Cortado MK3III - Contact Mic Review

Fancy yourself as an SOS Reviewer? Use this dedicated forum to post your self-penned user reports/reviews of equipment/software/instruments that you own and/or use regularly.
NOTE: before posting a new User Report (topic) please check whether one is already in existence for your product.
Forum rules
Fancy yourself as an SOS Reviewer? Use this dedicated forum to post your self-penned user reports/reviews of equipment/software/instruments that you own and/or use regularly.
NOTE: before posting a new User Report (topic) please check whether one is already in existence for your product.

Re: Cortado MK3III - Contact Mic Review

Post by shufflebeat »

I'll fetch the custard for comparison.

But...

When I buy a mic I want either reality, enhanced reality or convenience. Where does the Cortado fit I to this?

I'm not scorn-heaping here, just wondering.
shufflebeat
Longtime Poster
Posts: 9710 Joined: Sun Dec 09, 2007 12:00 am Location: Manchester, UK
“…I can tell you I don't have money, but what I do have are a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career” - (folk musician, Manchester).

Re: Cortado MK3III - Contact Mic Review

Post by Drew Stephenson »

For me, it's both. My environment is going to be very noisy at times over the next few years. I can get a usable guitar recording from the Cortado that easily trumps anything I can get from onboard piezo pick-up. It will also work as a live mic for the Guinjo or mandolin (which have no pick-up) and I expect will do the same for the double bass.
Then there's the fun stuff of just mic'ing stuff up because you can and seeing what you get out of it. :)
User avatar
Drew Stephenson
Apprentice Guru
Posts: 28043 Joined: Sun Jul 05, 2015 12:00 am Location: York
(The forumuser formerly known as Blinddrew)
Ignore the post count, I have no idea what I'm doing...
https://drewstephenson.bandcamp.com/

Re: Cortado MK3III - Contact Mic Review

Post by Martin Walker »

blinddrew wrote: Wed Jul 27, 2022 1:28 pm Then there's the fun stuff of just mic'ing stuff up because you can and seeing what you get out of it. :)

This is the clincher for me :thumbup:

I love musicians/artists who incorporate strange little sounds into their compositions to make them sound unique - it adds such character!
User avatar
Martin Walker
Moderator
Posts: 21642 Joined: Wed Jan 13, 2010 8:44 am Location: Cornwall, UK

Re: Cortado MK3III - Contact Mic Review

Post by tea for two »

Will_m wrote: Mon May 30, 2022 1:33 am I did a review of the Cortado MK3III contact mic from Zeppelin Design Labs. Check it out here:

https://youtu.be/xG_qyCRFSvA

Triffic review Will.

One thing I liked focused on the Cortado (not on yourself).

Amount of times Keith Floyd said to Beeb camera person "Not me, The Food !"

It is one of my pet peeves of video product reviews, video product demos : the amount of too much showing of presenter : please be a bit selfless, it's about the Product.

I appreciate you making it all about the Cortado.
(for privacy reasons I would do same).

For a fan of Yello, Art of Noise, JmJarre imaginative use of sampling, which I am, this Cortado seems triffic.
tea for two
Frequent Poster
Posts: 4015 Joined: Sun Mar 24, 2002 12:00 am

Re: Cortado MK3III - Contact Mic Review

Post by Drew Stephenson »

Just a quick sample from me. There was a combination chainsawing and jackhammering going on the other day but I really wanted to capture what I was working so I grabbed the Cortado.
The guitar part here is the result: https://soundcloud.com/blinddrew/the-no ... ny21cCBfuh
I was actually playing very quietly (just written, wasn't too confident) so as a result it needed a bit of processing. Voice De-noiser and De-click* from Izotope RX, a couple of eq notches, and a bit of HF shelf lift (to compensate for the wide-band de-click).

* One thing I did discover on this recording is that you do have to be careful with the cable. If it's a fixed mounting that's fine, but on a mobile item (like a guitar), particularly if it's being played quietly, if the cable is swaying slightly when you move it can lead to clicking sounds. Because I didn't notice it at the time I'm not sure if this was from micro-taps of the cable against the guitar top or against the floor.
But it's one to watch for.
User avatar
Drew Stephenson
Apprentice Guru
Posts: 28043 Joined: Sun Jul 05, 2015 12:00 am Location: York
(The forumuser formerly known as Blinddrew)
Ignore the post count, I have no idea what I'm doing...
https://drewstephenson.bandcamp.com/

Re: Cortado MK3III - Contact Mic Review

Post by Will_m »

tea for two wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 9:54 pm
Triffic review Will.

One thing I liked focused on the Cortado (not on yourself).

Amount of times Keith Floyd said to Beeb camera person "Not me, The Food !"

It is one of my pet peeves of video product reviews, video product demos : the amount of too much showing of presenter : please be a bit selfless, it's about the Product.

I appreciate you making it all about the Cortado.
(for privacy reasons I would do same).

For a fan of Yello, Art of Noise, JmJarre imaginative use of sampling, which I am, this Cortado seems triffic.


