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A contact microphone, also known as a pickup or a piezo, is a form of microphone that senses audio vibrations through contact with solid objects. Unlike normal air microphones, contact mics are almost completely insensitive to air vibrations but transduce only structure-borne sound. Often used as acoustic leakage probes, they also enjoy wide usage by noise music artists experimenting with sound. Contact microphones based on piezo materials are passive and high-impedance, which can make them sound 'tinny' without a matching preamp.
The most commonly available contact microphone element is made of a thin piezoelectric ceramic round glued to a thin brass or alloy metal disc. This center disc is positive while the brass disc is negative. If this silver disc is cracked or scorched, the piezo will no longer function at full sensitivity.
More recently, flexible PVDF fluoropolymer piezo film has been developed in tabs, strips, cables, and large sheets. Piezo cable is often used buried under roads as traffic sensors.