Crafting a Vintage Echo Device: A DIY Analog Echo Plate Project

Wanna DIY a Badass Metal Plate Reverb? Tully from The Tul Studio Shows Us How!

Fed up with the usual guitar pedals and audio software for creating reverb? Let's get creative! Dive into the world of analog reverb with a big metal plate and some innovative electronics. Here's your step-by-step guide, straight from the genius mind of Tully.

Basically, if you've ever smacked a big sheet of metal and heard the thunderous, rippling sound it makes, you're already halfway there! To convert it into a studio-worthy effect, you'll need transducers to deliver the sound into the metal plate and, in turn, microphones to pick it back up at different points on the plate. To top it off, the sound takes time to travel through the plate, delivering a sweet, echoey reverb effect.

Tully from The Tul Studio got down to business with a massive cold-rolled steel plate, a whopping one meter wide and two meters tall. This baby was hung using picture chain, robust enough to carry the weight without compromising on those precious vibrations. To make some noise, he repurposed old car tweeters as pickups, and a larger speaker took center stage to drive the sound into the plate. According to Tully, the secret to making it sound anything but a tin can lies in the equalizers and electronics.

If you love getting your reverb on, whether it's the lovely reverbing things or oddball delays, this one's for you! Check out the video below for all the action.

What You'll Need- Large Metal Plate: A cold-rolled steel plate, ideally one meter wide and two meters tall, is the heart and soul of this project. Make sure it's securely suspended for optimal vibration.- Picture Chain: Use a sturdy picture chain to suspend the metal plate without restricting vibrations.- Sound Input Transducer: An old car speaker can be repurposed to drive sound into the metal plate. Go wild with adhesives or clamps to attach it!- Pickup Transducers: Dust off those old car tweeters that have been gathering dust and put them to work as pickups to capture the reverberated sound.- Microphones: Grab some extras if you fancy capturing the sound from different points on the plate.- Electronics and EQ: Essential electronics include amplifiers and equalizers to perfect the sound quality and fine-tune the reverb effect.

Putting It All Together1. Mount the Metal Plate: Suspend the metal plate using a sturdy picture chain, ensuring it's secure without dampening those precious vibrations.2. Install the Sound Input Transducer: Position the repurposed car speaker near or on the metal plate to drive sound into it. Secure it using adhesives or clamps.3. Place Pickup Transducers: Stick the old car tweeters at various points on the metal plate to capture the reverberating sound. These act as pickups.4. Add Microphones: If you're feeling fancy, place extra microphones strategically to capture the sound from different parts of the plate for a more lush reverb effect.5. Set Up Electronics: Connect the sound input transducer to an amplifier and the pickups to a mixer or audio interface. Use equalizers to polish up the sound quality and control the reverb effect.6. Test and Adjust: Give it a whirl, and adjust the equalizers to get the reverb effect just the way you like it without making it sound like a tin can.

Pro Tips- Vibration: Don't forget to keep the metal plate free to vibrate for optimal sound propagation.- Sound Quality: The quality of the reverb is massively influenced by the electronics and EQ settings. So don't be afraid to get your hands dirty.- Experimentation: Don't set everything up and expect perfection on the first go. Experiment with different placements of pickups and microphones until you achieve the perfect reverb effect.

To create a DIY metal plate reverb, you'll need to gather a large cold-rolled steel plate, sturdy picture chain for suspension, an old car speaker as the sound input transducer, car tweeters for pickup transducers, microphones to capture the sound, and essential electronics such as amplifiers and equalizers.
In putting it all together, mount the metal plate using the picture chain, install the sound input transducer near the plate, place pickup transducers at various points on the plate, add microphones for a lush reverb effect, set up the electronics, and test and adjust the equalizers for the desired reverb sound.
For a more polished and unique sound, experiment with different placements of pickups and microphones, fine-tune the electronics and EQ settings, and consider repurposing gadgets from the electronics and entertainment industry.