PZT Piezo

[bloodyjack]

Can anybody point me to a source of Piezo ceramic disks specifically designed for reproducing audio?
Not Radio Shack buzzers or MSI film.

[mje]

Originally Posted by bloodyjack

Can anybody point me to a source of Piezo ceramic disks specifically designed for reproducing audio?
Not Radio Shack buzzers or MSI film.

I don't think such a thing exists. Every piezo pickup I've seen is engineered by the company after starting with some generic kynar or barium titanate or other piezo material. The disks that are so common in homemade units were never made for full-range reproduction. They were designed as highly efficient beepers meant to be driven at near their resonant frequency.

[ToneRanger]

Originally Posted by bloodyjack

Not Radio Shack buzzers or MSI film.

I'm getting a fat, full-range sound from shielded MSI films under the bridge foot of URB, EUB, cellos & violins - www.fittell.id.au/piezo

[fdeck]

I think the resonant frequency becomes less of an issue if the piezo is encapsulated, as it is in most bass pickups. There should be no problem trying piezo buzzers, perhaps a few of different sizes. Or, follow ToneRanger's recipe, which looks quite well thought out.

[ToneRanger]

I've also experimented with the Tandy buzzers. They sounded OK (not quite as nice as the MSI films) but they weren't durable enough - the solder joints kept breaking. I've had no trouble with the MSI's.