Topic: Static/pop spots right channel only

[Rockinman59]

akg460mod>Wmod UA5>Microtrack II or JB3, 9V walmart to power UA5, Macally 5V to power MT2

I have an issue that is driving me nuts.  I hear static or pops on my recent tapes and there are maybe 4 or 5 on the tape each time.   I noticed it once I switched recorders to a Microtrack II and checked the wav file and saw these few bad spots on the right channel only. At this point, I don't know where in the chain of gear this is happening. I thought it was the recorder since I just starting using it, but when recording this past weekend with a JB3 and the MT2 simultaneously through a W mod UA5 (doing both coax and optical out), the static spot was on both wav files in the same spot.  I had read about cell phone interference after noticing a person at a show using a cell phone to my right and started to believe it was the cables.  I used different cables  this past weekend and same thing happened, so I think I've isolated it to the UA5.  Does anyone know what this could be?  It's only a 2 second dropout with static and I don't use the same mic on the same side each time so how could it be one mic (which has never had problems either) and since I've used other cables, what else could it be?  What would cause just the right channel to do that at random when going through the UA5?  I had several shows with no issue with this same UA5 but just recently this started to happen.  I have my levels set as close to peak as I can but not over.  It's intermittent and I've only seen it on the wav file early on in the show which is also weird.  It doesn't occur from me altering the record level, it even happened when I was not even in front of the gear.  Any help or clues to point me in the right direction I'd appreciate.  I've ordered premium Monster cables but it may not be the cables at all so I don't want to waste any more $


Tom

[manitouman]

I'm not sure about your problem but I've had some "pops" and I thought that maybe it was dirty connections or a connection was bumped and the cable was moved to create the pop. I clean my connections with alcohol swabs to clean the grit from my fingers off my cable connections. I've only had it happen a couple times but mostly it was from a cable being moved or rotated in it's socket (not the XLR's).

[Rockinman59]

UPDATE:  I just discovered it's one of the mics bodies or caps because this problem occurred on the left channel only for a different show the night before.  Is the it caps?  The circuitry in those caps or it the body? I had the mics stored in an airtight case so I don't think it's humidity.  The funny thing is it does a few of these pops or dropouts in only one channel then doesn't occur after the first 45 min of the show.

Thanks again.

[Rockinman59]

Talked to the akg mic specialist and it all points to one of the caps, so I mailed them both off to AKG in Tenn., gonna cost me a pretty penny for repairing either or both caps.