Topic: Akg 460/ck61 problem

[Phil Zone]

Hi all,
My akg 460s with the ck61 caps are having a problem. One of the mics every once and a while has a problem where the level drops around 20+db and sometimes I can change the caps from one mic to the other and it's fine. I can't tell if it's a bad cap or body, anyone know what it may be?

Thanks and let me know if that's unclear or if further Info is needed

[groovon]

Is the capsule pin tight in the preamp socket? They can become loose. I have one CK-61 cap whose pin is isn't quite concentric - you can feel the friction vary as the pin turns in the socket. It seems to be OK once seated, however. I also had intermittent 'popping' from one 460 preamp, possibly a bad capacitor. Don't know if that helps, but good luck anyway.

Dave

[Phil Zone]

Is the capsule pin tight in the preamp socket? They can become loose. I have one CK-61 cap whose pin is isn't quite concentric - you can feel the friction vary as the pin turns in the socket. It seems to be OK once seated, however. I also had intermittent 'popping' from one 460 preamp, possibly a bad capacitor. Don't know if that helps, but good luck anyway.

Dave

What did you do about the popping? Thanks

[groovon]

As I had another half-dozen working C460 bodies, I just put it aside 8>] I'll have a look at repairing it one of these days.

PS - When you try another capsule on that body, as you mentioned, does it *keep on* working? Then what happens when you put the original cap on another body?

Dave

[Phil Zone]

As I had another half-dozen working C460 bodies, I just put it aside 8>] I'll have a look at repairing it one of these days.

PS - When you try another capsule on that body, as you mentioned, does it *keep on* working? Then what happens when you put the original cap on another body?

Dave

Yes it will keep working then sometimes I can put the original cap on and it works just fine

[Phil Zone]

I think it was just a simple contact problem so I cleaned them this morning and have had them running with alternating caps since 7am and they have been solid. Thanks for the help

[Phil Zone]

 Take that back one of the bodies is no good. Keeps poping and going nuts, but only after running for a few minutes, must be a capacitor...

[Hypnocracy]

I had a C460b Preamp (body) go bad...after a while it would sound like someone blowing raspberrys...it was at least $200 a repair....but it was basically a new Mic body at that point (total dosh & clean all new circuits)...and these are getting close to 20-30 years old so FWIW...you may or may not be better off looking for a body than fixing the issue...

[Phil Zone]

I've decided to just get them repaired. I'm sending  them to bill Bradley http://www.micshop.com hopefully he can fix them and get them to condition of being brand new.

[Chuck]

I've decided to just get them repaired. I'm sending  them to bill Bradley http://www.micshop.com hopefully he can fix them and get them to condition of being brand new.

Let us know how that goes. I've always sent my AKG stuff to Richard Land.

[groovon]

Take that back one of the bodies is no good. Keeps poping and going nuts, but only after running for a few minutes, must be a capacitor...

Sorry to hear that. Hope you can get them repaired without hassle if you decide to send them off. The pin/socket contacts are key though, I would keep checking and cleaning, maybe try tightening the socket. Intermittent faults are the worst, so I understand your frustration.
cheers
Dave

[Ultfris101]

I've decided to just get them repaired. I'm sending  them to bill Bradley http://www.micshop.com hopefully he can fix them and get them to condition of being brand new.

Let us know how that goes. I've always sent my AKG stuff to Richard Land.

Seconded (let us know how it goes). I have a wonky 480 body that I should do something with. I pinged AKG USA and it's $250 to get my 480 back in shape. I could just about buy one on ebay for that so right now it's just sitting around.

That Micshop link is kind of dangerous. Seeing all the old mics lined up like that get's my collector juices flowing.

[Phil Zone]

Update:

Just talked with bill and he said the caps and bodies are bad... Looks like I got some bad deals buying these ones. He said they are so bad he doesn't think anyone but akg should touch them, so he's just shipping them back with no charge and giving me someone to get in touch with. Very nice guy but he's a tube and nuemann specialist, so understandable.

Does anyone think they would hold any value on eBay? They do still work and only problems are noticeable when 40db or so of gain is added... Maybe list them as somewhat functional.

[F.O.Bean]

Update:

Just talked with bill and he said the caps and bodies are bad... Looks like I got some bad deals buying these ones. He said they are so bad he doesn't think anyone but akg should touch them, so he's just shipping them back with no charge and giving me someone to get in touch with. Very nice guy but he's a tube and nuemann specialist, so understandable.

Does anyone think they would hold any value on eBay? They do still work and only problems are noticeable when 40db or so of gain is added... Maybe list them as somewhat functional.

That's y buying new has its advantages bro. AKG aren't cheap by any means, but I think that the cheaper the mics are, the worse people take care of them. That's y I often see shitty shape mic caps/bodies

[groovon]

Update:

Just talked with bill and he said the caps and bodies are bad... Looks like I got some bad deals buying these ones. He said they are so bad he doesn't think anyone but akg should touch them, so he's just shipping them back with no charge and giving me someone to get in touch with. Very nice guy but he's a tube and nuemann specialist, so understandable.

Does anyone think they would hold any value on eBay? They do still work and only problems are noticeable when 40db or so of gain is added... Maybe list them as somewhat functional.

When you say they're 'bad', did you actually figure out a specific problem? Contacts worn, dirty diaphragm, bad capacitor(s)...?
 
Dave

[ero3030]

ya,  bad can be one mic,   whether the cap or the body not inputting up to spec or out putting to factory spec,  but still working.   it may not pair up with another 460 to make a good stereo pair for recording bands,  but as a single/stand alone mic,  it still has worth,  and too the right person who is looking for a single 460 it should sell for ya.  like all ebay auctions,  it all in the wording on how u sell it with out misrepresenting it.  if your " bad " does still work,  and is quite when powered up,  u dont need to lie about it being tested.  if u feel the sound is or maybe diff than another 460 u have or u compared it too,  u deff dont need to share that info.  i would just sell it as a single akg 460/61 that is great for spot micing to over heads,  too acoustic guitar micing.  good luck,  and if u have been or still r,  keep the caps attached to mic body all the time.  one less thing that could go wrong.  ed

[SmokinJoe]

The best way to troubleshoot something like this is to mark all the individual pieces, or go by the serial numbers, and track the problem as you swap components.  Fire it up at home, let it run until something happens.  Then swap the caps on the bodies while keeping the bodies on the same Left/right channel..  The next time it happens if the problem moved it's the caps.  If it stays on the same channel, then it's the body.  BUT sometimes these things are seemingly random, and a single test can cause you to jump to the wrong conclusion, so you want to repeat the test if possible trying to get the same result.

Some mics don't like humidity. If you take them to an outdoor festival on a damp day they will act up, under normal use they won't.  Put them then in a warm dry place and they will recover when they get damp.  One thing to avoid in winter in colder climates is storing them in the car where they get cold, then you bring then indoors and set them up, where condensation will form.  I had an LSD2 which didn't like humidity.  I would have problems with it in Maine, then when I sent it to the Studio Projects in the California desert, they couldn't repeat the problem.  On the 3rd trip they did, and replaced the capsules for free.  If it's humidity related it almost surely the capsules.  Keep in mind the vast majority of condenser mics were intended for use in a climate controlled studio, with on stage use secondary, and no one expected us to expose them to weather.