Reverb Tanks for Noise

[escher]

Hey all,

I tried searching around in this forum, but i didn't have any luck getting the precise question I have answered..

I want to use a spring reverb tank as a noise maker (by slamming it/sensually caressing the springs/all that stuff). It doesn't have to sound delicate or anything, and there are cheapo tanks on ebay that I will probably end up getting. There's a lot of information online about building your own spring reverb units and all that jazz, but they usually get caught into the sound-fidelity question sooner or later (with debates as to the best way to increase the sound going through the unit to get it to match the impedance and all that good stuff). My question is much simpler than that.

In order to make it noisey, without caring about the idea of running an audio signal through it for the reverb, can I simply plug it into a mixer (with mic preamp) after going through distortion, delay, etc.? Do I need to have a headphone preamp either pre- or post- reverb tank to boost the signal?

Cheers, thanks in advance. Long time lurker, first time sh*tposter.

e

[calaverasgrande]

I looked in to this a while back. I'm a little fuzzy on the details and too lazy to google. But there is an impedance difference between a reverb tank and a microphone. IIRC it's 2-4k ohms or something like that. The normal microphone impedance is 100-200 ohms. Though some models can be up to 600 ohms. This is closer to instrument impedance and level. Like the output of a guitar or bass. So you might want to try one of those preamps that has mic or instrument inputs. You can adapters to try it through either and see what works?
As far as reverb tanks, they are still manufactured today, and only cost about $20 for a brand new one. I'd advise you grab one of those, so when you are goofing around with trying to amplify it with mic. instrument or line level inputs, at least you know the springs are good.

[Cementimental]

Yes you can just plug it directly into anything, most of them have phono in and outputs already so just get phono cables and some phono to 1/4" mono adaptors and you will be all set up to connect it to pedals and/or mixer.

you can even use both the 'in' and the 'out' of the reverb tanks as outs, into 2 pedal chains, if you are just using it as a noise spring instrument.

I've found the FX send of any mixer I've tried to be loud enough to drive the reverb, so you can actually use it conventionally by simply connecting it up that way with sufficiant gain on the input/fx return you are using.

[calaverasgrande]

it will work that way but signal to noise will not be optimal.
This may be to your liking if you like extra noise in your stuff.
But AC ground noise is just the sound of stupid.

[online prowler]

http://www.schneidersladen.de/en/ersatzfedertank-fur-moisturizer.html

http://www.schneidersladen.de/en/knas-ekdahl-moisturizer.html - need a preamp for this one.

- or fish one out of an old electric organ.

[calaverasgrande]

One thing I have experimented with is using stuff other than spring tanks as reverbs.  Pretty much anything that resonates or reverberates when struck will work. I had good results with a garage sale zither that I picked up.  However I broke the damn thing when I tried to tune it. I had this idea about a 'reverb in a key' and using a zither just seemed perfect for that.
Until I broke it the results were pretty good. However I had to drive the speaker I coupled to the zither rather hard to get a result. I also started but never finished a few experiments with metal shelving, broken cymbals and a few other found objects. If you can put a speaker on one end and a contact mic on the other end you can make it a reverb. Results may vary.

[online prowler]

One thing I have experimented with is using stuff other than spring tanks as reverbs.  Pretty much anything that resonates or reverberates when struck will work. I had good results with a garage sale zither that I picked up.  However I broke the damn thing when I tried to tune it. I had this idea about a 'reverb in a key' and using a zither just seemed perfect for that.
Until I broke it the results were pretty good. However I had to drive the speaker I coupled to the zither rather hard to get a result. I also started but never finished a few experiments with metal shelving, broken cymbals and a few other found objects. If you can put a speaker on one end and a contact mic on the other end you can make it a reverb. Results may vary.

Any certains specs for amp OHM or contact mics w wide freq range necassary? Would be fun to try out the last trick.

[calaverasgrande]

I used to have one of those 5w Epiphone tube amps. I messed around with various speakers that I foraged from broken electronics. I'd do silly things like cut the speaker cone away from the frame and then epoxy it to the body of the object.
As far as contact mics I used some that I picked up at radio shack. Some that I got from MCM electronics. I always tried to be fancy and use a direct box and a good preamp though.
If I ever revisit this I'd like to have it set up so I can feedback inverted and non inverted signals from the output.

[online prowler]

I used to have one of those 5w Epiphone tube amps. I messed around with various speakers that I foraged from broken electronics. I'd do silly things like cut the speaker cone away from the frame and then epoxy it to the body of the object.
As far as contact mics I used some that I picked up at radio shack. Some that I got from MCM electronics. I always tried to be fancy and use a direct box and a good preamp though.
If I ever revisit this I'd like to have it set up so I can feedback inverted and non inverted signals from the output.

I see. That should be easy enough. I might give it a shot. Cheers!

[calaverasgrande]

just had to say, recently picked up a Doepfer reverb module and spring tank for my modular. It sounds very good, not noisy at all. And it has this great emphasis circuit which seems to sweep a peak filter on the input of the tank.

[isomer]

They're very versatile. I use mine standalone just running through a bass overdrive for boost and saturation into the mixer (adding delay, reverb, distortion etc depending on the situation), so you don't need much to make them useful. Like Cementimental says above, you can just use the phono outs with a plug converter for after-effects, so you don't need much.

[calaverasgrande]

another experiment I did was with a long piece of plastic tube I stole from a construction site. Lets hear it for drunken courage!
I put an old 8" speaker (it was an 8" pipe) at one end and made a type of back for it with an orange construction cone my dog insisted on taking home with us one day. I also mounted the speaker jack on the cone and stuffed it with an old sock. Ziptying the arrangement to holes drilled in the end of the pipe.

Then I'd put a mic at the far end to grab the result. It wasn't as cool as I'd hoped. But did sound kind of good on percussive high pitched sounds. Like a very subtle ring mod or flanger.
I was hoping for more of a flutter echo effect.

When sweeping a tone there were obvious overtones that rung out. Might be nice if you could get a high wattage driver and really power the sucker.

If I attempt this again it would be to construct a very large version built like a french horn, with valves to select different footages. I imagine the new Bastl euro modular solenoid and motor controller modules could be useful. But I live in NY now and there is no space for such contraptions.
Yeah, I used to play french horn. My dad still does.

[Necrobot]

Most of my set (at the CSW in Warsaw) involved heavy use of a spring reverb tank. My favourite weapon hands down.

https://youtu.be/9rm_AtYQwhs?t=3m44s