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i searched 'smoke' on RO

So i was going over some interface choices w/ a good friend of mine MOTU 192 (mk1,mk2,mk3), 896mk2, m-audio 1814, pro-track, digi 002. These are what people we know own, i know there's a few good ones missing.
The interesting/coincidence. was that the only one so far that has had problems, was the one most frequently smoked around. The meters read radically on the 828mk2, for the last 2 years. it functions OK but meters are not working right.
Are there any legitimate smoke tests for audio equipment performance? It should be addressed i think.
Our sound-treatment materials have figures for fires, but those test's don't indicate performance + smoke exposure, over long-term time.
How much does smoke effect average interface/pro audio equipment? Are there any reliable studies on it?
an 1814 has made it thru rainstorms (in a shopping bag), and a few smoke sessions.
Is it possible that more frequent smoke obscured the 896mk2?
(896 owner not the same as buddy looking for interface)
Not discussing merits here, just various effects/non-effects, of smoke residue, on gear.
How does it effect our equipment? how much?

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Comments

BobRogers Thu, 04/14/2011 - 04:51

Interesting. I wouldn't think that smoke had much effect on led meters. I'd usually be more concerned with mechanical parts and connectors. Microphone diaphragms of course. Most of the damage that I've seen from smoke is mechanical - due to the fact that it is very sticky airborne dirt. I suppose it has corrosive properties as well.

dvdhawk Sat, 04/16/2011 - 13:28

The LEDs themselves are encapsulated, so smoke would have zero effect on them, however any ribbon connector from the meter PCB to the next could conceivably get grunged up as Bob says. I would think it would take a lot of chain smoking to generate a film of tar thick enough dim a modern LED.

I bought a pile of musical gear a couple years ago from a professional cleaning service that specializes in flood and fire damage. The gear was heavily smoke damaged from a building fire. Everything was covered with a heavy black soot.

Any exposed metal part, (amp corners, RCA jacks, and nuts around 1/4" jacks especially) were all very rusty and had to be replaced. So far, the pots, horn diaphragms, internal connectors, mic capsules [which were the things I was most concerned about] have all held up quite nicely. I gave everything a good cleaning when I got it, and haven't had any further maintenance after two years of regular use.

RemyRAD Sun, 04/17/2011 - 04:15

Were any connections come into contact, smoke is a killer. Anything except pristine is an insulator. Insulators are not even semi conductors, they're insulators. What effect does smoke have on equipment? Shurely you are joking? When I worked for NBC TV, control rooms had air as thick as nightclubs. In less than 20 years of this abuse, our custom $85,000 (in 1974 dollars) Neve consoles were barely operational. A really good & thorough sonic cleaning helped bring their connectivity back to nearly new condition. That & replace all of the electrolytic capacitors throughout the entire board. What does that tell you about smoke?

You know, put that in your pipe and smoke it.
Mx. Remy Ann David