VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[DenaliDave]

So, I was doing some web searches the other day and somehow an advertisement for this product called a "HumX" was on the right hand side of the screen. It's a little electrical plug with an LED light on it that you plug into the wall, an then plug things that are humming into it. It claims it can fix ground loop issues. I checked the Amazon reviews, and for the most part they were favorable. It was less than $40, so I figured why not?

So it came today, and I excitedly plugged it in, then the iD22 into that. I fired up the interface and TwistedWave and.....

Nope.

The hum was still there, full spectrum from low to high. Hi-pass, low-pass, -10db pad, nothing helps. I then repeated what I've tried in the past, unplugging every single device in the room one at a time.

Nope.

I then turned off wifi on my computer, turned off my tablet and cell phone.

Nope.

I then turned off the cordless landlines all through the house...

Nope.

Then, for some weird reason I wanted to move the CAD to another stand in order to use the TLM-102. When I moved the CAD and used the XLR cable the TLM-102 had been connected to. Like magic, the HUM WAS GONE!

I had the CAD running through a LyxPro 5' balanced cable...I never had a problem with the TLM-102 or the D87 clone. The RE-20 could probably eat garbage cables and work with 100 microwaves being used nearby due to its humbucking coils. Anyway, I was SHOCKED and scurried to record PROOF that the CAD LIVES! (imagine zombie e100s's chasing people).



The cable that worked and made the hum go away? Mogami Gold. Yep, one of my Mogami Gold cables. Why I didn't think of this before was beyond me -- I assumed because the cable worked with every other mic just fine it couldn't have been the cable.

I am now refusing to ever use anything else besides my Mogami Golds. The LyxPro or whatever was a stopgap cable I bought in a pinch, it seemed to work without any detectable difference on either the TLM-102 or RE-20.

And, since I had it next to the D87 using the Lyx, I *had* to do a mic shootout.

The technical details:

Mic 1: CAD e100s
Mic2: D87 clone

iD22 audio interface

Recorded at 96/24-bit

No compression, EQ, de-essing or any other form of modification was done to the sound files. The samples were recorded as one single track, imported to Logic Pro X and bounced out with "normalize" on with POW 1 set for the dithering in WAV format.

I did a pretty good job gain matching before hitting record. The CAD runs a little hotter, so I adjusted. I just wanted to make sure the overall volume was right before uploading, hence the import/export out of Logic real quick. Logic seems to do a good job normalizing to about -24dbs every time.

I ramble a bit, and relate my story -- but I think it gives enough of each mic to get a good picture of each microphone's personality.

So here you go -- which one do you guys think sounds better on my voice?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/11ldnu148phoihz/The%20CAD%20Lives.wav?dl=0

LESSON: Always, ALWAYS check your cables!
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"The wise ones fashioned speech with their thought, sifting it as grain is sifted through a sieve." - Buddha
www.alaskamic.com

[vkuehn]

Oh, Dave! Those of us who delight in saying: "I remember when it was my hair that was thick, and my waist that was thin...." are a little surprised that you did not methodically stumble over this possibility long ago.

I have come to the point that when in a store that sells such things, I find it hard to make myself walk by the displays of mic cables. No matter the price range, when I pick one up at look at it's construction... at least what you can see without tools to take it apart, I shake my head and keep walking.

The day I knew I had lived beyond my expiration date was when I picked up some connectors at Radio Shack and brought them home to create a custom length cable for use here at the house. And when I fired up the soldering iron to bring about this wedding, the entire damned plug melted before the little sockets became warm enough to melt the solder.

It's not pretty.... watching a grown man cry!!!

[DenaliDave]

If I recall correctly, I had the Mogami cable on the CAD months ago when I was first having issues. I then remember that I got the new special power strip and the issue seemed to solve itself. There *is* RF in that room, but not nearly enough to cause problems with any "normal" microphone with a "normal" cable.

It's really, really weird. I mean no other mic has an issue with THAT specific cable. I can't hear any difference. What makes the Mogami so much more special? Extra shielding? It's wimpy looking cable in comparison. It's thinner.

