Can I leave it on?

EdWonbass

EdWonbass

pull the goalie
I just realized that I have been leaving my mic plugged into my Firebox and the phantom power on for about 3 weeks. Is this bad for the mic?
At the risk of starting a Behringer bashing thread I will say that the mic is a Behringer B1.
It seems to work fine each time I use it so I think so far it's OK.
 
this is actually pretty interesting to me. what's the equivilent of running 48v of phantom power? like constantly leaving a microwave on, or a tv, or what? does havin' all that electricty through it ever cause damage to any of the components involved (the pre making it, the cable (doubtful), the mic, ...pop filter? ok I'm silly now...;-)) anyways, maybe I'm only interested cause of that word phantom... soo cuuulll
 
The power draw is nothing- more like one Christmas light on a tree. Whether it will hurt the mic, I have no clue, but then, I would never leave a mic on a stand for 3 weeks.-Richie
 
There seem to be two camps about leaving things on or turning them off:

1) leaving them on make them wear out sooner - things wear out with use

2) turning things on and off wears them out sooner - expansion and contraction by heating and cooling makes parts deteriorate

In your case, I doubt it has made any difference, and probably won't in the future. And as pointed out previously, the power use is miniscule.

I used to have a TV with an open picture tube filament. Every time I turned it on, I'd have to turn the TV upside down and bang on it until the broken filament wire ends connected. They expanded when they heated and stayed connected and then I could turn it right side up again and watch it. (Yes, I was poor and couldn't afford a new one.) At one point, I left it on continuously for a month. Then I found I could turn it on and off again normally, as the wire had welded itself back together.
 
Personally, I doubt that leaving it on will do anything. Its not as though giving a circuit an electrical potential can damage it, unless you have significant current running through it (which I doubt). I'd say that leaving the phantom power on but not exposing the mic to any noise is the equivalent of leaving your TV plugged in but off.

The main risk, as Mr. Monroe pointed out, is leaving it on the stand all the time.
 
Thanks for the replies. I know the power consumption isn't a big issue but I was just worried about damage to my mic.
A couple of you mentioned that leaving it on the stand was a problem.
Is this because of possible damage due to falling over? Or is it because of exposure to dust or humidity?
 
Slip 'em on -- Slip 'em off!!

I leave my mics on the stands (Ignoring the potential of knocking them over.) As for the dust and humidity, I just cover them with vinyl covers, each containing a small bag of silica gel. I feel that plugging and unplugging cables, and screwing and unscrewing clamps all lends to wear and tear. I also believe that every obstacle or task in the way of recording (or anything) may lessen the chance of actually "doing it" (they say when quitting smoking, to put the cigies where their harder to get at). If I could, I'd like to push just 1 button and "go". For my small condensers I cut off fingers of a rubber glove, silica pouches in the ends--silliest things you ever saw!!
 
A transistor based mic will not be damaged in the least. A tube mic probably wouldn't really be damaged either, other than to use up a little of the finite lifespan of the tube.
 
I don't see myself getting that crazy with a Behringer mic but I do take care not to knock it over. Besides, as it stands now I am the only one that goes into my studio except for my wife and if she knocks it over I get to buy a better mic.
Maybe I can rig up an accident. :D
 
Hmm, I've had my 57 and e609 on stands for a month. I have a towel I place over them (yes, it's clean :rolleyes: ) whenever they are not in use.

I'm absolutely with Minker, in that every "obstacle" which presents itself cuts into that golden "inspiration window". Every minute is precious, beside that fact...

Am I a horrible parent?
Should I be caned?
 
I would be more interested in what it is possibly doing to the presonus. Is it getting really hot? If so I would turn it off. If not, go ahead and leave it on:)
 
crazydoc said:
At one point, I left it on continuously for a month. Then I found I could turn it on and off again normally, as the wire had welded itself back together.
Click to expand...

Hmmm, that's better than my solution, which would have been to watch TV upside-down :)
 
xstatic said:
I would be more interested in what it is possibly doing to the presonus. Is it getting really hot? If so I would turn it off. If not, go ahead and leave it on:)
Click to expand...
Yeah, definitely check that out. My Digimax LT gets hot enough to cook a steak on! Which is good in case my stove ever goes out...
 
I've got a pair of Shure BG4.0's that can use phantom power or an AA battery. If I remember right, the manual said the AA battery will last for a ridiculously long time - was it a couple thousand hours of use? Sounds right. Anyway, the power consumption of the mic must be very small.

I agree that it's good to cover mic's when not in use. I've heard that when power is cut to condensers the diaphragms tend to strongly attract dust because of the electrical change. I often leave mic's on the stand covered with a large ziplock bag closed around the mic stand. Not completely airtight, but my house is very dry so moisture isn't a problem here.

Tim
 
mshilarious said:
Hmmm, that's better than my solution, which would have been to watch TV upside-down :)
Click to expand...
Well, that was my original solution but the wife and kid objected.
 
Timothy Lawler said:
I agree that it's good to cover mic's when not in use. I've heard that when power is cut to condensers the diaphragms tend to strongly attract dust because of the electrical change. I often leave mic's on the stand covered with a large ziplock bag closed around the mic stand. Not completely airtight, but my house is very dry so moisture isn't a problem here.
Click to expand...
That's how I keep mine too, as my climate is very fry. (I meant dry, but as I live in Phoenix the typo applies also. :D)

Here's some more reading on the subject from those who protect big dollar mics:
http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/t/415/0
 
xstatic said:
I would be more interested in what it is possibly doing to the presonus. Is it getting really hot? If so I would turn it off. If not, go ahead and leave it on:)
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say it was hot. Maybe warm. I will turn the phantom power off for awhile and see if it gets cool. The Presonus has no power switch so I guess turning it off is done by unplugging or using a power strip.
There is nothing in the manual about turning it on and off. Do you think its cool to leave on?
 
I had a mic that I left on when I went on vacation. It was an SM58 attached to an ART Tube MP. It was a nice combination for like snare drums and what not. Anyways, I packed up and left and went to the wisconsin dells and did some put put golfing and also a little drinking and some fly fishing. Anyways, I was just getting back home (about a block away) when BOOM! The whole side of my garage just erupted in flame and smoke. I thought "well I'll be" Anyways it turns out that the SM58 was on a faulty mic stand and that it fell over on an old WWII clay mortar that I had sitting in the garage BOOM! Whole thing went up just like that.

What happened next though is really amazing. The gas main blew and somehow got into the storm drains in the street (York Avenue) Anyways, they lit up like the fourth of july Took out nearly three miles of York Avenue just past barbecue Jims down there by elmwood. Holy cow was that loud !

Next thing I know all of this hubub attracted damn near every police cruiser and fire and rescue vehicle in the O'Hare vicinity to quaff the flames and generally spruce things up. This activity had the unwanted effect of attracting a (hotly debated) race of aliens called Predators who are only partially visible and have advanced weapons. Well, I tell you what we had a real bitch of a time getting rid of those buggers.

Anyways, that's why you should be careful about Phantom power.

The good news is that the SM58 still sounds as good as the day I bought it.
 
The good news is that the SM58 still sounds as good as the day I bought it.

The bad news is that the SM58 still sounds as good as the day I bought it.
 
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