any ideas
Hey guys,
The other nite I was doing a session and I had my large-diaphram condenser set up in front of an upright bass, which by the way, is a great way to record a bass. Everything was working great, the recording sounded full and clean. Then, about halfway through the session, we listened to a take and the bass was totally gone. We tried everything to figure it out. The phantom power was working fine. We tried other mic cables, turning the board off for a while, and finally when we switched mics, the new mic worked fine.
My large-diaphram mic just stopped working. it didn’t get hit or dropped. it’s only a few months old and kept in great shape. it’s never crakled or sounded like there was a short.
How can a mic like that just stop working? Is there any way (cost effective way) to fix it? I use it all the time and I would prefer not to shell out bucks to buy a new one.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Matt
If the mic is only a few months old, it should come with some kind of warranty - occasionally, electronic circuits do stop working ‘just like that’, unfortunately.
I had a CD-ROM drive failing on me once for no apparent reason whatsoever only 40 (forty!) days after purchase. I got a replacement, no questions asked. Your mic contains electronic circuitry (a preamp, among other things), and it can fail, however well-built it might be. The thing manufacturer’s quality control people are concerned about is that only a very small fraction of the prodiced items will fail - this number is practically never zero, ever. Sometimes, you are just the unlucky one to be hit by it.
Dig out the receipt and go to the shop where you bought it. Explain the problem to them. If they value their customers, they ought to be able to give you a replacement or - at the very least - a refund.
regards, Nils
To expand on what Nils said, it has been my experience that barring abuse or neglect, almost any electronic device with an inherent manufacturing flaw or questionable component will fail within the first six months of being put into service. Often past that, many devices will last a lifetime if cared for properly and not abused. I tend to look for products with a 1 year warranty (or longer) just for that reason. Alas, these days a 90 day warranty is fast becoming the norm.
TG
What brand and model?
Hey guys,
Actually, I bought the mic from a music store in a going out of business sale. nobody around anymore to ask for a refund from.
The mic is an Apex large diaphram condencer. It’s the mic that comes in the ART Hot Pak along with the ART Tube MP.
Is there anything I can try to fix this thing. I really like it, and I’m short on cash. getting a new one would be tough. (Got a baby on the way).
Matt
Alas, these days a 90 day warranty is fast becoming the norm
I take it you are US not european side of the pond. Over here the manufacturers have to provide at least a 12 month warranty which is soon to be 24 montsh europe wide. The contract that buyers have with the store is slightly different to warranty in the fact that law says that what they sell must be of "merchantable quality". Obviously if something fails within warranty it is generally perceived to be not of merchantable quality, and hence stores tend to pick up the replacement/repair and sort it out with their supplier. However, if the store goes bust, the customer can still fall back on the manufacturer direct, although proof/date of purchase will be required.
Maaszy
I take it you are US not european side of the pond. Over here the manufacturers have to provide at least a 12 month warranty which is soon to be 24 montsh europe wide. The contract that buyers have with the store is slightly different to warranty in the fact that law says that what they sell must be of "merchantable quality". Obviously if something fails within warranty it is generally perceived to be not of merchantable quality, and hence stores tend to pick up the replacement/repair and sort it out with their supplier. However, if the store goes bust, the customer can still fall back on the manufacturer direct, although proof/date of purchase will be required.
Maaszy
Yep. I’m in the US Maaszy. Used to be 12 months warranty was normal. Now though 90 days is becoming standard. It stinks for sure, but “that’s the way it is”. (Bruce Hornsby)
TG
Apex stuff is generally reliable - I bet wowxner would be able to help you on this one.
| Quote (mfilli @ Nov. 29 2004,13:09) |
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Actually, I bought the mic from a music store in a going out of business sale. nobody around anymore to ask for a refund from. The mic is an Apex large diaphram condencer. It's the mic that comes in the ART Hot Pak along with the ART Tube MP. Is there anything I can try to fix this thing? |
Well, you're not going to get a refund, anyway... it's now used, so the next stop is warranty.
The APEX website mentions a one-year warranty in the US or Canada. Normally they expect the dealer to act on their behalf, but in your case, contact APEX - I expect they'll either authorize a repair through another dealer, or instruct you to ship it to them. yes you'll be out the postage...
If the unit's out of warranty, then the remaining option is to pay for a repair. The Chinese LD mics aren't all that complex, so any respectable pro audio shop should be able to diagnose and repair the mic. It should be relatively inexpensive, unless it's the mic element or the transformer that's at fault.
Open the case and have a look - maybe you'll see something obvious like a broken wire, otherwise unless you have some troubleshooting ability there's not much a novice can fix in these things.
(disclaimer - I used to fix pro audio, including condenser mics, AND I happen to know what's inside an APEX LD mic cos I own one)