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Possibility of a Seventh Circle P.S. frying my mics?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 12:15 pm
by honkyjonk
Hey Tim and everybody. I don't mean to create a panic or anything, but I thought I'd ask.

Is there a possibility that my seventh circle preamp is kicking phantom power up the cable when no phantom is applied? And also kicking WAY too much phantom power when it is applied?

The reason I ask this is that I had 2 brand new AT 4047's take a crap. AT had to replace the capsule in both of them. Very wierd. They didn't know why the capsules were popping, couldn't figure it out. Didn't make sense that it would happen to both mics. But still, both mics were making intermittent popping noises. So they replaced the capsules on both of them, and sent them back. Well, they've worked fine until just the other day one of them started emitting a really distorted ocean sound.

And in addition to this I had an Apex 210 ribbon fried just the other day. A pic:
http://img156.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ribbonac9.jpg

I am almost positive that I never applied phantom to this mic. It literally was sounding awesome one day, I left all my settings the same, and the next day I turned everything on, and for no apparent reason it was distorting.

All these instances have occured when using my Seventh Circle preamps. It was an N72 the first time, and an A12 w/ the ribbon and the last 4047.

In my SC, I ordered the P.S. pre-built, and built 2 N72's and 2 A12's on my own.

Ideas? Is there a possibility something in the SC is damaging my mics, both ribbon and condensor?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 12:46 pm
by tpryan
Phantom power problems happen when +48V gets across the signal lines, either because of a fault in the resistor network on the modules or in the cabling between the preamp and the mic. If you installed the right resistors in the phantom circuits and the PS is providing +48V then the problem is almost guaranteed to be elsewhere. Do you get +48V at both pins 2 and 3 on all of the output connectors?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:39 am
by KevinL
I had the same thing happen to a 4047. I was using the N72 at the time.
I think, I hope, it's the 4047. I have a pair of them and one popped recording a male vocal. I got a replacement for the one 4047 and use them as overheads with the J99's a lot and so far they have been great. Maybe just a bad batch of mics? I was thinking that the FET used in the mic may be defective.

PostPosted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 5:12 am
by ghetto3jon
yikes. 4047 into the N72 is my go to vocal chain. i haven't experienced any problems yet...i hope it stays that way.

PostPosted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 2:16 pm
by tpryan
Sounds like AT could have a problem.