 01-16-2008, 12:21 AM

Yeah, as I said, that clip is unprocessed - I'm guessing with some EQ and maybe multi-band compression, it could be very nice sounding. I'll try to post something else up tomorrow - the gf will kill me if I start hacking away on the acoustic at this hour

Metal Ken · 01-16-2008, 12:26 AM

the second part sounds really cool \m/

Jongpil Yun · 01-16-2008, 01:59 AM

YOUR KUNG-FU IS STRONG

Demeyes · 01-17-2008, 12:46 PM

Thats pretty cool, that'd also work perfectly as a drum trigger wouldn't it?

Emiliano · 01-20-2008, 04:44 AM

yeah, that is the same element that is used inside my old simmons drum pads!
so it will work as a trigger!

however i did a lot of research on piezo supply and here's a couple link that
maybe you could find useful!

Experimental Musical Instruments

Welcome to Trout Cove Lutherie

i bought some piezo cable from the first site, and it's very nice to buld undersaddle piezo pickup! i'll plan to do that on my nylon stringed guitar!

01-15-2008, 11:12 PM	#2
OzzyC :ubersquint: Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: USA Posts: 3,318 Real Name: AntonioPetrucci Main Seven: RG1527RB Main ERG: I can has ERG? Rig: GNX3000 Thanked: 17	Hm. Interesting. How would you say the sound compares to what you would here in the room? You've got your head down You've got your eyes closed You look so pitiful now Your body encrusted with ash Breath heavy with toxins Hair singed and matted Clothes frayed and burnt You are left with nothing

01-15-2008, 11:20 PM	#4
Jason Sign Your Neg Rep Posts! Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: South of the rats mouth.. Posts: 9,328 Real Name: Jason Main Seven: Esp/Ltd H207 :D Rig: Nadda Supreme Thanked: 79	Awesome Keith. "I wish TV had a knob so you could turn up the intelligence. The one marked Brightness doesn't work." Gallagher

01-15-2008, 11:22 PM	#5
ibznorange Chief Officer/RHLC © Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 7,967 Real Name: Max Main Seven: Dean Vendetta 1.7 Rig: None Thanked: 54	thats freaking awesome! it needs some comping on the bass response, but what the hell ever. thats great Reverse Headstocks or Bust ALL HEIL THE ADMINISHREDDER!

01-16-2008, 12:26 AM	#7
Metal Ken Dissident Aggressor • Super Moderator • Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Florida Posts: 16,302 Real Name: Legion Main Seven: Loomis, C7HR, Giannini 7 Rig: Mesa Rectoverb 50 Thanked: 72	the second part sounds really cool \m/ Glory and praise to Thee, Satan, on high, Where Thou didst reign, in Hell where Thou dost lie, Vanquished, silent, dreaming eternally. Grant that my soul some day rest close to Thee Under the Tree of Knowledge which shall spread Its branches like a Temple overhead. ~Charles Baudelaire http://www.myspace.com/impurity Brutal Skullfucking Death Metal

01-20-2008, 04:44 AM	#10
Emiliano true DJENTleman Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: rome_italy Posts: 305 Real Name: Emiliano Main Seven: RG1527X Rig: Vtwin>gx700>mesa2020 Thanked: 6	yeah, that is the same element that is used inside my old simmons drum pads! so it will work as a trigger! however i did a lot of research on piezo supply and here's a couple link that maybe you could find useful! Experimental Musical Instruments Welcome to Trout Cove Lutherie i bought some piezo cable from the first site, and it's very nice to buld undersaddle piezo pickup! i'll plan to do that on my nylon stringed guitar! "The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed......." "Because as everyone knows, tone is directly proportional to the amount of blinky lights that you have in your rack!" - The Adminishredder - JJ is my hero!

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01-15-2008, 11:19 PM	#3
eon_shift ss.org Regular Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Pickering, Ontario Posts: 239 Real Name: James Main Seven: Ibanez Rg 1527 prestiege Rig: Line 6 spider2 Thanked: 2	thats a really good idea with pretty good results i might have to try that.

01-16-2008, 12:21 AM	#6
keithb Carvin Zealot Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Providence, RI Posts: 1,124 Real Name: Keith Main Seven: Carvin DC747 Rig: Mesa Nomad/PODxt Thanked: 13	Yeah, as I said, that clip is unprocessed - I'm guessing with some EQ and maybe multi-band compression, it could be very nice sounding. I'll try to post something else up tomorrow - the gf will kill me if I start hacking away on the acoustic at this hour

01-16-2008, 01:59 AM	#8
Jongpil Yun Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 2,277 Real Name: JP Main Seven: RG 7620 (VK) Thanked: 25	YOUR KUNG-FU IS STRONG

01-17-2008, 12:46 PM	#9
Demeyes ss.org Regular Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Ireland Posts: 414 Real Name: Eoin Main Seven: C7 Hellraiser Rig: GT8 - Laney GH50L Thanked: 2 / 1	Thats pretty cool, that'd also work perfectly as a drum trigger wouldn't it?

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Contact/piezo pickup for less than $10