Stereo mics are currently out of stock, if you're interested please email me.
The standard configuration is a mic head (pretty much as pictured), a ten-foot cable (longer cable is possible, please ask), and a small box containing the electronics. Standard phantom power (+48v) needed. A battery-powered interface box also available for recording to portable recorders which already have mic inputs.
This mic is based on a pair of Transound TSB-55A cardioid electret capsules. These capsules are almost identical to the Panasonic WM-55A, but with a bit flatter low end. The two capsules are in a vertical stack, splayed out about 100 degrees. I really designed it to fit into a grand piano for live sound, but it does a nice general stereo recording as well.
I've also built stereo mics with the bigger, better Transound capsules. Those tend to be quieter, but not as flat as the TSB-55A.
Construction is a lot simpler than it looks. The body is just 1" ID copper water pipe, with the window cutouts done with a Dremel tool. The screen is brass mesh from McMaster-Carr. The capsule mount was made from various bits of brass from that little craft-metals display in the hardware store, and is mounted in a wooden plug that fits inside the mic body. Finally, the connector is a Switchcraft B4M, which fits the copper pipe almost perfectly. I used a piece rigid tubing to help the body of the connector fit nicely into mic body. This mic uses a small external power supply which is phantom-powered from a standard audio mixer. It would also be possible to build a simple power supply using a 9 volt battery and with an 1/8" stereo output, for use with a minidisc or other small recorder.
MP3 clip of acoustic guitar, original mic
MP3 clip of acoustic guitar, TSB-165A stereo mic
Click on thumbnails for full-size image
