Topic: CA11 cutting out on one channel??? help

[shaggy28]

Hi, i've had my ca11s for a little over a year and a half with no problems, but in the past few weeks my left channel has been cutting out. Normally when i turn it on it doesn't pick up, then i'd wiggle it a bit and it would pop back in. That's not working so well and i'm out of ideas except for sending them to chris for a repair. I've taped 3 shows since this started and everything is fine when they work, but i couldn't get it to work at all 2 days ago when i tried. Basically, has this happened to anyone else, what could cause it, and is there anything i can attempt to do without sending them off (been looking forward to feb 20-mar15 for a while because of all the shows i had planned.) Thanks for any help, and i can answer questions about them if it would help.

[darktrain]

Hi, i've had my ca11s for a little over a year and a half with no problems, but in the past few weeks my left channel has been cutting out. Normally when i turn it on it doesn't pick up, then i'd wiggle it a bit and it would pop back in. That's not working so well and i'm out of ideas except for sending them to chris for a repair. I've taped 3 shows since this started and everything is fine when they work, but i couldn't get it to work at all 2 days ago when i tried. Basically, has this happened to anyone else, what could cause it, and is there anything i can attempt to do without sending them off (been looking forward to feb 20-mar15 for a while because of all the shows i had planned.) Thanks for any help, and i can answer questions about them if it would help.

Probably just a loose/stray wire in the plug housing, easy enough fix usually

[shaggy28]

i've looked at the connections and it seems like everything is connected right, but i wouldn't really know unless something was just hanging freely. Thanks for the input though, this actually happened to the mics i had before this (CSBs) but i just bought the new mics instead of getting them fixed. may see if chris would be able to fix the others as well. That's assuming it's just a simple connection problem.

[fmaderjr]

It sounds serious enough it may be a loose connection, but you should try cleaning all jacks and plugs (including the battery box or preamp if applicable) used in connecting the mic to the recorder before sending back to Chris.

This is on guysonic's site somewhere:
Clean & recondition noisy mic. jacks with 91 - 99% pure isopropyl alcohol.  Repeatedly insert a headphone type plug soaked to the point of dripping (filling the alcohol bottle cap and dipping only the metal part of the mini-plug works well) into the mic. jack until any connection noise disappears.  Monitor the progress with a set of headphones while the deck is in a record function.  Rotating the microphones plug should not produce audible noise with cleaned and conditioned contacts.   Applying a contact conditioner to already cleaned plug and jack metal parts (Stereo retailer & Sonic Studios available Pro-Gold by Caig Labs works great) once to several times a year will help protect contacts from corrosion/wear and from producing noise for much longer between cleanings.     

CAUTION ADVISED: AVOID PLACING CONTACT CLEANER ON ANYTHING BUT THE METAL CONNECTOR PARTS; Plastics can be softened,  discolored, and even dissolved!  This may actually coat the very metal contacts intended for cleaning!   Fortunately,  deck input jacks are reasonably resistant to alcohol and most ‘plastic safe’ cleaners when used occasionally and with care.
WARNING: Never spray anything into the jacks on a deck.   Most Mini-DECK jacks are not the enclosed type anymore, but are open, allowing sprays to go where they can cause mechanical problems with the tape transport mechanisms and coat the tape heads.  Use the method described above with the mini-plug OR purchase a special insertable cleaning brush from CAIG or Sonic Studios (a round shaver cleaning brush may also be used with careful attention to the delicate nature of these mini-jacks).

[shaggy28]

thank you

[Church-Audio]

The most common problem is the brass tab underneath the capsule. Unscrew the capsule and make sure the brass tab is bent up and touching the center pin on the back of the capsule and that its screwed together finger tight.

Chris

[fmaderjr]

What Chris described happened to me with one of my MM-HLSC-1 's. Forgot all about it.

10-1 that's the problem.