joins Morning Show host Dee behind the mics in the Country 105 studio.
I first met 14 year old Thunder Bay entrepreneur Devin Levallee at ThunderCon, where his 3D printing booth immediately caught my eye.
Devin ended up making us custom keychains for Country 105 and 99.9 The Bay –
they looked so amazing & we were so impressed with the quality and design that we started thinking: could Devin design something even more unique for our radio stations?
Enter the mic flag.
holding his mic featuring Devin’s 3D‑printed mic flag.
What’s a Mic Flag?
Mic flags are the little cubes or triangles you see on microphones, usually with a station or network logo. Back in the day, they were sometimes called “mic flashers” because they’d flash the logo on camera-especially in TV newsrooms. But in radio, where we’re not always on camera, they’re simply called mic flags. They’re a quick way to brand your show and make it pop in photos, videos, or live events.
We asked Devin if he could make one for us. Turns out, no one in our industry (that we know of!) has a 3D-printed mic flag. Devin was up for the challenge.
Meet Devin: The Maker Behind the Mic Flag
Devin’s entrepreneurial journey began at just 12 years old after attending Biz Kids summer camp at the NWO Innovation Centre. He started with a mini pancake business, then pivoted to lawn mowing to save up for his first 3D printer. That goal sparked the launch of Devins Dynamic Designs in early 2024, and the rest is history.
With mentorship from local innovators like Miss Paula of Tuit Tech, Jason from the Boreal Museum, Laura of Quirky Co., and Erik of Ninja Games, Devin quickly scaled his business. Within months, he reinvested in new equipment, upgraded his setup, and even taught his parents how to use the software. Today, he runs six printers out of his home studio.
Devin’s Interview: Behind the Scenes of the Mic Flag Project
Q: What was your first reaction when we asked about making a radio station mic flag?
“When you first asked me, admittedly I wasn’t quite sure what a mic flag was, but I was really excited to work with my favorite radio station! I did some research about them and branched off from there.”
Q: What design challenges did you face?
“I had to consider size, how big to make the microphone hole and how to implement text on them. It was a fun experience-we all sat around the living room with our laptops open, me and my dad working on the triangle model, and my mom on the logos.”
Q: How did you move from concept to 3D design?
“We took the mic flag you gave us, measured it, and put the triangle dimensions into the program. There was a fair bit of trial and error-we realized some measurements were slightly off and some concept prints failed.”
Q: What was the biggest challenge?
“The logos. We had designed them and they were working, but when we switched to printing in multicolor, we couldn’t get it to work properly. My dad solved it by making the logos separate from the mic flag and attaching them after printing.”
Q: When did you know it was going to work?
“The moment we did a test fit of the foam. That’s when I knew the flashers were going to work as intended.”
Q: What did you learn from the project?
“I definitely learned a lot more about designing with triangles. This was one of my first projects creating something completely from scratch, and I learned how to fully do that.”
Q: What are you most proud of?
“The first design I printed. It was really close to the original mic flag. That moment felt like a big success-I could compare it to the original and make little changes as needed.”
Devin’s mic flags are now proudly displayed on our studio mics and our news reporter’s microphones. They look amazing-and they’re a one-of-a-kind creation from a local innovator who’s just getting started! Thank you Devin! We wish you continued success!
