Okay, so “Ben the Don,” huh? Sounds like a mob movie title, but nah, it’s just a silly nickname I gave to a little project I was messing with. Let me tell you the whole story, start to finish.
It all started with this beat-up old microphone I found in my attic. Thing looked ancient, like something my grandpa would’ve used to announce bingo night. I almost tossed it, but then I thought, “Hey, maybe I can get this thing working?”
The Cleanup
First things first, I gave it a good scrub. I mean, this thing was dusty. I used some rubbing alcohol and a toothbrush, really getting into all the nooks and crannies. I swear, I coughed up a dust bunny the size of my fist.
Figuring Out the Wiring
Next, I had to figure out how the heck this thing was wired. I’m no electrician, but I can follow a diagram (sometimes). I popped open the base and…wow. Wires everywhere. It looked like a rat’s nest in there. I spent a good hour just tracing wires and trying to make sense of it all.
I found online that someone had already made it. So I followed up the wiring step by step.
The Test Run (and Failure)
I finally got it all wired up (or so I thought) and plugged it into my computer. I opened up a recording program, took a deep breath, and…nothing. Not a peep. I fiddled with the wires, checked the connections, and still nothing. I was about to give up, honestly.
The “Aha!” Moment
Then, I noticed something. One tiny little wire wasn’t connected properly. It was barely touching the terminal. I pushed it in, held my breath, and tried again. And…it worked! I heard my voice, loud and clear (well, maybe not that clear, it’s still an old mic), coming through the speakers.
Ben the Don is Born
I started messing around, recording silly voiceovers and sound effects. That’s when I decided to give it the nickname “Ben the Don.” No real reason, it just sounded funny. I even made a little stand for it out of some scrap wood.
So, yeah, that’s the story of Ben the Don. It’s not exactly a high-tech masterpiece, but it’s my high-tech masterpiece. And it all started with a dusty old microphone and a whole lot of patience (and a little bit of luck).