Mic with on/off switch so drummer can speak to us!

andyg_prs

My garage is converted to a rehearsal space with a drum isolation booth to keep levels down.  I've run cables in to a small mixer in the booth, so the drummer can control the level of the different voices/instruments outside the booth.  However, when they want to say something we can't hear them.

So I'm looking for a cheap mic with a sliding on/off switch or some other simple mechanism so that they can 'press to talk'....and I'll run that cable to the PA in the main room.

Any recommendations?  I got this.....but you can't here anything until you put your mouth right up to the microphone and then it distorts horribly.

steamabacus

How cheap is cheap? The obvious answer would be a Shure SM58S (an SM58 with a switch) but there are cheaper options like this or even this if budget is really tight.

AntonHunter

Before you do this, are you sure you want to hear what they've got to say? Once you give them a mic, you can't go back.

mike257

If you've already got regular, non-switched mics knocking around, you could just get a Palmer DMS, which is a push-to-talk footswitch for standard mics. 

https://www.gear4music.com/PA-DJ-and-Lighting/Palmer-DMS-Dynamic-Mic-Switcher/19U0

I use these on stage for band talkback mics when I'm mixing IEMs, so everyone has easy communication to me and to each other. I'll usually have a mic on a short boom stand at the drums positioned to their left so it's not in the way of playing, but they can lean their head over to it easily enough, and stick the footswitch down next to the hi hat pedal, so they can speak while playing with minimal hassle if they need to. 

Only £44 and they're rock solid. 

Grangousier

Couldn't he just tap it out in Morse code?

Roland

Grangousier said:

Couldn't he just tap it out in Morse code?

Nah. There’s a joke in there somewhere about not even able to speak English, but there’s a difference of opinion about whether it applies to drummers or guitarists.

pintspiller

T.Bone MB55 I used these when I had bands rehearse in my garage 30 years ago. Seemed to work as good as anything else I used.

Teyeplayer

AntonHunter said:

Before you do this, are you sure you want to hear what they've got to say? Once you give them a mic, you can't go back.

And similarly, if you find the reverse-mic method where you get to switch off the drummer do please let us all know. 

Macca_25387

Orchid electronics do a mic mute foot switch box.