clipping damage

H

hollywoodending

New member
I was just wondering if clipping could actually cause damage to equipment, especially tube preamps. I was doing a session yesterday and when the singer started singing very loudly, I suddenly realized that my levels were too high and it started clipping out like crazy. So, for future reference, can clipping cause any damage to any equipment? thanks.
 
Not really, it just sounds like crap.

Let me ammend that. If you plug the speaker output of a 100 watt guitar amp into a mic preamp, that will be a problem. It will cause clipping and burn up both things.

Singing too loud into a mic won't do anything too bad.
 
thanks... im just really paranoid about my equipment.



also, is there a way to actually blow tubes in a mic preamp? I know its possible in guitar amps...
 
i hear ya dude.. i always feel that the little red blip means somethings about to blow up!

but just smack that singer with an SM57 and tell them to go easy.
 
hollywoodending said:
I was just wondering if clipping could actually cause damage to equipment, especially tube preamps. I was doing a session yesterday and when the singer started singing very loudly, I suddenly realized that my levels were too high and it started clipping out like crazy. So, for future reference, can clipping cause any damage to any equipment? thanks.
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Clipping can indeed blow speakers. Any speaker, no matter how powerfull! (I recone speakers and clipping is at the top of the list for causing damage.)
 
hollywoodending said:
also, is there a way to actually blow tubes in a mic preamp? I know its possible in guitar amps...
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Really? How would you do that? The only time I've had a tube 'blow' in a tube amp is when my roadie took the amp out of a cold truck (January in Minnesota), plugged it in a turned it on right away. The glass cracked from the thermal shock.

Most cheap tube preamp tubes aren't even running at full voltage and do not handle the bulk of the audio going through the preamp.
 
TelePaul said:
What I WOULD be careful of is damaging a good condensor Microphone.
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You can put most condensers inside of a kick drum. There are very few that can handle less than 135dbSPL. That's just before they start distorting, you probably aren't in any danger of tearing the diaphragm under 155dbSPL. (over 16 times louder).
 
Farview said:
You can put most condensers inside of a kick drum. There are very few that can handle less than 135dbSPL. That's just before they start distorting, you probably aren't in any danger of tearing the diaphragm under 155dbSPL. (over 16 times louder).
Click to expand...

Hmm the sticky in the mic forum suggests you always use a pop flter for these sort of applications...not for volume but for the air hitting the capsule I guess.
 
if something is creating 135+ db spl, i sure hope whoever is playing that has got hearing protection on lol
 
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