the $2 spring reverb

i don't think it can be made any cheaper

UPDATE - finally added some samples below - UPDATE

also check out the $115 plate reverb

most of this is probably self explanatory. you can jump down to the pictures to get the idea.

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for ones who still don't get it, try to follow along. the ugly pink things below are called "echo mic’s" you can find them for $1 each at just about any dollar store right now. just keep looking in the toy isle until you find them. ( if not i have links to some places below - but none of them are that cheap ). choose your color ( you simply can't beat hot pink - this thing isn't going to make you any friends so why not be as obnoxious as possible). so when you get these back home you need to do a few things to get this all to work. first you will notice from looking at your own, that i cut the very bottom cups off of mine (not in photo sorry). this is so the spring or springs can connect between the 2 inside cups and be completely unobstructed. my cups pried right off, then i was left with a little flat section that had a little finger to hold the end of the spring. unhook the spring from the bottom, then take an exact-o or box cutter or whatever and cut them both off. be neat about it, it will make it a tiny bit more stable after taping ( i can't believe i just said that - who gives a shit, just cut them off). maybe save them for something else. you never know. now you have two mic’s with not bottoms at all and the springs are just hanging from the inside cups. right?

now go ahead and pop one of the mic’s open, mine are taped up by the head ( the silver band ). i just cut the tape and it opened up. you will see how the cup is set inside the little rings/ridge so that it floats there when closed. you will also notice that the cup is very, very delicate. like light parchment or something but mine is actually very thin plastic. you can very easily destroy it so be careful. this is probably the most important part of the whole apparatus. look at how the spring is attached, just for future reference. then reach into the bottom of the other one with a needle nose or something and get the other spring to stick out far enough to grab and hook the two springs together. do a good job of it. then put the other case back together ( you know you didn't have to take either one apart actually but i did this so you would have a better understanding of how it works) and let them come together ass to ass. run some tape around it to hold it really quick while you do the rest and test it. you might be changing it so don't over do it.

this part is open to whatever you have on hand. i just happen to keep all sorts of random stuff around for shit like this ( a room full of stuff - since i was a child ). if i remember correctly i scavenged the speaker i’m using out of an old computer chassis. its about 2 1/4" and it fits perfectly just inside of that top ring. when the green "grill" is on, it snug’s it right up against the inside ring and it doesn’t move at all. i got lucky. but it really doesn't matter what you use. you can get a little speaker and just lay it in there ( or as many as will fit to really drive it ) or use an extra pair of headphones held over the end or just hold it up to your monitors to track the part. it really don't matter. now with the other end i just stick a mic in the other cup to taste. you can even tape one in there permanently and then hide it in a box behind your rack or where ever and use it on a send. no one will ever have to know it is what it is. the box itself will import some character so try a couple until it works. oh and i guess i should mention that you should attach a 1/4" to the speaker if its not already there.

here is where you should give it a listen. you can drive it with a headphone amp or a send or whatever you might have. what do you think? is it perfect, or a little sloppy? to muffled? too bouncy? mine needed a little bit of eq in the high mids depending on the source. just have a parametric in line and try compression too. with a certain frequency boosted from the eq it will just sound right it depends on the source material of course.

now for the decision making part. take it all apart and then remove one of the springs completely. then take the one thats left and attach it to the other cup so there is only one spring ( not two ) between both cups. this can be tuff to get the other cup to lay in its groove while you assemble the rest. be careful not to fold or crumble it. once its all assembled give the new shorter version a listen. is it better or too short? no decay?

i prefer mine shorter, or tighter i should say. but in between the two would sound the best so i'm still looking for something to extend the two handles. maybe the next empty paper towel roll will work? then i will add the second spring back and stretch the two out. it might even be possible to make it adjustable by just un-taping it and pulling it apart farther to shorten the time. an adjustable spring reverb has been something i've been contemplating for a long time. i'll figure something out.

i just tossed up a v67 black (that gold shit is stupid) and jammed i up against the open cup. i haven't had the time to build a dedicated mic yet. ac running and computer about 3 feet away i did absolutely nothing to these samples except i had to boost the volume on the casio verb. you'll see - noise city. no comp no eq nothing. enjoy...

most of these are LOUD so turn down your shit or you'll wake up your mom. some i cut back and forth between the source and the verb, then leave just the verb and then on the last one its lower in the mix and then i mute it here and there to give you a better idea of how it sounds in place. thus the name. as far as the samples go i'm never going to use them for anything, they were just made for this so you are free to sample them and use them in whatever you want. i'm not sure if anyone can really claim to own the amen break anymore but be careful just in case. its untreated. that casio shit is the best, isn't it?

obviously if i were to treat the spring, like clean it up and use some eq appropriate for the track, maybe some compression, other reverb, delay, etc.. it would sound better but i wanted to give you an idea of how it sounded untreated so there are no misunderstandings

:... price breakdown ...:

 

2 echo mics ----------------------------------------- $2     any dollar store that sells them
any speaker/ headphones to drive it ----- $0     you already have something that will work
tape ----------------------------------------------------- $0     any tape will do
time -----------------------------------------------------   =     maybe 5 -10 minutes if you're slow and careful

if anyone sends me photos of anyone holding theirs up to him/herself like a big cock i promise i'll post it.

just preempting all the shitty jokes.


:... some links ...:

echo mics can be found here

echo mics can be found here

echo mics can be found here

or by doing a search like this

no i am not associated with any of them in any way

 

click on images to see them full sized  |  because your a shooting start

 

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