condenser mic on/off switch

Brent Nussey · #1 08-16-2006, 10:29 PM

Hi. I'd like to ask a question of those of you who know about these things. I'm looking for a footswitch that would switch a phantom powered condenser mic on and off, without making any sort of noise in the PA, or damaging the mic. At musician's friend I found this:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...tch?sku=151522
and a powered version:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...tch?sku=151523

Here's the manufacturer's page:
http://www.procosound.com/coughdropsindex.htm

I'm using an old AKG C3000, or sometimes an ATM35, and 2 friends of mine are using Countryman E6i mics for their flutes. They want to be able to switch off the signal between tunes to talk to the other musicians.

I guess my questions are: a) will a mechanical switch like this make a funky noise when you step on it (in our setting only silence will make the grade..) and if it will, would buying the powered one solve the problem?
B) can this kind of switch damage the phantom powered mics?
C) any other recommendations?

I did ask the folks at musicians friend, and they told me the sign off "should work" for my application, but it just didn't seem all that reassuring.... So I thought I'd ask here.

Thanks,
Brent

JimmyM · #2 08-17-2006, 03:02 AM

A. A mechanical switch like that shouldn't make noise through the PA, but you will hear a click from the footswitch itself. I don't think it matters what model you get, active or passive. They should both be noise-free.

B. If it says it works with condenser mics, then it's fine for phantom power. You don't need the phantom to work when the mic is off, anyway.

C. No, those are probably what I'd use, too.

Thomas Stone · #3 08-17-2006, 04:19 AM

Couldn't you use a sub mixer on stage?

Ie a small 4 channel (or whatever) mixer providing phantom power to the mics and then send the line from that to the sound guy. You will be able to seperate the channels by using different send buses, and panning hard left and right. This will keep the most grumpy of sound men happy.

when you want to turn the mics "off" you could just turn the level down or fade out, either on an individual mic or all of them from the master control.

I would rather do it this way because you don't really want to keep turning the power on and off to mics. some mics take a while to warm up (yes even non-valve mics) and sometimes the mic itself will make noise as it powers up.

Hope this helps.
Thomas

Bruce Lindfield · #4 08-17-2006, 04:34 AM

I've seen DB players use volume pedals to control this kind of thing?

Seemed to work well and silently?

JimmyM · #5 08-17-2006, 03:15 PM

If the volume pedal doesn't have XLR ins and outs (and the vast majority don't), that would be a tough one.

Bruce Lindfield · #6 08-18-2006, 02:26 AM

Yes - you would need the small mixer, mentioned in the previous post, as well.

Brent Nussey · #7 08-18-2006, 04:27 AM

Thanks, guys, for the comments and advice. I guess what I'm taking from this is that the switch itself probably won't make any noise, but that there's a possibility that the mic itself might, as it's being turned on/off. So in any case, it seems that if I go with this kind of switch, it doesn't really matter if it's the electronic or mechanical one. But it may or may not work depending on the mic itself. Thomas, you mentioned "you don't really want to keep turning the power on and off to mics" Is that because doing so could damage them, or shorten their life? Or more because of these performance issues?

Our reason for wanting the switches is more convenience than anything else, at one gig we do have a small mixer which one guy bends over and mutes his channel between tunes, but if a switch like this would work, it would look better and be easier on the back. Also, the 3 of us work in all different situations separately, and this is Tokyo where travelling light and by train are often requirements. So that's why, if it works, this seems like a good solution.

Thanks again,
Brent

fdeck · #8 08-19-2006, 09:15 AM

I am betting the "click" will be minimal with the mechanical switch box. If it works the way I think, then it turns the mic off by connecting the + and - signals, while leaving the phantom power undisturbed.

You can get a female XLR connector with the on/off switch built in. I worked with a singer who had one of these on a phantom powered condenser mike, and it definitely worked. I could not find a link to a supplier of cables, but here is the plug:

http://www.neutrik.com/content/produ...lid=204_191691

You will notice the description, "noiseless on/off switch, shorting contacts 2 and 3." Replacing the connectors on your existing cables, you would not have to carry extra boxes and cables.

Note in edit: I found a distributor:

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...number=092-080

Brent Nussey · #9 08-19-2006, 08:32 PM

Hi Francis,

Thanks! This really helps a lot. I think that at least for my 2 headset flautists, a cable with this connector will work out even better, and there's a couple of Neutrik dealers with these parts right here in Tokyo! I think we'll just have a few custom cables made up to start, and see how it goes.

Again, thanks so much!

Brent

**Adrian Cho** · #10 08-20-2006, 07:37 PM

Brent, I wanted a similar thing for a vocal mic. Well actually the opposite. I wanted to be able to talk between the tunes but didn't want the mic active while I was playing. I got a cable with exactly the kind of Neutrik switch fdeck describes and it works beautifully. There is no noise through the speaker when I engage or disengage it.

Brent Nussey · #11 09-21-2006, 11:11 AM

I just wanted to thank everyone for their help and advice on this. We went down to Akihabara and the shop made us some cables with these connectors, and they work great. Everyone's happy. In fact, I've already turned a couple of vocalists on to them too. As mentioned, they turn on and off silently, and are super convenient.

Thanks again,
Brent