Sourcing a manufacturer of a customised microphone - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: flymic85
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 09, 2019, 10:15:49 pm
content: Hi all,I am looking for the best and cheapest way to have a customised microphone manufactured.Basically I am wanting to design a microphone that attaches with velcro to a general headphone like the Bose QC35 and connects to the headphones aux in port.The microphone will also have a wire connecting 2 male plugs. The PJ-055 (.25 inch / 6.35mm) and PJ-068 (.206 inch / 5.25mm) plugs. The PJ-055 provides audio to the ear cups and the PJ-068 is for your microphone. This headset would be designed to connect to an aircraft cockpit pilot speaker system.I had put a request on alibaba earlier but no responses as of yet, any help on this forum that was recommended by a friend would be great!!Many thanks,

author: ratatax
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2019, 11:29:26 pm
content: What kind of information/details did you give to them ? I have great experience with Chinese people on Alibaba, but you need precise requirements (schematics , drawings....), most of them can help you on some choices but they won't design the product for you, and prototyping is kinda expensive even in China.

author: flymic85
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 09, 2019, 11:50:31 pm
content: Yes I am not in to electronics at all, however there is a need for the product I am describing. Similar products are on the market.Attached is my basic advert on Alibaba. Any advice on how I move forward would be great!

author: ratatax
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2019, 08:36:36 pm
content: Yup you can't ask for an order & price while the whole product design is unknown, telling the specs to the manufacturer isn't enough, there are a LOT more steps involved if you want any product to be manufactured:- Decide the process for plastic parts (molding, cnc, 3D printing..)- Decide which materials (ABS...)- Draw all parts in a 3D CAD software so you know all dimensions of all parts- Find and source all existing components you will use (jack, connectors etc.),....If you want people that will design everything for you I don't know where you should ask, but it's probably going to cost you tens thousands of dollars...

author: flymic85
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 10, 2019, 09:02:18 pm
content: Ok many thanks!That's the answer I was after so me asking on Alibaba is a lost cause! Time to look elsewhere!Cheers

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2019, 09:03:46 pm
content: You are up against a language barrier and a wall of text can prevent many from understanding what you are asking for. I find someone who knows the language to do some translation work.Split it up, first source the pieces then find a vendor that can put it together.Likely you'd have to find a mic manufacturer and a moulded cable manufacturer and put them together. A mould might be expensive, get that cost and the MOQ first.Hard specs such as 220-2200 ohms, 8-16V, 200-6000Hz for the mic might make people flee because that is oddball and doesn't really exist without additional electronics beyond a vanilla electret mic capsule.Make it clear those are minimum specs not maximum specs.