microphone care (concerned about cold temperatures)

T

tojo

New member
Hey guys, I've been living in a residence @ university for a good two months now. I've had my microphones with me for a while. I care a lot about my rode nt1-a and m3... i noticed the other day when I took them out of their cases that they were pretty cold (the body of the microphone)

Can anybody see this as detrimental in any way? If necessary I will rap them in socks haha
 
Slow changes. Especially from cold to warm (where condensation will soak it immediately if the change happens too quickly). Let it slowly reach the ambient temperature.
 
so use slow changes? I can't do much other than take the microphone out of the case slowly haha. Unfortunately my heater has no temperature control... it just goes on or off. I'm just wondering if cold is going to damage it at all.

Thanks for your help.
 
The cold isn't likely to cause any damage, however warming up to fast might. Especialy if you can see moisture forming on the mic as it warms. Try putting the mics in a corner, near the floor for a few minutes to let them warm gradually before use.
 
Plan ahead...shield them from the condensation.

Keep them well sealed in plastic ziplock bags before they get cold and keep the bags on them while they warm back to room temperature. While zipping the bags closed, squeeze all the air out of them. The mics can't draw moisture if there is none available inside the bags.
 
they came with these "crystals" or something (little pink bags) that are supposed to absorb moisture. Anybody else have something like this?
 
Just a curiosity...when you say *cold*...what are you talking about in actual degrees?

My mics always feel cold to the touch when I first take them out of their cases, and my studio is usually held at fairly constant room temps...65-75 degrees.

I mean...if you are talking about a mic that sits outside in sub-40 degree temps and then gets brought into a 75 degree room...then yeah, leave it in the case for an hour, and open the case a bit after that to let the room air inside....same kinda approach you would use with guitars.

But the cold-to-the-touch you are describing is really insignificant...as along as those mics are at some comfortable room temp to begin with.
Even in a 75 degree room...the metal of the mic will feel cold to the touch because your body is at 98 degrees! :)
How cold to you keep your room...I doubt it's colder than 55 degrees...and so I wouldn't worry about it.
 
you know what, that makes complete sense. It's the metal that feels pretty cold, but my room isn't that cold. I was just getting worried about my mics.

Thanks for your help.
 
tojo said:
they came with these "crystals" or something (little pink bags) that are supposed to absorb moisture. Anybody else have something like this?
Click to expand...
Those are silica crystals, and are commonly packed with many condenser mics - not to mention other moisture or humidity-vulnerable products like fine clothes and some food products like rice or salt. Like you say, they absorb moisture and in that way help keep the product they are packed with dry.

But don't depend upon them to provide fail-safe protection. Like Massive and Raw have said, keeping your mics shielded from moisture as much as possible, especially during storage, and trying to keep temperature changes gradual as possible are always good ideas. The silica packets can help (keeping it in your mic's carrying case or in the plastic bag that Raw suggests), but they aren't going to help much when you instantly move from winter weather outside in Chicago to inside a greenhouse ;).

G.
 
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