Handset microphones are designed for recording voice audio, so when you're trying to bootleg your favorite band at a concert, distortion becomes a problem. To remedy this, the folks at Open Music Labs have created a specialized microphone called the bootlegMIC that seriously ups the quality of your recordings.

While you could buy one of these expensive audio recorders, the bootlegMIC is a much more affordable alternative that uses an electret microphone to take in sound. To prevent the incredibly loud concert music from distorting, Open Music Labs has created a simple circuit using two resistors and a capacitor that buffers the signal and reduces load, giving a (relatively) distortion free recording. It bears mentioning, though, that this system works well on the iPhone, but because of design and software differences, Android support is hit-and-miss. The team also offers a kit to help you get started, so make sure your soldering irons are primed and ready.