Can loud music damage a mic?

  • Thread starter Thread starter GrandMasterK
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GrandMasterK

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I blast music in the same small room my mic is, is that dangerous?
 
Very loud music or blasts of air can stretch the diaphram.
 
how loud is very loud? The mic isn't facing any of the speakers, by my calculations the sound I was blasting couldn't of been anymore then 95db at the mics position.
 
GrandMasterK said:
how loud is very loud? The mic isn't facing any of the speakers, by my calculations the sound I was blasting couldn't of been anymore then 95db at the mics position.
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95dB is no trouble for a mic. For sound to damage a mic, it would be loud enough to destroy your ears. The problem for mics comes from air blasts, or from being put in situations where you would never put your ears, like in very close proximity to loud drums or guitar cabs.
 
Blowing into a mic= bad idea. Putting a LDC an inch or so directly outside the hole in the front head of a kick drum with Mr Cave Man drummer= potentially bad idea. Running accross the room waving an RCA DX-77 around= an expensive bad idea.
 
Oh good, then I dont have to hide the mic under a bunch of blankets, excellent.

Thank you.
 
Every mic has a different max SPL, check your mics manual, and see what the max is.
 
your ears will probably blow first before the microphone.
 
... with the exception of certain ribbon mics, which bear a little more caution with their positioning.
 
I agree with all of the above. As for ribbons...I always use a pop filter...always.
 
Track Rat said:
Very loud music or blasts of air can stretch the diaphram.
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Now I'm worried! I recently set up my condenser mic, replacing my 57, in the usual close mic position, micing my 4x12. I keep my cab in an isolated room. It is freakin LOUD! I haven't noticed the mic sounding damaged, YET. Could I be fucking up this mic? I think I need an SPL meter!
 
GrandMasterK said:
I blast music in the same small room my mic is, is that dangerous?
Click to expand...

yes, if the music is bad. don't play bad music into your microphone.
 
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