Topic: Mic storage?

[RAQnasty]

Ive tried to search on this subject, but here goes...

Whats the best way to store mics?... Currently have my caps on the bodies, rolled in bubble wrap inside of a padded case - got one of those foam-filled, custmizable gun cases for like 30 bucks (which i love)

Guess my main question is whether i should store intact or not.  Seems like less chance (for me) to damage by keeping intact, but is there any disadvantage to this?

Any suggestions appreciated

[Gene Poole]

I keep mine rolled up in a sandwich bag with a desiccant pack.  I change out the pack every few months.

[bryonsos]

I couldn't find the thread that talks about cigar caddies, but here's an example:

http://www.air-n-water.com/product/hum-cc2.htm?utm_source=google&utm_medium=comparisonshopping&utm_term=Quality%20Importers&utm_campaign=Humidors&utm_content=HUM-CC2&gclid=Cj0KEQjw7vmgBRDdnLPZp7aBlroBEiQA7_NmV6TIyeLiFbvlyT_RDXkUB0jsCnLQ2kDSNXba7sTrjrcaAlZZ8P8HAQ

[audBall]

I second the Cigar Caddy. It's basically a Pelican Case / Otterbox with foam-lined storage. The larger version (3400) is actually cheaper than the smaller two mic/cigar version (3140) on amazon right now.

2-mic 3140: http://www.amazon.com/Cigar-Caddy-Waterproof-Travel-Humidor/dp/B0007VU67O
5-mic 3400: http://www.amazon.com/Cigar-Caddy-HUM-CC5-Caddy%C2%AE-3400/dp/B0007VWETM

My 3140 fits two pairs of MG capsules and a pair of AKG CK caps with Naiant couplings, all baffled.

edit - Don't use the humidifier disc, obviously. Even the 10 and 40-cigar/mic versions are going for pretty good prices compared Pelican prices and these even include foam.

[mccordo]

I use a 3140 Cigar Caddy like audBall posted for my Busman BSC-1s. It fits them like a glove so they doesn't rattle around and the case easily fits in my gear bag. Plus it's cheaper and smaller than the old Pelican case I use to use and I didn't have to buy pick-n-pluck foam that needed DIY customization since it's already foam lined and contoured for cigars (and mics).

[RAQnasty]

seems like everyone is storing intact (which is how I have done).

Does anyone store with caps removed?  Is there any advantage to doing so?

[bombdiggity]

^ I'd not heard anything to discourage one way or the other, though someone did mention if you leave the caps on for extended periods to loosen and reattach every once in a while to make sure the contacts stay clear/clean.   

[Phil Zone]

Cigar caddy!

[DSatz]

RAQnasty, to answer your question, I store my Schoeps Colette amplifiers and capsules separately, since I always choose capsules based on the recording conditions; I don't have one fixed configuration that I always use. I have a plastic sorting bin that I keep the capsules in, in their vials; I bought it at a hardware or stationery store. The omni capsules are on the left, the cardioids are in the middle, and the figure-8s are on the right, with the in-between patterns in between. The smaller compartments toward the front hold speech capsules.

My Colette-series amplifiers and older, not-so-modular (CMT-series) Schoeps mikes all live in standard wooden Schoeps cases. I also keep my Neumann KM 84s and KM 150s assembled in their cases, since I don't use them with any other capsules even though they, too, are of modular design.

I use cigar caddies to bring pairs of microphones to recordings, but I never leave them in there for very long afterward. When I first discovered cigar caddies--on this forum--I bought several and sent one to Dr. Helmut Wittek at Schoeps as a gift. His reply included the remark (translated): "What is good for cigars--keeping moisture in--is very bad for microphones."

Even if I only had one pair of capsules, I would still remove and reattach them occasionally to wipe the contacts clean.

--best regards

[kingkita]

Very Pretty

[obaaron]

im no expert but it seems to me that since the cigars themsleves are slightly moist-ish, keeping them in the caddy will help keep them that way, not cause them to be...its not the case itself creating the "moisture/humidity". putting a "dry" microphone inside a brand new caddy should not create humidity/moisture?  again, im no scientist lol 

[backwhereubelong]

im no expert but it seems to me that since the cigars themsleves are slightly moist-ish, keeping them in the caddy will help keep them that way, not cause them to be...its not the case itself creating the "moisture/humidity". putting a "dry" microphone inside a brand new caddy should not create humidity/moisture?  again, im no scientist lol

I am a "Cigar Connoisseur", for lack of a better term, on cigars & accessories and you are correct.  A cigar caddy and a humidor is two separate animals.  One is made to protect (caddy) and the other to preserve (humidor).  Cigar caddy's are 110% safe for mics and capsules.  Using a caddy (with a silica gel packet) is optimal protection for our beloved mics.

[Fried Chicken Boy]

im no expert but it seems to me that since the cigars themsleves are slightly moist-ish, keeping them in the caddy will help keep them that way, not cause them to be...its not the case itself creating the "moisture/humidity". putting a "dry" microphone inside a brand new caddy should not create humidity/moisture?  again, im no scientist lol

I am a "Cigar Connoisseur", for lack of a better term, on cigars & accessories and you are correct.  A cigar caddy and a humidor is two separate animals.  One is made to protect (caddy) and the other to preserve (humidor).  Cigar caddy's are 110% safe for mics and capsules.  Using a caddy (with a silica gel packet) is optimal protection for our beloved mics.

As a former tobacco shop manager, +1/T on what BWUB wrote.  I've been using both the Cigar Caddys and Pelican cases along with silica packets for my mics for years and they work great.  If you're worried about the foam lining of the cases shedding and getting into the sensitive parts of your mics, the sandwich bag technique Gene Poole suggested has you covered. 

[wharfratjoe]

Thanks to another taper that posted setup's i saw here, I use this http://www.amazon.com/Cigar-Caddy-HUM-CC5-Caddy%C2%AE-3400/dp/B0007VWETM

I only have one pair but i keep my caps in it and then added extra foam padding so nothing moves

[F.O.Bean]

Drool, DSatz I only hope and strive to have that many Schoeps caps in my lifetime lol RAQNasty, I used to keep my 480s in a Pelican 1060 case. Its airproof/waterproof/dustproof, and you can buy that pink anti-static foam to replace the stock 1060 foam and youre all set. It will hold 480 bodies and all 3 sets of ck61/62/63 caps if you keep one pair of caps on the bodies. It fits the 480s perfectly bro