Gather Microphones

Handmade Hammered Copper Ribbon Microphones

Mark I

Completed.

A Set of Four Custom Ribbon Microphones for personal use.

Just as a beautiful guitar or piano can inspire a better performance, the purpose of these microphones is to see if a beautiful microphone instrument will inspire a more fully connected vocal performance.

I call this the “Beautiful Instrument” hypothesis.

I annealed and hammered the copper with different patterns to fit the different cared figures.

The carved figures are designs inspired by plants on the tree farm.

I cut them out by hand and gave them seven layers of liver of sulfer patina and polish to form a depth of color and shimmer.

“A” Side

Left to Right

Linnaea - Tulip

Francis - Gingko

Jubilee - Thistle

Honey - Wild Honeysuckle

“B” Side

The insides are made from a heavily modified kit by Austin Ribbon Microphones.

Mark II

Completed.

The next prototype version of the Gather Microphone.

The purpose of the Mark II is to move towards a limited commercial version of the Gather Microphone.

I carved many of the Mark II prototype parts out of plastic to test the new internal components. They will be made of brass.

I want to hide the wires and make the inside as beautiful as the outside.

A series of prototypes with the Mark II.

The first mock-ups were made of very simple materials to get a feel for the overall shape and form.

Mark III

In progress.

The purpose of the Mark III Gather Microphones is to fully test the “Beautiful Instrument” hypothesis and build and sell these instruments on a limited commercial scale.

Here’s a short video of the new internal components.

I will 3D print them to test their performance. And once I’m happy with how they sound, I’ll carve the parts out of brass with a CNC and test them again.