Anyone on this forum own AKG 451E or EB? I'm having a very strange problem and I can't figure out what's going on. I'm occasionally hired to do 2 track recordings of recitals and small local bands, and when I'm not multitracking I sometimes hit the club and throw up a couple of mics to record bands that my friends play in.
Anyway, I just picked up a pair of AKG 451s, and have been trying to use them with a Sonosax SX-M2 preamp and an Echo Indigo card in my laptop (running 24/96).
The two recordings I've done to test the mics have both been littered with pops and crackles though. Recent 2 tracks with Neumann KM184s with the Sonosax and the Indigo have been perfect though, and I recently loaned out the 451s to a friend to use for a bluegrass recording (with a different pre) and that recording sounds very nice with no problems either!
So it's something about the combo of the 451 and the Sonosax I think. Does anyone have any ideas? Specs on the 451s say it will work on 9-52V, might this have something to do with it somehow?
Incidentally, the AKG/Sonosax combo only lasts about an hour and a half with the phantom on. It would normally run for 4-5 hours with pairs of Neumanns or Schoeps I've used it with in the past...
If anyone has any ideas on what the issue might be please let me know. The paying gigs will be coming up again soon and I don't want to worry every time I plug the mics in.
Thanks!
Dirk
Comments
I'm in Nashville, TN. I thought about humidity possibly being a
I'm in Nashville, TN. I thought about humidity possibly being a culprit, but it seems odd my friend could run them with absolutely no issues in basically the same environment I did.
They are not ever used in studio settings, only live. All I do is location multitracking (or 2 tracking, as the case may be).
Thanks for the response,
Dirk
UPDATE: Picked up a second pair of 451EB to try with the setup
UPDATE: Picked up a second pair of 451EB to try with the setup described above and I have the same problem.
There is something about the combination of 451 and Sonosax apparently. Anyone have any ideas why this might be happening.
I'll test everything out with some other mics this weekend just to be sure, but I'm pretty confident everything else will be fine...
Any insight would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Dirk
PS - I'd test the mics in some different pres, but all my other pres are out on the road until next weekend... :roll:
I miss my 452EB's (the black version of a 451 with roll-off sw).
I miss my 452EB's (the black version of a 451 with roll-off sw)...They were ripped off awhile back. I had that problem-spitting, crackling,etc., for about 30-60minutes. You don't say where you live, but I suspect that you are in a fairly humid environment,no?
Humidity adversely affects those mics and will cause that. You have to de-humidify your studio environment. I am in Florida, where the humidity can easily get to 98%. Not good for German mics especially. I was told that the FET in them was the sensitive little bugger, but...I still miss 'em!