So when I got the iD22 a few weeks ago and pulled back out the CAD (which seemed to be temperamental, but working for the most part when put away) -- I forgot that I was using the Mogami with it. I just plugged it into the first XLR cable I had laying around, that horrible HUM was there, and I went nuts doing everything all over again. This time NOTHING seemed to work!

Onto the sound...

To me, the CAD sounds warmer, the clone mic a little more sterile and cold. If I had to pick colors I'd say the CAD is some kind of light orange and the clone mic is some kind of pale blue.

I actually like how I sound on the CAD a little more 100% raw. Right out of the box, into the interface and ears -- the CAD sounds more colored, but a little less surgical/clinical/cold/lifeless.

Now, when I play around with the EQ? I think the results are quite interesting...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/632mbhxyqzo0kq6/The%20CAD%20Lives%20EQ.wav?dl=0

*You can just skip forward to hear the difference, I realize people don't want to hear my rambling
_________________
"The wise ones fashioned speech with their thought, sifting it as grain is sifted through a sieve." - Buddha
www.alaskamic.com

[DenaliDave]

Bad news...

The hum is back. I didn't change anything since last night.

I swear to god I want to throw this microphone away. Is it the weather? Is it actually alive and it just likes to screw with me?

I thought for a moment that maybe, just MAYBE the CAD e100s wasn't going to have to be tossed.

I can't have a microphone that wants to work only "sometimes". I may contact CAD and see if there's anything they can do for me before I post warnings to people thinking about purchasing this microphone. However, as it stands now? I'd tell people to RUN away from the CAD and buy a cheap MXL microphone from China, which is really sad
_________________
"The wise ones fashioned speech with their thought, sifting it as grain is sifted through a sieve." - Buddha
www.alaskamic.com

[Deirdre]

Sometimes you need to consider what your time is worth while working and attribute that to the time spent troubleshooting stuff in the studio.

You hit self-employment "stop loss" mighty quick. And you realize it's time to shell out for a better mic.
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DBCooperVO.com
IMDB

[vkuehn]

DenaliDave- What if the microphone connector built into the mic is the culprit. Oxidation on the pins. (If the people at CAD selected the wrong vendor for this one little item, that would explain why so many of their mics are giving problems like you describe.)

There is a reason why some connector manufacturers tout their GOLD plated contact points.

My friends who do church sound introduced me to a product a few years ago called DeoxIT. One little 5 oz aerosol can will last you a lifetime. Wrap the mic very well with a towel and other stuff because I don't think we want chemicals floating in the air to get onto the capsule. The manufacturer is CAIG if you end up having to get them to order it.

DeoxIT should be available at an electronics supply house. In the meantime, plug and unplug the cable from the mic 15 or 20 times and if oxidation is the problem, that may rub enough off to stop the static for now. It matters not how exotic the mic cable is that you buy.... if the manufacturer put the wrong brand of XLR connector in the mic.

By the way, if you don't want to invest in an entire can, stop by the house and I will loan you mine.

[Lance Blair]

FWIW, MXL makes some nice mics for VO: 2003a, Genesis (valve and SS), V67 (if only it had lower self-noise!) the V88 and the V6.

None of them break down like the CAD E100s.

Also, the latest line of Studio Projects CS1 & CS5 are more reliable and sound as good if not better.
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and now, http://lanceblairvo.com the blog is there now too!

[DenaliDave]

Well, I tried the crazy plug/unplug thing -- IT WORKED!

Perhaps the unplugging the old cable I had on there and plugging in the Mogami yesterday knocked some of the oxidation off the XLR pins?

If this is the case, and I can repeatedly do this to solve the problem -- I'll be OK. However, it seems every "fix" never lasts. I'll be testing the mic out every so often now....
_________________
"The wise ones fashioned speech with their thought, sifting it as grain is sifted through a sieve." - Buddha
www.alaskamic.com

[DenaliDave]

[Dayo]

You might want to check how the pins are wired on your good cable versus your bad one. Klaus Heyne recommends an earth strap to the chassis of the xlr (from pin 1 if I recall, but do a Google). Neumann cables are wired the same. Just a thought..
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Colin Day - UK Voiceover
www.thurstonday.co.uk