mic is cutting out/fading out during recording

P

powpowmeow

New member
the mic is an audio technica at4050

the preamp is an maudio dmp3

below is a wav file i compiled of a few examples of what happens during recording... the signal will just cut out dramatically/fade out/fizzle/make staticy noise... totally randomly. (note: there are 3 examples of the mic cutting out. i put 3 seconds of total silence between each example. so when you hear total silence it is not a result of the mic, it is just the space before the next example)

WAV FILE

i have tried different mic cables and that doesnt seem to be the problem..

i am pretty much lost and would really love to hear some ideas on what could be causing this.. thanks all!
 
My guesses would be:

is the cable good (you've already addressed this)

is the power supply to the DMP3 the right one? (9V/AC 1amp)
or
do you have power issues where you live?
or
do you have 10,000W of devices plugged into one household outlet?
- 450W HDTV
- 225W Monitors (x2)
- 450W computers PSU
yada yada yada, it all adds up....

do you live next to some mad scientist? Or a radio station / power station / other influential entity....

Is your mic not meeting factory specs?

Just some guesses. I suppose I'll listen to the clip now.
 
Sounds very much like the diaphragm got damp.

Keep the mic some place warm with some silica gel bags packed arround it for a day or two.

That should fix it, it may take longer depending on how warm and dry you can keep it.
 
If it is moisture, there's a lamp trick to basically bake the moisture out / off. Fly the mic near a 60W light bulb that's on for like an hour. Better search this and/or other forums for the particulars, I've never done it myself.

I don't think it's moisture though, the first of those 3 had a POP when it adjusted. Which to me indicates something wiring wise. Although it could be moisture in said wiring, and not necessarily the diaphram of the mic. Do you store the mic in a cold place and record in a humid place? I know some people that keep their mics on for fifteen+ minutes before using them to record anything. Although I think that that's mainly for tube mics.

It could be dirty connectors, try plugging and unplugging the connectors (all of them) several times. But to really rule anything out, you have to replace that thing with something else and see if the problem persists. It could be the phantom power supply? The cable? The mic? The preamp? The converter? If you have another mic that is phantom powered, and it shows the same traits, then it's probably not the mic, move on to the rest.

Do the fade points correspond with some other event? A/C kicking in? Icebox? Ice maker? Door bell? Phone? ???
 
powpowmeow, it's worth drying it out first, costs next to nothing and not worth looking for other faults until you know the diaphragm is dry.

How do you normally store the mic ?

When I said it sounds like a damp diaphragm, what I meant was.....
Listening to the sound file it has all the characteristics of mics I have 'repaired' in the past by first drying them out and finding that no further action was needed.

It could be other things but start with drying, this is a common problem.
 
i thnk you guys probably have it with the damp diaphragm..

somehow i lost the case for this mic (brilliant!) and it was just hanging out in my living room with the cloth cover over top of it that comes with the mic

i guess that thing really doesnt work that well at keeping out moisture

also i am pretty sure this is the only mic of mine that was doing this... so it isnt the preamp, or the phantom power/lack of power or anything like that, almost certain...

thanks a lot peeps! will report back if i have any more questions etc


edit: where can i get some silica gel bags? do they sell them at walmart, hardware stores, etc?
 
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I know you said you tried different cables, but how good a quality are the cables.

When I started the studio I was always short of cables so I bought a pack of 10 mic cables, probably made in China. These cables worked fine except on mics that needed phantom power. Every time I used phantom I would get static and noise.

I tested the leads using a plug in tester and found that when voltage was induced into the cable the insulation would brake down (core insulation was not good enough to stop voltage bleed between cores and to shield) and this would cause audio static and lower the phantom voltage causing the mic to fade out. I replace the cables with a known good brand and the problem has never returned.

Cheers

Alan.
 
witzendoz said:
I know you said you tried different cables, but how good a quality are the cables.

When I started the studio I was always short of cables so I bought a pack of 10 mic cables, probably made in China. These cables worked fine except on mics that needed phantom power. Every time I used phantom I would get static and noise.

I tested the leads using a plug in tester and found that when voltage was induced into the cable the insulation would brake down (core insulation was not good enough to stop voltage bleed between cores and to shield) and this would cause audio static and lower the phantom voltage causing the mic to fade out. I replace the cables with a known good brand and the problem has never returned.

Cheers

Alan.
Click to expand...

standard cables with neutrik connectors -

im pretty sure i didnt have the problem with this mic at first.. it developed after time... pretty sure its a moisture problem after hearing everyones feedback... and trying all my different cables

also i have some bullet mics which require phantom power, they have never had this problem...

just need to know where i can get some silica packs... also, would like a suggestion on how to generate "heat" to dry out the mic.. without putting it in the microwave! haha.

edit:btw i got my cables from monoprice
 
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powpowmeow said:
just need to know where i can get some silica packs... also, would like a suggestion on how to generate "heat" to dry out the mic.. without putting it in the microwave! haha.
Click to expand...

A warm place in the house, depends what kind of heating system you have.
silica gel can be got from postal/shipping places.

The best long term solution is as follows, well worth the small investment.

Get one of these
http://www.organize.com/dehumidifier.html
This is just an example, mine is different but there are a few similar brands.
It is a vented plastic box stuffed with sillica gel and a heater.

Get a case big enough for the dehumidifier and a mic or two.
(pistol case / fishing tackle box from wallmart, whatever)

Plug in dehumidifier overnight, this drys the gell out.
Next day, put it in the case with the mic, it will absorb moisture all day.

Take dehumidifier out of the case and dry it overnight.... and repeat.

A really bad mic may take a week, yours probably a day or two.

Use your magic mic drying box after any long vocal session and all will be well.

Also well worth geting a case for your 4050, keep some gel in it.
4050 is a mic worth looking after.
 
Rode nt1 frustrating problem

Hey guys, I'm Mike.
Over the last one month I've been dealing with the problem where my Rode Cuts out immediately I start singing/talking into it. I have noticed that unplugging and replugging does not bring back the sound... Only thing that makes it pick again is opening the bottom cover and closing it again, then it cuts. What could the problem be?
 
Call Rode service they are the best at fixing or sorting problems out. It could be a faulty capsule, which has a lifetime warranty. I had one replaced for free on a NT1000 that I even bought secondhand. They also paid for the return delivery.

Alan.
 
witzendoz said:
Call Rode service they are the best at fixing or sorting problems out. It could be a faulty capsule, which has a lifetime warranty. I had one replaced for free on a NT1000 that I even bought secondhand. They also paid for the return delivery.

Alan.
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot for the advice. I will surely call Rode Service. I will post on this thread of my progress.
 
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