Zepplin Design Labs Cortado Xe Contact Microphone

The Cortado Xe packs the entire signal chain — piezo contact sensor, JFET preamplifier, and cable — into one all-steel housing smaller than a guitar pick. Connect to any standard 48V phantom-powered XLR input and go. Built for musicians, recording engineers, sound designers, and anyone who needs to capture vibration from a solid surface, the Xe mounts on acoustic instruments, percussion, piano soundboards, or anything that resonates — and it rejects airborne stage noise far better than an air microphone. The all-steel ferrous housing is tour-tough and magnet-mountable, so you can reposition it in seconds with the included putty, tape, or any common magnet. Extended frequency response (40 Hz – 40 kHz) captures harmonic detail well past the limits of human hearing — useful for studio layering, live performance, and creative sound design. The Xe shares the Cortado family’s core philosophy — balanced XLR output, phantom power, extended high-frequency response — in the smallest, simplest form factor we’ve made. If you want onboard pad and high-pass filter controls at the microphone, the Cortado MkIII is the full-featured option. Many users will want both: the MkIII for control at the source, the Xe for travel, quick setups, and instruments where size matters. Key Features: All-in-one design — Sensor and preamp in a single 26mm × 11mm all-steel housing with permanently attached XLR cable All-steel ferrous housing — Durable, well-shielded, and magnet-mountable for instant repositioning Extended frequency response — 40 Hz to 40 kHz captures full harmonic detail Balanced XLR output — Pro-grade signal, low noise, long cable runs without degradation Phantom powered (48V) — No batteries, no DI box, no external preamp Versatile mounting — Ships with mounting putty; ferrous housing also accepts magnets or tape