Thanks! I'm definitely of the same feeling when it comes to reviews, I'm there to see the product and not the reviewers face. Its also just easier to film this way, I can do everything on one camera in one pass (plus a few cutaways).

blinddrew wrote: Sat Aug 13, 2022 10:24 am * One thing I did discover on this recording is that you do have to be careful with the cable. If it's a fixed mounting that's fine, but on a mobile item (like a guitar), particularly if it's being played quietly, if the cable is swaying slightly when you move it can lead to clicking sounds. Because I didn't notice it at the time I'm not sure if this was from micro-taps of the cable against the guitar top or against the floor.
But it's one to watch for.


This is something I touched on in the review. I've found from lavalier mics the tougher and harder style cables are more prone to these types of noises, so they do need a bit more cable management.
User avatar
Will_m
Frequent Poster
Posts: 500 Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 12:00 am

Re: Cortado MK3III - Contact Mic Review

Post by Drew Stephenson »

Yep, I thought I'd factored it in but I was obviously moving around a bit more than I thought. :thumbup:
User avatar
Drew Stephenson
Apprentice Guru
Posts: 28043 Joined: Sun Jul 05, 2015 12:00 am Location: York
(The forumuser formerly known as Blinddrew)
Ignore the post count, I have no idea what I'm doing...
https://drewstephenson.bandcamp.com/

Re: Cortado MK3III - Contact Mic Review

Post by ManFromGlass »

There must be some kind of thin foam or thick cloth that could help. I can’t imagine not moving much while playing anything. Not that I put on the full spandex and leap about but staying still while playing doesn’t seem natural.
My Cortado arrived but I haven’t had the chance to try it yet, but I’m looking forward to it!
User avatar
ManFromGlass
Longtime Poster
Posts: 7473 Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2011 12:00 am Location: O Canada

Re: Cortado MK3III - Contact Mic Review

Post by Drew Stephenson »

Oh yes, I'm sure a solution is possible, I just hadn't realised it was necessary.
Playing louder would be a first step to improving the signal to noise ratio.
User avatar
Drew Stephenson
Apprentice Guru
Posts: 28043 Joined: Sun Jul 05, 2015 12:00 am Location: York
(The forumuser formerly known as Blinddrew)
Ignore the post count, I have no idea what I'm doing...
https://drewstephenson.bandcamp.com/

Re: Cortado MK3III - Contact Mic Review

Post by Martin Walker »

tea for two wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 9:54 pm
Will_m wrote: Mon May 30, 2022 1:33 am I did a review of the Cortado MK3III contact mic from Zeppelin Design Labs. Check it out here:

https://youtu.be/xG_qyCRFSvA

Triffic review Will.

I've just watched it, and totally agree - some great sound design possibilities (I love the 'tambourine friction rolls' and 'effervescent in water' examples in particular).
User avatar
Martin Walker
Moderator
Posts: 21642 Joined: Wed Jan 13, 2010 8:44 am Location: Cornwall, UK

Re: Cortado MK3III - Contact Mic Review

Post by ManFromGlass »

an update about my experiences -
I had a live gig playing an mbira (gorgeous sounding African thumb piano) into an ipad looper.
Cortado was perfect for the job. It captured the frequency range that made the instrument sound fantastic.
User avatar
ManFromGlass
Longtime Poster
Posts: 7473 Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2011 12:00 am Location: O Canada

Re: Cortado MK3III - Contact Mic Review

Post by Martin Walker »

:thumbup: a thumb up for thumb piano usage then ;)
User avatar
Martin Walker
Moderator
Posts: 21642 Joined: Wed Jan 13, 2010 8:44 am Location: Cornwall, UK

Re: Cortado MK3III - Contact Mic Review

Post by ManFromGlass »

yes - it was really thumbthing . . . . err . . . .
User avatar
ManFromGlass
Longtime Poster
Posts: 7473 Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2011 12:00 am Location: O Canada

Re: Cortado MK3III - Contact Mic Review

Post by Wonks »

So it's a digital instrument.
User avatar
Wonks
Jedi Poster
Posts: 18287 Joined: Thu May 29, 2003 12:00 am Location: Reading, UK
Reliably fallible.

Re: Cortado MK3III - Contact Mic Review

Post by Martin Walker »

Analogue was used in its construction (as it's primarily made of wood).
User avatar
Martin Walker
Moderator
Posts: 21642 Joined: Wed Jan 13, 2010 8:44 am Location: Cornwall, UK

Re: Cortado MK3III - Contact Mic Review

Post by ManFromGlass »

Wonks wrote: Thu Nov 03, 2022 9:50 pm So it's a digital instrument.

:D
with opposable potential!
User avatar
ManFromGlass
Longtime Poster
Posts: 7473 Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2011 12:00 am Location: O Canada

Re: Cortado MK3III - Contact Mic Review

Post by tea for two »

Made of corduroy lol.

tea for two wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 9:54 pm
Will_m wrote: Mon May 30, 2022 1:33 am I did a review of the Cortado MK3III contact mic from Zeppelin Design Labs. Check it out here:

https://youtu.be/xG_qyCRFSvA

Triffic review Will.

For a fan of Yello, Art of Noise, JmJarre imaginative use of sampling, which I am, this Cortado seems triffic.

In this month's SoS, JmJarre says of his latest release
"and sound effects I recorded with contact mics, such as the Zeppelin Labs Cortado."

I was imagining doing something similar, making melodies sequences accompaniment by recording things, obviously not to JmJ's intricate level, more to my amateur level.
tea for two
Frequent Poster
Posts: 4015 Joined: Sun Mar 24, 2002 12:00 am
Post Reply