MD21-HL Help!

[arneboe]

I recently got an old Sennheiser MD21-HL that i found at my grandfathers.. I found a "Klein Tuchel to XLR Cable for Sennheiser -HL" that I bought online, but trying to run the mic through my line6 UX2 i am getting nothing but static.. static is only audible with the gain turned all the way up.. Is the mic broken or is there something else i could do to test it? I did not run it with phantom power beeing a dynamic mic and all..

Please help me

 

[Shadow_7]

Just because you didn't doesn't mean that some else didn't over it's long history.

You might have to disassemble it to very that all of it's parts are still there and look okay. Alternatively you might take a volt meter to the cable and verify that it's wired up and not just for show. If everything is there you should be able to get something other than static. You might have to put the mic in a pot and beat the pot with another pot to get a level that records to a noticeable level, but you should get something (in theory). The static you're hearing is most likely just the noise floor of the preamp being used. You could always normalize digitally and get pretty much the same noise.

 

[darrin_h2000]

Id have my Multimeter set on ohmeter instead of voltmeter though...sounds like an open circut somewhere...might be in the wire so check that first before you disassemble the mic.

By the way...I think that you can adjust the roll off on an adjustment arround where the cord plugs in....might turn that to another position see if that helps.

 

[arneboe]

ok.. i've been testing a bit, and i am getting sound from the mic, although it's a very very low signal...If I gain the input to max and the software to max i can get sound, but it's no use in the mic if the sound is this mute..

I know for a fact the mic has never been run with phantom power! My grandfather has used the mic on his dictaphone, and that's all it's ever been used with. He bought it in the late 50's or early 60's and when not in use it has just been in a desk drawer..

 

[Shadow_7]

I used to get results like that before I knew what a preamp was. Although it sounds like you know what that is. I have no exposure to that particular mic.

http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/old_manual.nsf/resources/MD21.pdf/$File/MD21.pdf

Looks like a dynamic, which typically have low input levels. Are you running it through line input or something? Or is there a microphone preamp in the chain?

http://www.hinton-instruments.co.uk/paprod/cables/vintagemic/kleintuchelhl.htm

It looks like it should have a high impedence mode and low impedence mode. Perhaps try using the low impedence mode, if you're not already. There seems to be a couple of versions of it. MD21-N / MD21-HL / MD21-HN. Which requires slightly different wired cables. If you have an old XLR cable, perhaps you could cannibalize it to adjust the pin order and see if that helps.

http://www.hinton-instruments.co.uk/reference/microphones/mictable.htm

HTH

 

[darrin_h2000]

The UX2 is an excellent preamp with plenty of gain...older dynamics had impedence switches sometimes...my older shures do...for my money it might just be an age thing...if he is lucky the capsule might still be availible if that in fact is the problem.

 

[arneboe]

i bought the proper cable specified to go with my mic model# MD21-HL from hinton instruments.. I know what a preamp is and understand the basics of it but i just don't get what i should do? what happens if i try and run it with phantom power? it would destroy the mic right?

 

[Shadow_7]

Some mics are wired to protect against that. But if it's not, I would imagine that the heat of current would melt something of importance.

Does the mic actually say MD21-HL? Or just MD21? The literature seemed to suggest that the MD21 was of the -N variety. Although I just glanced over it.

Did grandpa smoke? Something could be wrong with the mic element. Harded with age, coated in pollutants, some pin hole or something in the diaphram. You're getting something so all of the parts are there and sort of working. Perhaps some solder point is loose. Does the level fluctuate if you shake it while using it? More than the orientation of the mic would dictate anyway.

 

[darrin_h2000]

i bought the proper cable specified to go with my mic model# MD21-HL from hinton instruments.. I know what a preamp is and understand the basics of it but i just don't get what i should do? what happens if i try and run it with phantom power? it would destroy the mic right?

Only if someone modded it with a ribbon element or something.