Producer and Mix Engineer Neal Avron (Everclear, Switchfoot, New Found Glory, Fall Out Boy, Yellowcard, Weezer, Sara Bareilles, Anberlin) sits down with Dave and Herb to talk shop in the 108th episode of Pensado's Place!

Stump The VK Guy Question:

"If I am the lucky owner of a Large Diaphragm Condenser microphone, what type of maintenance do they require, and how often should I have them checked? Can the sound quality degrade over time if I just leave them alone?"

Drew Townson's Answer:

I'm going to assume it's not a tube condenser, and I'll base my answer on the premise that we're talking about a FET (transistor) LDC mic. These mics don't require much in terms of maintenance. Obviously, they are sensitive and the capsules are precision instruments so you don't want to drop the mic, or put it in harm's way. Most LDC's can take plenty of SPL so you can mic almost anything. I wouldn't recommend sticking an LDC INSIDE a kick drum but you could certainly put it outside of one, a foot or so away. The less obvious thing to know is that the diaphragm itself, which is usually coated in gold, can oxidize like any metal, (although gold is resistant to it). Avoid moisture, like spit, and also smoke. Nicotine can build up on there like a film, and at Vintage King we sometimes find that old mics have capsules that have moisture damage or smoke damage. Using a simple pop filter - aka windscreen - is all you need to do to protect the mic from plosives as well as saliva. Also, do not plug the mic in or disconnect it with the phantom-power source ON. Always make sure it's off until the mic is connected and THEN turn on the 48V. Eventually, you may want to have the mic serviced and re-capped (replace the capacitors) but that should not need to be done for years. So, use a windscreen, don't hit the mic with a drum stick, and you'll be good to go for years!

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