AT 4050 - Self Noise

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Treeline

Treeline

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I used a band's 4050 the other day for live sound at a First Night performance. They have a bluegrass act and do the old timey choreography around one mic - they've gotten pretty good at it and the 4050 has served them well for a couple of years.

Last night I heard all kinds of self-noise at "idle" from the mic and suspect it has been affected by moisture from group singing w/o studio protection, like pop filters. I think they handle it very carefully otherwise; they've been playing as a band for thirty years or so and know their stuff. This is the first really delicate piece of gear they've had, though.

The noise wasn't elsewhere in the system as I'd been running mics for other acts all night without a hitch, including with the same cable. I'm sure it was the mic itself. It delivered well other than being noisey when not carrying signal.

Have you guys run across this from moisture, and is there a noninvasive fix you could recommend? Is this the kind of thing that you can help with a hotbox or something like that?
 
I would try putting it in a ziplock bag with some dessicant packets for a couple of days. That should suck off any moisture that has accumulated. If there are other particles, the capsule may need to be cleaned. I wouldn't do that myself.
 
Have you tested it elsewhere to be sure?

The mic could be more sensitive to a board/power problem or if it's the only phantom powered mic they use the problem could be in the phantom source.
 
A certain amount of noise is pretty normal when using it as you described. First, you have a Large Diaphragm condensor, second, you are using on a source signal that demands a certain amount of gain, and third, being a live venue, you are in a room which offers a lot of variables. I have noticed similar problems on many occasions because the mic was in a position to pick up noise from things like airflow, dimmers, etc... Often times those things are always present, but we overlook them in a live venue because they have always been there. By cranking the gain on a nice condensor though it can really exaggearate those noises. If it was a low rumble this is also possibly due to the way the subs have been tuned and gain staged.
 
AT's AE-5400 is a live vocal mic which uses the same capsule as the 4050. It is far more rugged and has built in pop filters. Might want to check that out instead.
Sounds great - in many cases better than Neumann's more expensive competing mic, the KMS-105.
 
Thanks, all.

Scrubs, I think I'll try the dessicant thing.
 
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