Topic: microphones and magnets ?

[Nick's Picks]

something tells me the two dont play well together ?

I had this vision of a magnetic shockmount that keeps the microphone "floating in air" between an array of reversed polarity magnets.
then, reality suggested it wouldn't work due to the magnet and what havoc it would reap on the mic itself.


I'm still inclined to "build a better shockmount" though, as the only one i've ever used that I really believed made a difference were the sabra mounts, but those things are so flabby....

[Chilly Brioschi]

Most mic bodies are brass....       

[DSatz]

Nick's Picks, very nice idea, and I'm glad to see fundamental research being conducted right here on this board, in an open and public fashion.

So my question is, what would happen if someone bumped hard into the mike stand? I think you'd need a little parachute for the microphone as a backup. Or better yet, trained birds of prey to swoop down and catch the cable in their beaks or talons any time they hear the words, "Oops! I'm so sorry!"

--best regards

[Nick's Picks]

well, not necessarily the "best use for field recording"...but maybe a small tether somehow, or a way to keep the mics in place (suspended, but unable to move out of the mount).

I do like the trained raptor approach though.

[guysonic]

Nick's Picks, very nice idea, and I'm glad to see fundamental research being conducted right here on this board, in an open and public fashion.

So my question is, what would happen if someone bumped hard into the mike stand? I think you'd need a little parachute for the microphone as a backup. Or better yet, trained birds of prey to swoop down and catch the cable in their beaks or talons any time they hear the words, "Oops! I'm so sorry!"

--best regards

Magnetic mic suspension would be a most unique product, especially if an 'after market' accessory should be practical.  Good thing though, all wired mics give option of securing the cord to the clamping bar or stand in some easy 'Velcro tie-down-strap' fashion, preventing that 'magnetic' suspension from causing serious embarrassments if bumped too hard.  

[Church-Audio]

Nick's Picks, very nice idea, and I'm glad to see fundamental research being conducted right here on this board, in an open and public fashion.

So my question is, what would happen if someone bumped hard into the mike stand? I think you'd need a little parachute for the microphone as a backup. Or better yet, trained birds of prey to swoop down and catch the cable in their beaks or talons any time they hear the words, "Oops! I'm so sorry!"

--best regards

Ouch.... Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed  I think its an interesting idea but the main problem is that any force on the microphone in the horizontal plane would knock the mic out of its holder.. Unless that is you used a metal ring that "make" the mic magnetic and also acts as a safety preventing the mic from "falling out" by the use of two large disks on ether side of the magnets that never touch anything unless the  mic is really smacked. I think if an idea like this was worked out it could be very interesting.. But you would need some strong magnets.

[Roving Sign]

Nick's Picks, very nice idea, and I'm glad to see fundamental research being conducted right here on this board, in an open and public fashion.

So my question is, what would happen if someone bumped hard into the mike stand? I think you'd need a little parachute for the microphone as a backup. Or better yet, trained birds of prey to swoop down and catch the cable in their beaks or talons any time they hear the words, "Oops! I'm so sorry!"

--best regards

Ouch.... Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed  I think its an interesting idea but the main problem is that any force on the microphone in the horizontal plane would knock the mic out of its holder..

This has never stopped Sabra Som! - Your mics will FLY out of those things if your stand takes good stiff kick - I love 'em - but - not a great piece of field gear...

[anodyne33]

Nick's Picks, very nice idea, and I'm glad to see fundamental research being conducted right here on this board, in an open and public fashion.

So my question is, what would happen if someone bumped hard into the mike stand? I think you'd need a little parachute for the microphone as a backup. Or better yet, trained birds of prey to swoop down and catch the cable in their beaks or talons any time they hear the words, "Oops! I'm so sorry!"

--best regards

Ouch.... Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed  I think its an interesting idea but the main problem is that any force on the microphone in the horizontal plane would knock the mic out of its holder.. Unless that is you used a metal ring that "make" the mic magnetic and also acts as a safety preventing the mic from "falling out" by the use of two large disks on ether side of the magnets that never touch anything unless the  mic is really smacked. I think if an idea like this was worked out it could be very interesting.. But you would need some strong magnets.

