Topic: Has anyone had a mic cable go bad?

[Dutchman1101]

What does it sound like I wonder? I had some weird crackling on one of my channels this weekend and I think it could be a cable.

[anodyne33]

They can crackle, they can hum, or they can not pass anything. Plug it in and wiggle the cable at the connectors, step on it throughout it's length, twist it up. If it makes noise when you jiggle it at the connectors it probably just needs resoldered (if that is indeed where your noise came from).

[Todd R]

I'm more than happy to take a look at those cables I made you, Harrison, though I don't think I've had anyone had them go bad.  (Well, besides Scott S who was running sound for a band and pulled them thru the rafters or something -- tore thru the outer techflex braiding, the teflon jacket, the silver-braided sheild, and into the teflon insulation on the wires -- yikes!)

Like, .ron said though, you might want to check out the system as a whole.  Could be a bad solder joint on the cables, but I've alse heard of some problems with the 480 bodies (something about needing to keep tight a set screw or something?, do a search) and I've also have heard of people having problems with the RCA inputs on the SBM1.  All of which would probably sound pretty much the same on tape, so you might try to narrow it down.

[Dutchman1101]

I'm more than happy to take a look at those cables I made you, Harrison, though I don't think I've had anyone had them go bad.  (Well, besides Scott S who was running sound for a band and pulled them thru the rafters or something -- tore thru the outer techflex braiding, the teflon jacket, the silver-braided sheild, and into the teflon insulation on the wires -- yikes!)

Like, .ron said though, you might want to check out the system as a whole.  Could be a bad solder joint on the cables, but I've alse heard of some problems with the 480 bodies (something about needing to keep tight a set screw or something?, do a search) and I've also have heard of people having problems with the RCA inputs on the SBM1.  All of which would probably sound pretty much the same on tape, so you might try to narrow it down.

Todd,

I really appreciate that. I will definitely try to narrow it down before I send it to you though. I also thought of that problem with the 480's. I know they have had some problems. I'm going to SCI on Sunday so that will be a good test. I can care less if that tape has static on it I was also thinking of the SBM as well. The left channel is where the static was on the last 2 shows of the 3 night run. The left RCA connection is much tighter then the right. Well I guess I'm back at this game again I must have some bad taping karma

[Chuck]

Microphone cables do go bad. It's happened to me. I started building my own cables when I had a 20 footer go bad on stage when I was running live sound. There are all sorts of reasons a cable can fail. Harrison I'll bring along a little screw driver to adjust your C-480's on Sunday for Ratdog/ SCI. After seeing Todds work, I'll bet it's the microphone connection, not the cable. I'll bring a VOM too, to check the cable.

Chuck

[Dutchman1101]

Microphone cables do go bad. It's happened to me. I started building my own cables when I had a 20 footer go bad on stage when I was running live sound. There are all sorts of reasons a cable can fail. Harrison I'll bring along a little screw driver to adjust your C-480's on Sunday for Ratdog/ SCI. After seeing Todds work, I'll bet it's the microphone connection, not the cable. I'll bring a VOM too, to check the cable.

Chuck

Thanks Chuck! +T!

[rokpunk]

It happens all the time. Get an inpedance meter.

[anodyne33]

Another thing I was thinking about, optical cables and their associated connections are notorious for adding static/pops/crackles to your signal.

[Dutchman1101]

Another thing I was thinking about, optical cables and their associated connections are notorious for adding static/pops/crackles to your signal.

I have also thought of this. Can if effect only one channel though?

[anodyne33]

Another thing I was thinking about, optical cables and their associated connections are notorious for adding static/pops/crackles to your signal.

I have also thought of this. Can if effect only one channel though?

absolutely. I've had a couple of shows get effed up because of the same noise, and i've not been able to isolate the problem because it's not constant, but i'm leaning toward optical cable. gotta get one of those nice rt angle to rt andgle cables soon.

[Dutchman1101]

Another thing I was thinking about, optical cables and their associated connections are notorious for adding static/pops/crackles to your signal.

I have also thought of this. Can if effect only one channel though?

absolutely. I've had a couple of shows get effed up because of the same noise, and i've not been able to isolate the problem because it's not constant, but i'm leaning toward optical cable. gotta get one of those nice rt angle to rt andgle cables soon.

I will definitely have to try a new optical cable then. Thanks for the info! +T

[Dutchman1101]

Well, I did some tests last night and it's one of the mic cables. Todd's going to look at for me and I'm sure it will be all good. Thanks for the info guys!

[John Kelly]

Another thing I was thinking about, optical cables and their associated connections are notorious for adding static/pops/crackles to your signal.

I don't even think that's technically possible - it's a digital signal, so it's either there or it isn't.  Static can't just appear out of ones and zeroes. 

[anodyne33]

Another thing I was thinking about, optical cables and their associated connections are notorious for adding static/pops/crackles to your signal.

I don't even think that's technically possible - it's a digital signal, so it's either there or it isn't.  Static can't just appear out of ones and zeroes. 

if it drops a few bits of data that pertain to one channel... just my thinkning anyway...

[John Kelly]

Another thing I was thinking about, optical cables and their associated connections are notorious for adding static/pops/crackles to your signal.

I don't even think that's technically possible - it's a digital signal, so it's either there or it isn't.  Static can't just appear out of ones and zeroes. 

if it drops a few bits of data that pertain to one channel... just my thinkning anyway...

You'd lose the signal, yes...but it can't actually add static to the signal.