Condenser Mics - How Fragile?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ratamahoo
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Ratamahoo

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Hi folks. Just purchased an AT4041 SDC and dropped it on the floor. It was inside its padded case. What's the liklihood that I did any damage to it? Will it be an 'either it works or it doesn't' kind of situation or might it work, but at a lower level of performance? I appreciate the feedback!
 
Seeing that it was in a padded case I think it's pretty unlikely that you did any damage. How far was it dropped? Have you plugged it in to find out?
 
Plug it in and you tell us...with USPS, UPS, and FedEX dropping packages off the back of trucks that have mics in them, I think you are safe since it was in its case. But play something soft and something loud see if you think there is anything wrong with it.
 
i'd imagine it would be OK.. you never know though. how high did it fall from? if it was in it's case, i wouldnt think any damage would be taken from the diaphragm or anything. i'd think, worst case scenario, you could knock a componenet off the PCB or a wire would become loose.

the only mic's ive ever been careless with, and dropped, where 57's, which it doesnt matter anyway.
 
Dropped it on a vinyl kitchen floor from about 3 ft or so up. Haven't been able to test it yet because I don't have my recorder here right now. Will it be obvious to me if there's been any damage done? Thanks.
 
yessah.

it wont work.

or it will sound like absolute crap.

thats noticable enough..
 
Ratamahoo said:
Dropped it on a vinyl kitchen floor from about 3 ft or so up. Haven't been able to test it yet because I don't have my recorder here right now. Will it be obvious to me if there's been any damage done? Thanks.
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Well, if you record something you think is good now, then later on you decide it sucks dirty old tires, you could blame it on the mic. :D
 
SRR said:
Plug it in and you tell us...with USPS, UPS, and FedEX dropping packages off the back of trucks that have mics in them, I think you are safe since it was in its case. But play something soft and something loud see if you think there is anything wrong with it.
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I have to agree with SRR, in shipping-packages are roughed up pretty well, as well as all kinds of extremes in the weather. I think the case should have protected it but the only test is when you record.... :(
 
Ratamahoo said:
Hi folks. Just purchased an AT4041 SDC and dropped it on the floor. It was inside its padded case. What's the liklihood that I did any damage to it?
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Three feet in a padded case? Unless there was something wrong with it to begin with, the chances that it was damaged by that... pretty much zero. If you'd thrown it off a building without the case, yeah, maybe.

The thing about an SDC is that it has very low total mass, so it would have to fall a fairly long distance before you'd get any real impact... and in a padded case, you could probably kick it out the back of a vehicle traveling 85 MPH without any harm.... :D

WARNING: The author of this post does not endorse, suggest, or in any way recommend kicking, throwing, dropping, or in any other way ejecting any microphone out of any vehicle, regardless of the speed of that vehicle or lack thereof.
 
I have a 4040, and it sits on a stand, about 5 1/2 feet up. It's been tipped over a few times, and still works fine.
 
dgatwood said:
WARNING: The author of this post does not endorse, suggest, or in any way recommend kicking, throwing, dropping, or in any other way ejecting any microphone out of any vehicle, regardless of the speed of that vehicle or lack thereof.
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So if I throw mine out the window of my speeding truck and it breaks I can't come back saying dgatwood told me to try it?
 
Dogman said:
I have a 4040, and it sits on a stand, about 5 1/2 feet up. It's been tipped over a few times, and still works fine.
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drunk f*****
 
As microphones go, they're a poor substitute for a hammer. What could happen is where the capsule is mounted inside the mic could get bent from the sudden stop when it hit the floor. I've had mic stands get knocked over and that was the outcome. You should be able to see if it's cocked to one side without taking it apart. If it is, it's coin toss if you can take the wind screen off and GENTLY bend it back straight with breaking it permanently. If it sounds OK, the safe thing is to leave it alone.
 
It's probably tougher than you think......or else they wouldn't let UPS deliver them to you.

If a ribbon can survive UPS cross country, then I suspect your mic is ok.....
 
Track Rat said:
As microphones go, they're a poor substitute for a hammer. What could happen is where the capsule is mounted inside the mic could get bent from the sudden stop when it hit the floor. I've had mic stands get knocked over and that was the outcome. You should be able to see if it's cocked to one side without taking it apart. If it is, it's coin toss if you can take the wind screen off and GENTLY bend it back straight with breaking it permanently. If it sounds OK, the safe thing is to leave it alone.
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Yeah, but most of the mic saddles I've seen lately are plastic, which should generally spring right back to the shape in which it was moulded.
 
Thanks for the replies, everyone. Sounds like it's unlikely that I've done any harm. I'll test it as soon as I get a chance and let the board know if there turned out to be a problem. Thanks again.
 
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