How to Build a Tin Can Mic by Toneless Gear

Things you'll need:
1 Tin Can
1 Contact Mic
1 1/4" Audio Jack
1 Drill
1 Soldering Iron
1 Hot Glue Gun
1 Plastic Container such as a Milk Jug
1 Scissors
1 Cable Tie/String
Some Hessian
Solder Wire

Optional:

Acoustic Foam, Copper Tape

Step One: Clean Eating

Eat the contents of your tin can and give that can a good ole wash!

Step Two: Drilling not Milling

Drill a hole the size of an audio jack in the top of your tin can.

Step Three: Smouldering Whilst Soldering

Take your contact mic and solder the wires to the audio jack. The wire coming from the centre of the mic goes to the tip, and the outer ring goes to the sleeve of the audio jack.

Step Four: Cutting Shapes

Time to make the contact mic mount and lid for the tin can mic. Take your plastic container and cut out a circle slightly bigger than your tin can.

Step Five: Stick, Glue 'n' Screw

Peel back sticker on the mic and sticker (or glue if no sticker on mic) your contact mic to your circular lid cutout. Also mount and scew your audio jack to your freshly drilled tin can.

(Optional Step Five-point-one)

Cut a small piece of acoustic or spongey foam and pop inside the tin can.

Step Six: Seal the Deal

Now for glue. Take your tin can and lid, and glue them together, you now have a sealed tin can microphone. You can test it works now, and if you don't care for a e s t h e t i c s, you may stop now.

Step Seven: a e s t h e t i c s

Arguably the most important step. Cut out a piece of a material of your choosing and place it on the top of your tin can mic. Then fix this piece of material to your tin can with a cable tie or suitable fastener.

Congratulations, you have now built yourself a Toneless Gear Tin Can Microphone