My Shure Blues

  • Thread starter Thread starter mentalattica
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mentalattica

mentalattica

Just a Home Recorder
I know you guys probably don't give a damn about my mic. But I figured I'd vent here.

I bought a KSM27 in Mid-March of this year, only to "try" and return it on April 4th because of a bad crackle caused by the mic. Now the guy at GC doesn't take my word for it which is one thing, he's the only one working in pro-audio this day and refuses to exchange it. I didn't want a refund, and where do I benefit from exchanging a product for the same exact thing? But he in so many words calls me a liar and even suggest it's my recording software that's causing this crackle because "mic's just dont do that". He decides to test it in the center of the store while people were playing on keyboards, guitars, talking and singing etc...

"Dude, I just don't hear it. It's your cables or your software." I explained to him I own several cables, pre's and mics and all work fine but this one, and if im monitoring directly through my interface what does my software have to do with anything?
I also calmly explained, I record in a quiet home studio with acoustic treatment etc... you are testing it in a live situation, and not a very good one at that. So he gets into telling me how "illegal" it is for them to accept returns on microphones, and since it isn't audible to him at GC he can't exchange it. Again he said "it's surely your cable, man cheap cables do that sometimes." I hardly call a mogami gold mic cable cheap, atleast at retail price. This went on for 2 days, until I went in on the 3rd day with 3 of my cables and 2 of my pre's, to prove to him my gear was not faulty and the mic was. Ofcourse he wasn't there that day and another guy just exchanged the mic with no hassle. I even bought the extended warranty through GC although my better judgement said not to, I take very good care of my gear. I'm glad I did, not even 3 months later and 4 sessions worth of use here we go again..... same prob. with the same model. :mad:
 
I hate people like that in shops. Some are great guys, some are just dickheads.

I bought a cymbal after taking a lot of time deciding exactly what i wanted.
The day i went to get it, the two guys in drum department weren't there, and I told the old wanker manager the price they'd quoted, and pointed out the cymbal. He slid it off the stand with one hand, and it scraped against the thread, he held it horizontally by the edge (a 20" cymbal) with one hand until he found a bag for it, also 'accidentally' knocking a cymbal stand on the way.

If he does it again I'll break it before I pay and say it must've been him.
 
well, no wonder

you're in n'orleans

the wettest air i've ever tasted

(and i've lived in africa and viet nam)



high humidity can cause

condensation on the capsule diaphragm

and cause problems like this



do a search in here

on drying a mic

but mainly it involves

hanging the mic for a few hours

a foot or so

over a light bulb (60-100w)



it should be stored in an airtight

container or bag

with well dessicated silica gel

when not in use



check this out

http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/t/415/0/
 
You wouldn't be having the blues if you'd bought a Green Bullet--you'd be playin' the blues :D
 
iancl said:
I hate people like that in shops. Some are great guys, some are just dickheads.
Click to expand...

Yeah your right, I think I found out today that the only qualifications for working at GC in New Orleans atleast is to speak semi-fluent english, and maybe know how to count to 10.

Before I even got through the door today there was a guy from pro-audio standing infront of the store on a cell phone, who looks over to me carrying a box that says SHURE KSM27/SL and asks "is that a microphone?". I felt like saying "no, it's a minivan", but I nodded and answered his complicated question with a yes. "Well, dog we ain't gonna take returns on these."
Already pissed from a session being ruined last night, I was ready to jump down his throat. He doesn't know the situation, or even what the hell I'm doing walking into GC with a mic in the first place (common sense would say a return, but how about asking first). He also doesn't know when I purchased the mic or even if it's defective. I guess he expected me to say "awww shucks" and get back in my car. So my reply was "o.k.", and walked by him. Needless to say I didn't deal with him. I asked for the salesman who I do trust and who I have spent over 1.5K with over these past 3 months.

He looked at the receipt, and says man your outside of your 30 day guarantee. I told him I purchased the performance guarantee. While he's counting days to himself I knew then I was gonna get no where here. "Your outside of your 60 days." He then hands me a brochure saying you'll have to call them and they'll send you a check for your mic, just give em a call. Another guy interjects "it's probably your cable". I know he was trying to be helpful but, it helped make me more irritated.
I get home and go through the brochure and there's no number to call, no web address or anything. I googled them and got the number. Called and they are going to attempt to repair it and send it back. Now it was explained when I purchased the performance guarantee that they would just send me a check for my items that were broken/malfunctioning and I can repurchase it within the next few days. So how's this any different from my manufacturers warranty is what I'm asking myself, free shipping? Wow! big plus on a condenser microphone.

Another homerecording.com member told me today that there was a shippment of ksm27's from shure in early 2006 with 1 or more faulty 120pf capacitors on the internal circuit board. I have no clue what a 120pf capacitor is, but it's probably not a coincidence that I have had 2 of the same mics both with the same problem. Shure has definetly lost 1 customer if this is the case, they should have recalled these units if this is a known issue.
 
