This is the story of how I turned a vintage plastic file box into a DIY SASS microphone rig. I came across a vintage brown plastic file box back in 2020 while scrounging local thrift shops for flexible plastic to build my second DIY SASS housing. The price, $1.99. My first attempt at building one was with using a 70s-yellow Samsonite train case, also a thrift store find. The first was fine, but heavy and more labor-intensive to build that what I present below. Currently, DIY SASS version 2 holds a pair of Audio Technica 3032 omnidirectional microphones. These microphones have been discontinued, but have been replaced with AT’s 4022.
SASS stands for Stereo Ambient Sampling System, a trademarked recording rig built by Crown International in the late 80s utilizing their PZM boundary microphones. It is a quasi-binaural setup that according to the manufacturer is mono-compatible. What does this mean? A SASS rig’s stereo signal folds down to mono with no hole in the middle. Other stereo-capturing techniques, like A/B, don’t offer this. That was important in the days when recordings were often mixed down to mono for radio applications.
It is important to source a box with a shallow lid and a deep bottom. A file box like this one above fits the bill. Once again, I based the design on Rob Danielson’s wooden SASS design (which can be viewed on Vicki Powys website), using a protractor to find 35-degree angles for the SASS plates and 8-degree angles for the ‘nose.’
I had two epiphanies while creating this rig that didn’t come to me while making the first. Since the plastic is thinner than the Samsonite case, I could create lips on the plates and fold them over the housing. To create these folds I scored the plate on the outside where the fold takes place with a Dremel tool and cutting bit. I realized also that I could use the bottom of the box for the front of the nose. Hopefully, this will become clear as you look over the how-to photographs below.
Instead of using lots of hook and loop fasteners as I did on my first DIY SASS, I used tiny machine screws and matching nuts. To hold the microphones in place, I am using white flex rubber hose used for hot tubs. I picked this up at a local Ace Hardware store. They sell it on a roll, and you cut off the length required. What I like about this hose is that the mics fit into the hose quite snug, but not so tight that I cannot remove them. This means that if I tilt the rig up or down, the mics never slip out. That’s important if you’re dangling the rig over a canal lock, as I have in the past (see gallery below).
Closed-cell foam is used evenly inside the housing, secured with double-sided tape. For the space between the two mics, I’m using foam sourced from a gymnastics business that went belly up. They were giving away foam blocks, the kind you fall down upon when you land in a pit. This stuff was like gold to me. I brought home a car-load.
With regard to wind protection, I turn to a couple options. For next to no wind, I use a couple pieces of loose-cell foam slipped beneath a loose-weaved polyester shirt sleeve. For high winds, I use a DIY furry sewed to size.
Step by Step Photos
The images above show the DIY SASS with its original ‘faces’ made for small PIP microphones. I replaced those with the AT 3032 and had to fashion new ‘faces’ out of an old gray plastic container.
As mentioned, build time was considerably less with this one compared to my first. I had a better idea of the design in my head before tearing at the box with the Dremel tool. A Dremel is invaluable for this type of project. Scissors just don’t cut it, literally. Shop glasses and earplugs are highly recommended too. There’s something about cutting into a box that really amplifies the noise. Your neighbors/wife/dog will hate it. Take my advice and don’t buy 99-cent spray paint. It coats fine but off-gasses for days after application.
I’m finding this SASS has just as convincing a stereo image as my first SASS rig. It’s a bit smaller (approx. 13 by 8 by 5 inches) and lighter (2 pound, 5 ounces including mics) but has the same angles and 7-inch spacing between microphones. The boundary area around the mic is 5 inches by 4 1/2 inches, smaller than my first attempt.
In the past, I’ve used these AT 3032 mics in spaced A/B and baffled omni configurations. Now I have a third option for capturing convincing stereo sound with them.
DIY SASS Microphone Rig in Action
Further Reading
- Everything you wanted to know about Crown’s PZM technology and the original SASS. This is 505 pages worth reading, from newsletters starting from the PZM’s inception.
- See the specs for the original Crown SASS here, at Cortant.org
- Tom Benedict created a beautiful wooden DIY ‘Pseudo SASS array in 2015. You can see how he did it here.