Cortado MkII DIY Kit
The Cortado MkII is a balanced, buffered contact microphone available exclusively as a DIY kit. Its phantom-powered circuit is designed to properly balance the signal from a piezo transducer and match its naturally high output impedance to the low-impedance inputs found on mixers, consoles, and recorders. The result is a cleaner, fuller signal path with excellent low-frequency response and an impressively low noise floor.
The MkII offers an adjustable bias control for fine-tuning performance, and the kit includes every component needed to build either a standalone contact microphone or an instrument pickup. It can even be adapted into a unique tin-can microphone, following the approach outlined in our popular Instructable for the original Cortado.
Like the MkIII, the Cortado MkII requires standard phantom power to operate, and we offer bulk microphone cable for anyone who wants to customize or extend their cable runs.
Cortado MkIII Professional Contact Microphone
The Cortado MkIII is the newest evolution of our balanced, buffered contact microphone—redesigned from the inside out for durability, clarity, and professional performance. Its completely new sensor is engineered to be virtually indestructible, delivering exceptional detail across a wide 23 Hz to 40 kHz bandwidth.
The onboard preamp is powered by standard 24–48 VDC phantom power and is housed in a rugged steel chassis built to withstand real-world use. A 6-foot (1.8 m) shielded cable connects the sensor to the chassis, giving you flexibility in placement. The MkIII also includes a switchable high-pass filter (labeled Bass Boost) and a –10 dB pad for handling extremely loud sources without distortion.
Each unit comes with mounting putty and optional rubber feet for the chassis, so you’re ready to record right out of the box.