Cannabis, it's worth a try drying the capsule. I leave 2 mic stands up with 2 mics on them at all times here. My one MXL has been fine for 4 years like that, so if it is humidity I wonder why it would only affect the shure and not the others. But again, it's worth a try. Thanks.
 
N.O. GC going downhill fast!!!

Glad to see I'm not the only one who had a problem recently at the New Orleans GC. A couple of weeks ago I went there with money in my pocket to buy items for my drums and studio but was treated so poorly by the salesman in the drum dept. and store manager I walked out with over $400 in my wallet. I can't see them staying in business much longer. The few people that were in the store seemed to be there to play with the instruments.
 
Take a trip out to the GC in Baton Rouge if you can. Much, MUCH nicer. The sales people there atleast in pro-audio are much more knowledgeble, I can't speak for the guys in drums though. The store lay out is a lot cleaner as well. But I will definitely not do business at the one here in New Orleans any longer, your right about the store manager also, he's a dick.
(when the salesmen offer to sell you pirated wave's plugins at 1/4 of the retail price, and the manager is notified but the guy still works there the place is going downhill FAST)
 
I think I'm with the Guitar Center guy on this one. :D

I don't think mics just go and do that sort of thing. I could be wrong. You might try just calling Shure directly. They're a pretty first-class company when it comes to dealing with that sort of thing.
.
 
Under normal circumstances Chess, somewhat I agree.
Out of the blue, mic's usually don't do that type of thing.... beats the hell outta me :confused:. I called GC's warranty people today and they are going to arange me shipping it to them etc... I didn't think to call Shure, I'll do that tomorrow. Thanks for the advice.
 
i work in a music store and we CANNOT accept any mic returns AT ALL. the health department prohibits it because we are just a small store, and have no way of having it properly sanitized or something of that nature.

But GC could just send it to the manufacturer and have it reconditioned... We arent an authorized dealer with any good mic companies so we dont have that ability.

I hate GC. I go there to try things i might like, and then get them through my store with (excellent) 'employee/manager' discounts.

They know who i work for now, so i cant go in Pro Audio or DJ anymore, because my boss knows all the guys in those departments and they know what im up to :)
 
TragikRemix said:
i work in a music store and we CANNOT accept any mic returns AT ALL. the health department prohibits it because we are just a small store, and have no way of having it properly sanitized or something of that nature.

But GC could just send it to the manufacturer and have it reconditioned... We arent an authorized dealer with any good mic companies so we dont have that ability.

I hate GC. I go there to try things i might like, and then get them through my store with (excellent) 'employee/manager' discounts.

They know who i work for now, so i cant go in Pro Audio or DJ anymore, because my boss knows all the guys in those departments and they know what im up to :)
Click to expand...

I do agree, with not taking a mic back to a certain extent. If it is defective/malfunctioning and was sold this way, also with a known issue with a shipment as Shure says (I did verify this, it's actually posted on their website) they should exchange it with no problem and ship it back to shure without the inconveinence to me, the consumer. If I purchased a mic, got home and realized I don't like or want it that's different.

I may be considered dumb for thinking this way but....
I buy new gear 90% of the time, I'll pay the extra couple hundred dollars to get new vs. used anyday (unless it's no longer in production). Once something is defective and repaired, it's to me considered refurbished. I just bought a refurbished mic at a brand new price if all they're going to do is repair it and ship it back. In that case I could have bought a used one that was still under man.warranty and had the same mic.

I dunno... I'll see how everything goes.
 
I had a job in retail that required customer service skills. When a customer returned an item that they were dissatisfied with I apologized and offered a refund or replacement. If the problem was unquestionably due to our product I apologized and offered the customer a little something extra or "lagniappe" for his/her inconvience. Anything less would have been an insult to the customer, my and my company's reputation. A couple of times the problem MAY have been caused by the customer. Since 98% of our customers were return customers I thought it wise to take loss on an "iffy" item rather than lose a consistently good customer. However, these situations were very rare.
 
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alba123 said:
I had a job in retail that required customer service skills. When a customer returned an item that they were dissatisfied with I apologized and offered a refund or replacement. If the problem was unquestionably due to our product I apologized and offered the customer a little something extra or "lagniappe" for his/her inconvience. Anything less would have been an insult to the customer, my and my company's reputation. A couple of times the problem MAY have been caused by the customer. Since 98% of our customers were return customers I thought it wise to take loss on an "iffy" item rather than lose a consistently good customer. However, these situations were very rare.
Click to expand...
nice word

i've never seen it before

a lagniappe you've given me

for reading your post




you'll find one also in your rep
 
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