Looking for that crazy new sample for your next track? The Cortado MkIII might be the perfect tool you never knew you needed.
Contact microphones are a great bit of kit that open up a whole world of new possibilities as a musician. If you’re trying to channel a specific sound and can’t find it trawling through your sample libraries, a contact mic might be the exact tool you need. If you’re still reading this, then you are gonna wanna check out Zeppelin Design Labs latest innovation, the Cortado MkIII Contact Microphone.
For those unfamiliar with this technology, contact mics or piezo microphones, are a type of microphone that records sound data through kinetic vibrations rather than airborne vibrations. They are particularly useful as triggers for samples, such as on drums and other instruments, as well as for recording in environments that aren’t ideal for picking up sound, such as underwater, or where audible sound waves generally aren’t clearly audible.
The Chicago based company describes the new mic as “a rugged, versatile, easy-to-use contact mic that reveals the hidden sounds in the solid world around you.”
The mic’s sensor head and pre-amp circuit are housed in separate steel enclosures, connected via two-metre shielded cable. This reinforcement protects the mic from any damage it may otherwise receive from the constant vibration and movement of anything it is connected to.
It receives 48V from a standard XLR microphone cable, and the additional attachment accessory kit makes mounting the mic anywhere incredibly easy, as it features numerous clamps and putty, ensuring that the mic stays stationary on any surface or object.
Sports sound engineer David Grundtvig praises the fantastic ability of the Cortado. “We used 130 Cortados under the three courts. I’ve put them on NFL goalposts, on foul poles in Major League Baseball; I’ve had them on the Green Monster at Fenway and had great success.”
The Cortado MkIII retails at $159 USD and the additional attachment accessory kit will soon be available at an additional cost. For more information, check out the latest from Zeppelin Design Labs here.
