Studio Projects C1 noise ?

longsoughtfor

longsoughtfor

Searching for the sound
I am getting a fair amount of noise from the C1 these days and was wondering if anyone else had run across the same thing.

The noise is a kind of "wind" type noise. There is no actual wind though... if the mic is just up on the stand in the booth I can hear this rustleing / wind noise... kinda hard to explain. It seems like a self generated noise, it is constant and does not seem to change when someone speaks into the mic for example.

I have tried it through different channels, pre-amps, cables etc... still there.

Any thoughts?

Thanks
Kevin.
 
Have you used another mic in the same setup, and is the noise absent? If not present with other mics, it sounds like the C1's electronics have become noisy and you need to contact Alan at PMI.
 
Thanks guys. I did contact Studio Projects and got this response from Alan:

No, this is not a common problem, but it may be humidity or moisture built up on the capsule. Do you live in a humid area? In any case, we can resolve this problem, and you might be able to resolve it as well.

If you do live in a humid area, humidity can cause big problems on mics. The humidity can short out the charged backplate, but once dried out, it is fine. If this occurs, we usually use a lamp with a 100W light bulb. The bulb generates a low level heat, so we put the mic face where the capsule is, the front side of the C1 about 4 to 6" away from the bulb for about 4 to 5 hours. The heat generated from the bulb will dry everything out. After you have done this, let the mic set idle away from the heat for a couple of hours to get to room temperature. Then try the mic again. If the problem still occurs, call Brent our service guy at 877-563-6335

Try to keep the mic when your not using it in the case, close by the silica gel pack, as that will absorb moisture. If you intend to leave the mic and out a lot, you may want to cover it.

Alan Hyatt
PMI Audio Group
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My studio is in my basement and it has been raining here for 40 of the last 40 days (it seems) so I will definitly try this fix.

Kevin.
 
longsoughtfor said:
My studio is in my basement and it has been raining here for 40 of the last 40 days (it seems) so I will definitly try this fix.
Click to expand...
Well, one thing's for sure - you've got humidity!:D
It's been raining a lot this summer down here in the south, too.
 
Well, the humidity or moisture built up in the Studio Projects capsules seems to be becoming a common problem. Also, I had a debate here not too long ago about using a 100 watt light to dry out mic capsules... and I think you'd be better off using a 20 watt lamp about foot away over a longer period of time... or better yet... just send the mic back to where you got it from and get a new one.
 
DJL said:
Well, the humidity or moisture built up in the Studio Projects capsules seems to be becoming a common problem. Also, I had a debate here not too long ago about using a 100 watt light to dry out mic capsules... and I think you'd be better off using a 20 watt lamp about foot away over a longer period of time... or better yet... just send the mic back to where you got it from and get a new one.
Click to expand...
I don't think this is a problem specific to SP capsules - it has to do with condenser mics in general - maybe more prevelant in LDC's but not specifically SP's mics.
If the mic's environment is very humid, sending it back and getting a new one is not going to solve the problem - keeping it in a dry environment will.
 
crazydoc said:
I don't think this is a problem specific to SP capsules - it has to do with condenser mics in general - maybe more prevelant in LDC's but not specifically SP's mics.
If the mic's environment is very humid, sending it back and getting a new one is not going to solve the problem - keeping it in a dry environment will.
Click to expand...
What do you think he should do doc, and what's your feelings about baking the capsule under a 100-watt light bulb?
 
Well, last night was a cool, dry night here so I put the C1 up level with and about 8 inches from a 100W bulb for about 6 hours. I did not have the time to try it out this morning but will do this afternoon and report back... I also had the silica pack and plastic sleeve under the bulb to get any moisture out of them as well. It seemed fine, not warm to the touch or anything so I'm hoping it does the trick.

Kevin
 
Just remember extreme heat changes is not good for the capsule... so you may not want to do that too many times and use only 20 watter next time.
 
DJL said:
Well, the humidity or moisture built up in the Studio Projects capsules seems to be becoming a common problem. Also, I had a debate here not too long ago about using a 100 watt light to dry out mic capsules... and I think you'd be better off using a 20 watt lamp about foot away over a longer period of time... or better yet... just send the mic back to where you got it from and get a new one.
Click to expand...


What do you guys consider high Humidity readings that would probably affect gear?

Thanks

Malcolm
 
malcolm123 said:
What do you guys consider high Humidity readings that would probably affect gear?

Thanks

Malcolm
Click to expand...
Good Question... I don't know what would be considered the danger level starting point. :confused:
 
DJL said:
What do you think he should do doc, and what's your feelings about baking the capsule under a 100-watt light bulb?
Click to expand...

I don't think it will hurt the mic - you'd have to set a thermometer beside the mic to see how hot it gets - probably not more than 5-10 degrees hotter then the ambient temperature, which is not a problem unless you live in AZ where it's 120, but then you wouldn't have to be worrying about drying out the mic.

Once it's dried out, keep it in a case with silica gel when not in use.
 
malcolm123 said:
What do you guys consider high Humidity readings that would probably affect gear?

Thanks

Malcolm
Click to expand...


Here in AZ anything over 20% makes us and our gear very uncomfortable.

Actually I have no idea - on a practical note if your skin is damp at rest and there's mildew on the shower curtain, it's probably time to keep your stuff in a dry environment or buy a room dehumidifier for the studio.
 
crazydoc said:
I don't think it will hurt the mic - you'd have to set a thermometer beside the mic to see how hot it gets - probably not more than 5-10 degrees hotter then the ambient temperature, which is not a problem unless you live in AZ where it's 120, but then you wouldn't have to be worrying about drying out the mic.

Once it's dried out, keep it in a case with silica gel when not in use.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure how hot the mic gets under a 100 watt lamp... I 'think' Alan Hyatt said how hot it gets in one of his messages on this forum and it was pretty hot... I did a search, but I can't find the thread... oh well.
 
Originally posted by malcolm123
What do you guys consider high Humidity readings that would probably affect gear?

Thanks

Malcolm
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Good Question... I don't know what would be considered the danger level starting point.

PS... I asked the same question on this forum a while back and no one knew the answer.
 
I have had the same problem with my AT4040. Actually, I'm glad to hear that others are having the same problem (sorry...it sucks top have your best mic out of action because of the weather...) since I thought I'd blown my bucks on a faulty unit. Sounds sort of like what you'd expect a light breeze on a mic to sound like, except you're in a sealed room.
I have noticed the effect at anything above 75% humidity or so...
I think I'll just wait it out, as I have no critical projects going at the moment...Vermont will be pretty cool and dry within a few weeks anyway.

My AT3031's BTW (SD's) have not been affected at all so far (knock on wood). Go figure...
 
i find the earthworks QTC's to be very sensitive to humidity- moreso than any of my other mics. Normally the air conditioning keeps the humidity down, but if i have to shut them all off because i'm using all the rooms simultaneously for recording, it doesn't take long for the humidity to start affecting the QTC's. Maybe those micro-diaphragms are more susceptible.
 
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