How to Store Microphones

I'll begin by sharing a story with you. Before relocating to Los Angeles, I operated a recording studio in New Orleans. The studio eventually succumbed to the wrath of Hurricane Katrina. Upon my return to the city, immediately after the three-week evacuation period, I drove to the studio to assess the damages and recover what I could. I was fortunate to have had the foresight to elevate all of the essential equipment prior to the storm. Most everything was salvageable and in working order.

What no one could have anticipated was the floodwaters that encompassed most of the city. Because many of the pumps designed to remove the water were inoperable, the water remained inside my studio for three weeks. This coupled with the extremely tropical climate created the equivalent of a sauna inside the studio. This can lead to corrosion, rust and malfunctioning of electrical equipment.

Many of my microphones had fallen victim to the elements, but the one thing that struck me as odd was the fact that one of my prized microphones, a Soundelux E47, was completely unharmed. I immediately attributed its resilience to being properly stored in an aluminum flight case.

I will provide some tips to ensure that this never happens to you.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Microphones
• A storage environment

1. Since there are several types of microphones made from different materials it is important to understand that some require special treatment.
   
   
   
   Most dynamic mics are very resilient and can survive most adverse situations. The one thing to keep in mind is that they are made of metal, which is conducive to rust and corrosion. In an attempt to prevent any extreme climate changes I like to keep a bag of silicon gel inside the microphone case. The silicon bags can be purchased in bulk from most electronic and hardware stores.
2. Tube condenser microphones need the most care. These are usually the most expensive and delicate of all microphone types. After all, they have glass tubes inside which require more careful handling and storage.
   
   
   
   I tend to place them inside a large, plastic zip bag. I then roll the bag around the mic to remove any excess air that may get trapped inside, then seal it completely.
   
   I then carefully place the mic into a shock-mounted aluminum flight case. This ensures that if the mic does get bumped or joggled it will remain unharmed inside the case.
3. Another mic that requires special treatment is the ribbon microphone. The mic is fitted with a ribbon instead of a tube. One would assume that because it's made of fabric it would be less susceptible to damage, but in fact, can be equally delicate.
   
   
   
   Because the mic's ribbons are installed vertically, the mic needs to be stored vertically as well. This prevents any slack that can occur from it being stored horizontally. As with all things affected by gravity, the ribbon elements are no different. The most obvious damage from improperly-stored ribbon mics is detected when placed it in front of a guitar cabinet's speaker. The extremely high SPL produced from the amp will create speaker excursion. This results in bursts of air traveling from the speaker cone into the ribbon mic. If the ribbon has any slack it will flap. The flapping may be miniscule, but will undoubtedly affect the desired sonic result.
4. It is also important to keep the mics stored in a climate-controlled facility. This doesn't mean it has to be secured like Fort Knox, but it can at least have regulated heat and air control to avoid any dramatic climate changes.

Tips & Warnings

• Keeping the mics stored in a locked cabinet can prevent random visitors from mishandling them. It will also minimize theft.