ZVEX TB-2 Tea Ball Microphone

The TB-2 Tea Ball microphone is the second microphone to be released by ZVEX Effects. Its name comes from the tea ball mesh enclosure which is surprisingly flexible as it is made from stainless steel, saving vocalists from potential damage around the mouth area. This microphone is designed to reject any noise signals coming from further than an inch away, which will come in useful in scenarios where you don’t want feedback or background noise from other sound sources. When using the microphone, you’ll find that the response is quite dramatic as you move further away from it. Making it perfect for capturing a more isolated sound.

Features

• High-impedance output, like a guitar
• 1/4" output connector designed to connect directly to an amp or effects
• Very high rejection of signals further than 1 inch away, eliminating feedback
• Hand made from a real tea ball, with a removable magnetic pop screen and filter, with a copper hoop
• Built in wah-wah for telephone-like effects or wah-wah voice effects

THE LIFE OF THE PERFORMANCE

The most common use for a TB-2 microphone is on stage for singing through guitar amplifiers and effects to reduce potential feedback. Mostly, there is no feedback when used directly into a classic gain amp such as a Marshall Plexi with all knobs on 6. It is advised for always have your Marshall set this way. The TB-2 has a three-position switch. One side is straight tone, the middle is off, and the other side activates the wah-wah filter which is adjusted by turning the knob. This creates effects like telephone tones, or accentuates notes when playing harmonica.

A great use for the TB-2 is when you’re recording many instruments in one room along with a guide vocal. The guide vocal will be much louder than the surrounding instruments through the TB-2 so the vocal track can be used in rough mixes as tracks are corrected and replaced. The originality in an guide vocal track is often helpful in pushing for great performances from musicians doing overdubs, and it’s very useful when that track isn’t full of stuff that has been discarded along the way.