Topic: Can My PCM-M10 Be Frying Mics?

[CTjazzfanatic]

I have been using a Sony PCM-M10 since I started recording three years ago. Initially I was using Church Audio CA-14 -> CA-9100 -> line in on the PCM-M10. In March, 2012 I started using Core Sound HEB DPA4061s -> battery box -> mic in. Last month I discovered that the left channel on my DPAs was not functioning. I sent them in to Core Sound to get checked out for possible repair or replacement (I am still waiting for a response to my two follow up emails regarding the status) . In the mean time I picked up a set of Sound Professionals SP-CMC-25 and battery box. I recorded six jazz concerts mic in (less than ten hours of music) in the four weeks since I received the Sound Professional mics, then Saturday before another show without any warning I discovered that the left channel on those mics was not functioning.

Since this happened with two totally different sets of mics in such a short period of time I am wondering whether it can be something about the recorder (or specifically the mic in input) that is causing the problem? Since the Sound Professionals are still under warranty, they are sending me a replacement set. For the foreseeable future I plan to use my CA-9100 line in just in case there is something wrong with the mic in input. But I am wondering whether this is just one of those rare coincidences, or is there something wrong with my recorder?

Anyone ever heard of something like this happening?

[CTjazzfanatic]

So it is likely just a freaky coincidence?

[Gutbucket]

Stranger things have happened.

IME corresponding with Core Sound is easier via phone than email.

[mr qpl]

I'd certainly think it was Coresound fail before Sony.....

[CTjazzfanatic]

I'd certainly think it was Coresound fail before Sony.....

Maybe, but that would not explain why the same thing happened to the Sound Professionals mics.

[acidjack]

Freaky coincidence. Coresound is not known for the quality of their wiring.  I'm a bit more surprised that it'd happen with sound pros, but it certainly could happen.  Sometimes a bad contact in the miniplug will do it.

[brad.bartels]

Are you sure the problems are with the mics? Sounds like you have them in to be looked at but don't know that there is anything wrong with them at this point? I'm thinking it could be the 1/8" jack on your M-10 or any cables connectors that might have been in common in the chain. Or possibly the level wheel on the M-10. I had a similar problem where I would sporadically get nothing on the left channel on some recordings (maybe 1 out of 10). It turned out to be the level knob on my recorder (Olympus LS-10 in this case). In certain gain positions, I would intermittently lose the left channel. I would think any bad sodder joint or connector could have the same effect. I would try recording something at home and wiggle / adjust everything you can and see if you can reproduce the issue. Hopefully it's not something causing a problem with your mics. Seems like the likely suspect would be anything in common that you used in both instances, at least as a starting point. Best of luck with figuring out the issue though.

[CTjazzfanatic]

Are you sure the problems are with the mics? Sounds like you have them in to be looked at but don't know that there is anything wrong with them at this point? I'm thinking it could be the 1/8" jack on your M-10 or any cables connectors that might have been in common in the chain. Or possibly the level wheel on the M-10. I had a similar problem where I would sporadically get nothing on the left channel on some recordings (maybe 1 out of 10). It turned out to be the level knob on my recorder (Olympus LS-10 in this case). In certain gain positions, I would intermittently lose the left channel. I would think any bad sodder joint or connector could have the same effect. I would try recording something at home and wiggle / adjust everything you can and see if you can reproduce the issue. Hopefully it's not something causing a problem with your mics. Seems like the likely suspect would be anything in common that you used in both instances, at least as a starting point. Best of luck with figuring out the issue though.

Thanks for the additional thoughts, but in each instance I am pretty sure it was the mics. To test I plugged the mics into my CA-9100 and then into the M10 via line in as opposed to mic in. For both sets the one channel still did not work, but when I replaced them with my Church Audio mics everything worked fine. Sound Professionals quickly sent me a replacement set and I used them tonight (again via line in) with no problem.

[earmonger]

The mic-in jack sends a tiny bit of power--I forget how much, 1.5 V? 3 V?--to the mics. If you are using a battery box then the mics are getting more power (9V? 12V?) than that, and if you are going Line-in, that jack supplies no power.

Have you checked the battery box? Hard to think that it could fry mics, but it seems more likely than the PCM-M10. Still, I'd suspect loose wires first of all. 

[CTjazzfanatic]

The mic-in jack sends a tiny bit of power--I forget how much, 1.5 V? 3 V?--to the mics. If you are using a battery box then the mics are getting more power (9V? 12V?) than that, and if you are going Line-in, that jack supplies no power.

Have you checked the battery box? Hard to think that it could fry mics, but it seems more likely than the PCM-M10. Still, I'd suspect loose wires first of all.

Two different microphone sets. Two different battery boxes.

[hi and lo]

The mic-in jack sends a tiny bit of power--I forget how much, 1.5 V? 3 V?--to the mics. If you are using a battery box then the mics are getting more power (9V? 12V?) than that, and if you are going Line-in, that jack supplies no power.

Battery boxes use DC blocking capacitors between the mic and recorder. These capacitors are there to block the 9v DC from the recorder's input and, vice versa, also block any PIP provided by the recorder from the microphone. The voltages are not additive and it is not problematic.