This Device is Not a High-Fidelity Wonder

…but rather an experimental sound station. It delivers metallic, dense textures that are perfectly suited for industrial, ambient, or percussive experiments (like our condom samples).

Materials (Shopping List) for the €50 Plate Reverb

Wood & Metal:

• Wooden slats: approx. 3–4 pieces (Dimensions: 2 x 50 x 200 cm)
• Trapezoidal metal roofing sheet: 100 x 100 cm (aluminum or galvanized steel)
• Accessories: Wood screws, metal brackets, 4 tension springs with eyelets, 4 screw hooks (with wood thread), metal screws, and nuts.

Electronics & Audio:

• 1 surface transducer (Exciter): 20 to 30 watts (acting as the “transmitter”)
• 2 to 6 piezo pickups: (acting as the “receivers”)
• Connectors: Several jack sockets (mono), some wire/stranded wire, adhesive tape.

Tools:

• Cordless screwdriver, drill, soldering iron, pliers.

DIY Guide for the €50 Plate Reverb

Step 1: The Frame (The Skeleton)

First, build a sturdy frame from the wooden slats with an inner dimension of 110 x 110 cm.

Screw the slats together using metal brackets.

Stability Trick: Screw short cross-pieces (feet) onto the underside of the frame. This keeps the frame stable and prevents the wood from warping easily.

Step 2: The Suspension (The Decoupling)

Screw the 4 screw eyes (hooks with wood thread) into the inside corners of the frame.

Drill a hole into each of the four corners of the corrugated/trapezoidal sheet metal.

Hang the sheet metal inside the frame using the tension springs.

Important: The metal sheet must swing freely and must not touch the wood anywhere. The springs ensure that impact noise from the floor is minimized and allow the metal sheet to develop its own resonance.

Step 3: The Driver (Input)

Drill a hole into the metal sheet (in the center, or slightly offset for different resonance modes).

Screw the surface transducer (tactile transducer) firmly onto the metal sheet.

This is your “Input.” The signal from the mixing console (Aux Send) is fed in here. Since the transducer requires power, it is recommended to place a small, inexpensive Class-D amplifier in between.

Step 4: The Pickups (Output)

Now the piezos come into play.

Attach the piezo elements to various spots on the metal sheet using tape.

Experiment here: It will sound different in the troughs of the corrugated sheet compared to the ridges.

Solder the piezos to the jack sockets, which you can mount on a small wooden board attached to the frame.

The Concept: Shaping Sound Through Density

The unique aspect of this setup is the use of multiple piezos. Because the corrugated sheet metal generates complex reflection patterns due to its shape, each piezo captures the reverb with a time delay and a distinct tonal character.

Pro Mixing Tricks:

Route the individual piezo signals back into your mixing console separately.

• Panning: Pan two piezos hard left/right to create a wide stereo image.
• Summing: Blend multiple piezos together to “thicken” the density of the reverb.
• EQ Ducking: Since corrugated metal is prone to metallic “clattering,” slightly cut the midrange frequencies on your EQ to simulate a deeper, darker space.

Don’t expect a Lexicon-style reverb. What you get instead is a unique, mechanical effect that is alive. It reacts to the dynamics of your music, physically vibrates in the room, and gives your productions an organic texture that no plugin can “easily” replicate. It is ideal for anyone looking for the beauty in imperfection.

A microphone shield is a great way to reduce unwanted noise in your recordings. It can help to block out background noise from your environment, such as traffic, people talking, or air conditioning. This can lead to cleaner, more professional-sounding recordings.

There are many different ways to make a microphone shield. One simple and affordable option is to use egg cartons and furniture foam. Egg cartons are a good choice because they are lightweight and easy to cut. Furniture foam is a good choice because it is soft and absorbent.

Materials

• Egg cartons
• Furniture foam
• Tape
• Scissors
• Ruler
• sturdy wire
• old broomstick
• Christmas tree stand

Instructions

Cut the egg cartons into pieces that are the same size as the microphone you will be using.

Egg cartons for microphone shield

Cut the furniture foam to fit the inside of the egg carton pieces.

Furniture foam for microphone shield

Glue or tape the egg carton pieces together to form a cube or other shape.

Egg carton and furniture foam shield

Cut a hole in the front of the shield for the microphone. The hole should be large enough for the microphone to fit through comfortably.

Attach the shield to your microphone stand.

Tips

To make the shield more effective, you can use multiple layers of egg cartons and furniture foam.

You can also add a layer of acoustic foam to the inside of the shield. Acoustic foam is designed to absorb sound waves, which can help to further reduce unwanted noise.

If you are using a large microphone, you may need to use a larger shield.

Testing

Once you have made your microphone shield, it is important to test it to make sure it is effective. Record some audio with the shield in place and then record some audio without the shield. Listen to the recordings and compare the sound quality. You should notice a significant difference in the amount of unwanted noise in the recordings with the shield.

With a little bit of time and effort, you can make a simple and affordable microphone shield that will help to improve the sound quality of your recordings.