Re: [microsound] Neubauten & contact mics

[Jeremy Tolsma <ccws@xxxxxxxx>]

>
> Before, i disagree, i'd like to ask you of what quality you're contact
mics
> are and if you're only affixing them to thick somewhat motionless
> (non-vibratory) solid bodies. although it isn't always neccessary, try
> putting a good quality contact mic on something quite flexible and you can
> get quite a bit of sound out of it, without having to jack up the amp so
> much at all. check out WrK, especially one of Toshiya Tsunoda's work,
where
> he recorded the vibrations of a steel fence between a parking lot & a
> highway, (eerie & wonderful noise).
>

I dont know what kind of 'quality' you mean, the contact mics I use are
common piezo disc ones.  They are not sensitive to minute vibrations but
they are very sensitive to jostling and general abuse.  The fence/highway
senario is probably similar to wacking something the mic is attatched to, in
that case the vibrations of heavy cars moving quickly would be so strong and
sharp they would register on the contact mics just as if the fence were
being struck with a mallet.   But as for the electric shaver, perhaps the
routine was ment to pick up the jostling from the person's hand holding the
shaver while clipping the hair, again this would be very noisy.