Which could possible affect, if not permanently damage the moving coil mechanism.

[Church-Audio]

Nick's Picks, very nice idea, and I'm glad to see fundamental research being conducted right here on this board, in an open and public fashion.

So my question is, what would happen if someone bumped hard into the mike stand? I think you'd need a little parachute for the microphone as a backup. Or better yet, trained birds of prey to swoop down and catch the cable in their beaks or talons any time they hear the words, "Oops! I'm so sorry!"

--best regards

Ouch.... Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed  I think its an interesting idea but the main problem is that any force on the microphone in the horizontal plane would knock the mic out of its holder.. Unless that is you used a metal ring that "make" the mic magnetic and also acts as a safety preventing the mic from "falling out" by the use of two large disks on ether side of the magnets that never touch anything unless the  mic is really smacked. I think if an idea like this was worked out it could be very interesting.. But you would need some strong magnets.

Which could possible affect, if not permanently damage the moving coil mechanism.

Dynamic mics would be effected "possibly" because of the influence on the magnetic field of the magnet for the capsule but condenser mics dont use magnets. There is another mic out there that would have been effected.. The sennheiser professional hand held mic its from the early 80's they used a magnetic reed switch to turn the mic on and off.. The switch mechanism was outside the body of the mic * a permanent magnet * the reed was inside the body that way they did not have to "cut a hole" in the body for the switch and you could remove it and not have to worry about a stupid singer turning it off in the middle of a show

[Nick's Picks]

I am continually impressed by the power of "rare earth" magnets.  I have these little tiny cubes that are so strong, they take two hands to pull them off the fridge.

playing with them always gives me ideas.
I had a great idea of a hovering skate-board type thing....., but I'll post that in the open forum as its a little off topic.  but it would work!



http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,91411.0.html

[boojum]

An interesting idea.  Maybe it would work if you got the bugs worked out.  But how much would it cost??  The current mic shock mounts are not made of anything expensive but are quite dear.  If you could come up with something in that range you could have a winner.   

[SparkE!]

I've been experimenting with this concept for shock mounting of mics for awhile now and I've not been able to derive a stable geometry that relies only on static magnetic fields.  It seems that you either have to modulate the magnetic field and use the magnets in such a way that they attract each other to achieve the levitation or you have to use some other form of weak mechanical stabilization and orient the magnets so that they repel each other, for example the levitron top:
 

Click image to go to Levitron's web site.

Whatever the case, this is not a trivial problem and I'm beginning to believe that it requires active circuitry to control the magnetic fields if it is to be completely mechanically decoupled from the environment.

[landshark]

I've been experimenting with this concept for shock mounting of mics for awhile now and I've not been able to derive a stable geometry that relies only on static magnetic fields.  It seems that you either have to modulate the magnetic field and use the magnets in such a way that they attract each other to achieve the levitation or you have to use some other form of weak mechanical stabilization and orient the magnets so that they repel each other, for example the levitron top:
 

Click image to go to Levitron's web site.

Whatever the case, this is not a trivial problem and I'm beginning to believe that it requires active circuitry to control the magnetic fields if it is to be completely mechanically decoupled from the environment.

Hmm, I see a problem there.  While condenser mics don't use magnets, they do create electric fields, and any time you mix magnetism and movement you're going to get an electromagnetic field that I suspect would affect the mic's signal.  Particularly if you were using some active circuitry.  Unless you shielded the mic in a Faraday cage or something like that.  Of course, I'm no engineer so I could just be talking out my a$$.  I did give this issue some thought when I was thinking about mic stands - it'd be useful to be able to use magnets to clip very small mics into unobtrusive places in a venue, and there always seems to be something metal handy (pipes, support beams, iron trelis, etc.).

It would be cool if it gave the mics some wierd theremin-like effect though....

Mike

 

[Nick's Picks]

magnetic clamp  !!!!

[stirinthesauce]

magnetic clamp  !!!!

talk about ease of clamping on when late to a show