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Re: noisy 8020 mics

Subject: Re: noisy 8020 mics
From: "vickipowys" vpowys
Date: Sat Sep 24, 2011 6:11 pm ((PDT))
Munir,

I have compared MKH20 mics with MKH8020 mics and I like the sound
from the MKH8020s much better - when they work that is!  MKH20s are
better for nature recording with the Free Field switch ON, but are
still not as good a sound as the 8020s.

Many on this forum use Audio Technica 4022s which sound very good but
I've not used them to make a direct comparison.  I've no experience
with any other brands.

Vicki


On 25/09/2011, at 12:16 AM, Munir kureshi wrote:

> Sounds like Sennheiser MK80_ _ series microphones have some serous
> problems. I am glad people are posting their experience. My plan
> was to get a pair of MK80_ _ for stereo recording. Can somebody
> suggest other microphones in this category that is comparable to
> MK80_ _. I have MK70/MK30 pair and it works fine except MK70 which
> is fairly new has some popping sound issue. I also use Schoeps CMIT
> 5 with CCM 8 and that works very well when they are away from
> moisture.
>
> Regards,
>
> Munir.
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> On Sep 23, 2011, at 3:30 PM, bruce seifried
> <> wrote:
>
>> Oh, man. I know this issue well. Unfortunately.
>>
>> Rather than trust my sometimes quirky memory, I will copy/paste part
>> of one of my emails to my dealer:
>>
>> *********
>>
>> "Here's a recap of my MKH8020/8040 adventure:
>>
>> =95 Original order was for one pair each of MKH8020 stereo set, and
>> MKH8040 stereo set. Order date 5/8/08.
>>
>> =95 One of the 8020 omnis went bad on my first remote job. Intermittent
>> full output noise spikes ruined recording.
>> This pair was replaced by Sennheiser on approximately 7/1/08.
>>
>> =95 New pair of 8020's both went bad before my first job with them.
>> Both
>> initially had low-level crackly noise problems. One of them
>> subsequently improved, but both were returned to Sennheiser for a
>> refund.
>>
>> =95 The 8040 pair were initially fine, and worked in my studio. They
>> were set up here prior to a remote job in October, and one developed
>> the same low-level crackles that the second 8020 pair had. This noise
>> took about a minute to get going before manifesting itself, and was
>> then continuous. These were returned to Sennheiser for a refund.
>>
>> I returned the 8020/8040 pairs for a refund reluctantly, since I did
>> very much like their sound, especially the 8020s, but I no longer
>> trust that these microphones are reliable enough for me to use in a
>> professional situation.
>>
>> As a circuit designer myself, I will hazard a guess as to what might
>> be the cause of these problems.
>>
>> If it were not for the intermittent full-level noise problem with the
>> first 8020 pair, I would guess that there was some form of
>> contamination to the high impedance section of the pc boards
>> happening
>> during manufacture, perhaps due to incomplete removal of flux during
>> soldering. Another possibility is a bad batch of FETs or transistors
>> sneaking into production. Less likely but still possible would be bad
>> capacitors. Obviously, I did not open these to determine for certain
>> what the problem(s) was/were.
>>
>> However, I did notice that the small circular pc board located
>> between
>> the two halves of the microphones was not firmly attached in place,
>> and was not always accurately centered. In fact, in one of the
>> mics as
>> initially received it was so far out of alignment that there were
>> positions of rotation of the XLR assembly where the pin was
>> barely, if
>> at all, making contact with the circular pc board trace. This
>> might be
>> a design decision that should be rethought, at least to improve on
>> the
>> dimensional tolerances  involved."
>>
>> *********
>>
>> My dealer, Steve Remote at Aura Sonic, was a complete saint during
>> this nightmare, and managed to get Sennheiser to completely refund
>> the
>> cost of these microphones. I have refrained from going public about
>> all this, since I had not seen any other mention anywhere of anyone
>> else having these sorts of problems, and I was beginning to doubt my
>> own sanity. I tried these mics with different mic cables, two
>> different Sound Devices 702 recorders, the KORG DSD recorder, and the
>> outcome was always the same. Sennheiser denied that anyone else was
>> having these problems. Apparently, I'm not insane, as is now
>> apparent.
>> Yay!
>>
>> I feel your pain!
>>
>>
>> bruce seifried
>> eclair engineering
>>
>>
>> On Sep 22, 2011, at 4:21 AM, vickipowys wrote:
>>
>>> All,
>>>
>>> Does anyone else have problems with periodic loud fizzing noise from
>>> Sennheiser 8020 mics?
>>>
>>> Sennheiser replaced one set of mics ('faulty capsule' they said) but
>>> the noise persists in the replacement mics despite me checking
>>> absolutely everything by way of leads and phantom power voltage and
>>> connectors etc. etc.
>>>
>>> Help please!
>>>
>>> Vicki Powys
>>> Australia
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------------
>>
>> "While a picture is worth a thousand words, a
>> sound is worth a thousand pictures." R. Murray Schafer via Bernie
>> Krause.
>>
>> Yahoo! Groups Links
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> "While a picture is worth a thousand words, a
> sound is worth a thousand pictures." R. Murray Schafer via Bernie
> Krause.
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>







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