Topic: did i just F$%^ my mic?

[bewildered]

im new to this whole mic stuff, been learning about the patterns and things this past year, just got my cad m179, hooked it to my microtrack, tested it with the 27db on cause all the other settings like bringing the levels up and the l/m/h settings werent loud enough with the mic set on shoutgun pressed right near my dijembe. It turned out ok, but still a bit quiet for as loud as i was playing it, then i set the mic from -20 to 0(it has a 0/-20db switch) and it produced such a horrible static noise like i was damaging the mic. Did i just mess it up by doing that, i mean, how sensitive are mics to sound related damage?

[muj]

nope you did not mess up the mic, most mics can handle a lot of spl, the problem is the amplifier , if it doesn't have enough headroom it will distort easy. not sure about your case, but maybe by switching to the high gain setting clipped the input levels of your recorder.

[Church-Audio]

im new to this whole mic stuff, been learning about the patterns and things this past year, just got my cad m179, hooked it to my microtrack, tested it with the 27db on cause all the other settings like bringing the levels up and the l/m/h settings werent loud enough with the mic set on shoutgun pressed right near my dijembe. It turned out ok, but still a bit quiet for as loud as i was playing it, then i set the mic from -20 to 0(it has a 0/-20db switch) and it produced such a horrible static noise like i was damaging the mic. Did i just mess it up by doing that, i mean, how sensitive are mics to sound related damage?

The only way to damage a mic is physical, with high sound pressure, and a Djembe is not loud enough to do it. You need a kick drum at about 1 inch from main head to do real damage to some condenser diaphragms. You can blow up the preamp in the mic but that is almost unheard of.

Chris Church

[Swampy]

The only way to damage a mic is physical, with high sound pressure

Well you could damage a ribbon by sending it phantom, but that has nothing to do with this...

[Aaron41]

I love my mics quite a bit but not enough to have relations with them. And if I did, I'd probably remember. Probably.

[Church-Audio]

The only way to damage a mic is physical, with high sound pressure

Well you could damage a ribbon by sending it phantom, but that has nothing to do with this...

Ok the only way you can damage a CONDENSER MIC hows that>

[Church-Audio]

I love my mics quite a bit but not enough to have relations with them. And if I did, I'd probably remember. Probably.

Especially if you have a U87 that would be one encounter you would never forget. 

[Swampy]

The only way to damage a mic is physical, with high sound pressure

Well you could damage a ribbon by sending it phantom, but that has nothing to do with this...

Ok the only way you can damage a CONDENSER MIC hows that>

[Church-Audio]

The only way to damage a mic is physical, with high sound pressure

Well you could damage a ribbon by sending it phantom, but that has nothing to do with this...

Ok the only way you can damage a CONDENSER MIC hows that>

Actually now that I think of it ribbon mics can be damaged from high SPL too 

[rokpunk]

The only way to damage a mic is physical, with high sound pressure

Well you could damage a ribbon by sending it phantom, but that has nothing to do with this...

Ok the only way you can damage a CONDENSER MIC hows that>

Actually now that I think of it ribbon mics can be damaged from high SPL too 

any mic can be damaged by too high of a SPL.
as can any ear drum.
or any speaker.

[anodyne33]

I love my mics quite a bit but not enough to have relations with them. And if I did, I'd probably remember. Probably.

Especially if you have a U87 that would be one encounter you would never forget. 

Tee hee. At a studio I used to work at we used to call women of ill repute "U47 shockmounts". Yikes!

[Church-Audio]

The only way to damage a mic is physical, with high sound pressure

Well you could damage a ribbon by sending it phantom, but that has nothing to do with this...

Ok the only way you can damage a CONDENSER MIC hows that>

Actually now that I think of it ribbon mics can be damaged from high SPL too 

any mic can be damaged by too high of a SPL.
as can any ear drum.
or any speaker.

Most dynamic mics can not be damaged by high spl I say Most there are a few that can but the old sm 57 or 58 can handle just about anything you can throw at them. I am not saying they will not bottom out in a high spl situation but its very hard to damage one with just sound pressure 

[Aaron41]

I love my mics quite a bit but not enough to have relations with them. And if I did, I'd probably remember. Probably.

Especially if you have a U87 that would be one encounter you would never forget. 

Tee hee. At a studio I used to work at we used to call women of ill repute "U47 shockmounts". Yikes!

That is unbelievably geeky... and I still laughed out loud. 

[rokpunk]

The only way to damage a mic is physical, with high sound pressure

Well you could damage a ribbon by sending it phantom, but that has nothing to do with this...

Ok the only way you can damage a CONDENSER MIC hows that>

Actually now that I think of it ribbon mics can be damaged from high SPL too 

any mic can be damaged by too high of a SPL.
as can any ear drum.
or any speaker.

Most dynamic mics can not be damaged by high spl I say Most there are a few that can but the old sm 57 or 58 can handle just about anything you can throw at them. I am not saying they will not bottom out in a high spl situation but its very hard to damage one with just sound pressure 

Hmmmm, well, since I don't have a jet plane here to produce a SPL of over 150db, I'll take your word for it that a 57 can't be damaged by high SPL's. I can tell you, however, that they can (and are) easily destroyed by farkin' drummers.

[bewildered]

by "phantom power will hurt it" you mean if i plug or unplug it while phantom power is on? cause the thing wont work without phantom power.