Can low frequencies damage a microphone?

[greeningep]

Hey guys, I remember when I was in one of my old bands, we were doing some recording, and when the guy was setting up the mic in front of my cab he made sure the mic was standing up straight, or not upside down. He said the low frequencies from bass can damage the mic (maybe the diaphragm??). So ever since then (probably 3 years ago) I have been wondering if that was true. Thanks.

[lemur821]

I could see them destroying a ribbon mic.

[anderbass]

+1 to lemur821 post, but I believe its the fear of rushing air, as opposed
to actual low frequencies that make ribbon mics susceptible to damage.

[geoffkhan]

There are some more fragile mics which can be damaged by loud frequencies. As long as you're not mic'ing things which are loud way to close or whatnot, you should be okay.

At the studio that I record someone used the AGK 414 to mic a drumset and broke it.

Just make sure to use mics which are designed for certain frequency ranges. If you would feel uncomfortable putting your ear that close to a sound source, you probably don't want to put a mic that close, unless it is known for durability--ex. mic'ing loud guitar amps with an SM57. The 57 will survive loud metal guitar playing (some guitarists like to crank the amp to get a certain tone).

As Anderbass said, rushing air is part of it. Put your hand in front of the sound source (I.E. bass cabinet) and feel the sound hitting your hand. That same stuff is going to be hitting the diaphragm of the mic.

You can always position the mic differently to avoid low frequencies, like off to the side.

[Violen]

as far as AKG and Drums, my first choice for overheads is a pair of 414's, and then a pair of Earthworks. I am currently in the studio running three tracks, one direct out of my mesa, and two mic'ed, both close, Track 2 is a D112, and the other track is an Earthworks QTC 1 and i havent worried about damaging either mic.

Try experimenting. As long as you dont crank your bass cab all the way over i doubt your gonna hurt anything. If you have to crank it all the way over to get a good sound, buy a new amp

[Snarf]

It's all a matter of SPL tolerance on the mic. If you go above it, you break the mic, but it's because of the dBSPL (decibels sound pressure level), not because of what frequencies are hitting it. Frequency is irrelevent.

[geoffkhan]

Certain mics are built to withstand certain sound levels. If you put a 414 in front of a kick drum, you're probably going to damage the mic.

[WalterBush]

SPL and dB are two different ratings for a reason.

Sound sources with lower frequencies, such as kick drums, bass cabs, and even tubas, move more air (and thus generate more SPL) than, say, a saxophone or guitar cabinet pushing the same levels on the decibel scale. Lower frequencies are much more likely to damage a sensitive mic as a result.


Since blowing directly on a condensor mic can damage it, I suppose you could say that frequency is irrelevant, but lower frequencies are definitely more likely to hit the mic's diaphragm with more wind, and thus are more likely to damage it.

Excessive vibration from low frequencies may also loosen or destroy delicate electronics internally, as well, especially in microphones that have tubes located internally rather than in the power supply.

Watch your high-end large diaphragm condensors around kick drums and bass cabs, in other words. Make sure your mic can take it, or be willing to replace it. I have no problems sticking my SM81s inside a lead-footed drummer's kick, for instance, but there's no way you're talking me into putting a U47 right up against someone's cranked Rig of Doom.

[AdlerAugen]

how close was the akg 414 to the drumset that broke it?

[greeningep]

Thanks everyone for the replies, good information.