Humidity - Storage conditions for Mics

[gordo]

Guys,

Wonder if you can help me?

I'm moving house soon and am going to need to store my recording gear, including my microphones, in a friend's loft for a month or two. I'm slightly woried about the dampness / humidity levels and the temperature.

Will these cause any damage to the capsules of my condenser mics?

If this is a possibility what are the 'safe levels' that I should make sure the environment stays within?

Thanks

Gordo

 

[Richard Monroe]

Pack them with lots of silica gel packets and put them in a heavy duty cardboard box and wrap it with packing tape. They'll be fine. High humidity causes condensation that will make them sound like shit. They'll dry out eventually. They say you can bake them at very low temps to dry them out faster, but I can tell you I'd have quite a bit of email with Harvey before I baked my NTK!-Richie

 

[jeap]

YOU DONT BAKE THE MICROPHONES YOU BAKE THE SILICA GEL PACKS!!!!

LIGHTLY TOASTED WOULD BE FINE!!!

ha ha ha really you wouldnt want them to change color im sure 150 - 200 degrees for a few minutes would dry em out ok.


i dont worry about humidity too much. i researched the issue for a previous question and the best i can find is that the only things that hurt a mic in normal use are dust and smoke. using them in a humid enviornment is not ideal for sound (supposedly) but causes no harm.

use a pop screen.

 

[darrin_h2000]

try silica gel in supperware.

 

[Richard Monroe]

Jeap, I'm with you, but there are a number of people who have in all seriousness recommended drying mics at 150 degrees for half an hour. Please note, for the record, I am *not* advocating this bizarre practice. Does it work? I have no clue, and will probably never find out, unless Harvey or Alan or somebody tells me the bottom line. I do have a Radio Shack 33-3033 I think would make a pretty good fishing sinker, though.-Richie