tomislav wrote: So, I've got a room full of equiptment that I don't want to die, because I've spent alot of money on it.

How do I protect them when not in use?

Cover then with bed sheets? What do you think?

Also, what should I do about the extreme humidity changes between the summer and winter (winter, 35% -- summer 75%)?

I have a dehumidifier, but that really racks up the enegry bill.

In my opinion----------Dust is more a factor than weather.
Electronics start cold ---and then go to warm in use.
If you dont have a dust proof room,then do what I do_____cover it!---by what ever means :lol: :lol:

I place my mics in the warmest part of the house, and never leave them for more than a week without turning them on for a while. If the mics, or other equipment are at room temperature, they will be less likely to suffer from condensation. Even in an environment with low humidity, condensation on surfaces that are cooler than the room temperature can be a problem, especially with condenser mics. Apart from that, equipment stored indoors should be fairly OK.

If you're moving equipent into a room with a significantly lower temperature than the room it's stored in, you should leave it for a while before using it, and with mics, it's a good idea to turn them on for an hour or so before using them. I've often been astonished by the difference this can make.

As eddies800 points out dust can be a problem, but you should be careful when covering equipment with cloth, as lint can be a problem. Maybe the sort of fabric that is often supplied to cover microphones is the best idea.

John Stafford

yea cover it up and get yourself a nice soft paint brush and dust thing off -works great ,gets in the hard to reach spots and its fast 8-) The brush works great on guitars and keyboards too

So what kind of cloth should be used...

Should I also remove my microphones and put them in some kind of bag or pouch when not in use?

I have six dynamic mics (the only six I have, looking to get a nice large diaphram condenser soon) and they're affixed to my drumset.

My equiptment stays in one room year-round.

I was thinking about this the other day... Does anyone go for one of those magical ionic air filer thingies? =P I have no idea how well they work, but I figured if they DID work, they'd be handy in keeping dust out of the studio.

HB

yea cover it up and get yourself a nice soft paint brush and dust thing off -works great ,gets in the hard to reach spots and its fast The brush works great on guitars and keyboards too

DITTO!

I use a dehumidifier and air filter in my basement studio to control humidity problems and dust and I try to maintain a constant temperature as well. This is mainly for the guitars and drums which don't react well to large changes in temperature and humidity but the mics and electronics benefit as well, especially the condensors. I use a 3' x 3' peice of silk (scrap from a fabric store) to cover my mixer since there is no lint from silk.

All good points folks! Manage the humidity!

But since it is winter here in the northern hemisphere our big enemy for electronics is static electricity.

The dew points in the Northeast can reach -10 degrees F or even -40 F or C as they did last winter. This is significantly drier than the driest day in the Deserts of the southwest where a dry day is a dew point of 10 degrees F.

Dry air means static. Static discharge is possibly the biggest single cause of damaged semiconductor based electronics.

A simple $40 warm mist humidifier could save you thousands of dollars.

Steve

sdevino wrote: All good points folks! Manage the humidity!

But since it is winter here in the northern hemisphere our big enemy for electronics is static electricity.

The dew points in the Northeast can reach -10 degrees F or even -40 F or C as they did last winter. This is significantly drier than the driest day in the Deserts of the southwest where a dry day is a dew point of 10 degrees F.

Dry air means static. Static discharge is possibly the biggest single cause of damaged semiconductor based electronics.

A simple $40 warm mist humidifier could save you thousands of dollars.

Steve

Good point 8-)

A simple $40 warm mist humidifier could save you thousands of dollars.

Yes--and warm mist is the operative term--it's a whole lot healthier too. Stay away from the "cold mist" ultrasonic humidifiers. Using tap water in one of those generates a new dust problem worse than you've ever seen. Distilled (real distilled--not just purified) water helps, but only until it starts breeding microbial life which will then be evenly deposited all over everything--yuck!

Buy a good accurate hygrometer (humidity meter) too and keep the humidity well regulated. If the humidity gets too high, you'll soon trade dust for a mold problem--doubleyuck!

I have a couple warm-mist humidifiers I'm pretty happy with. The brand is "Slant-Fin." I purchased them from "Bed Bath & Beyond" (a houseware big-box store). It has an ultraviolet bulb to further kill any germs the heater doesn't. It uses fiber pads to absorb much of the mineral buildup--have extras on hand if you're water isn't softened. It takes a little finessing of the control to dial it into the comfort range. One tip: if you turn the dial up until you hear it click on--it's way too high. I set it at about 9-o'clock. It has a very low CFM fan that's pretty inaudible--the only sounds comes from the water bubbling once in a while, really.

--Bob

also rememer that espesaly with accustic instruments the humidity and temp can change the sound of the wood as well as the room, i also keep litle sacks of silika gell in the cases with my mics, they absorb the mousture.