B_Van_Deusen Posted July 13, 2008 Report Share Posted July 13, 2008 Hi there, me and another sound guy are shooting a feature in the Bahamas and today we've come across a "clicking" sound in our line. As the boom op i am hearing it on my end and its going all the way to the track. It sounds kinda like the clicking of a clock. We are using a Schoeps CMC6 with a 744T as the recorder. Any help would be great. I have heard stories of the Schoeps acting up in high humidity situations could this possibly be the problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old school Posted July 13, 2008 Report Share Posted July 13, 2008 Might well be humidity and the Schoeps. Try another mic like a MKH60 or 70. That should tell you something. CrewC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wbrisett Posted July 13, 2008 Report Share Posted July 13, 2008 Another possibility might be power. I've heard this on certain Earthworks mics when the voltage/current wasn't high enough. Again, the best way to troubleshoot this is to change out the mics. See if that changed anything. Is this clicking random, or constant? Wayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProSound Posted July 13, 2008 Report Share Posted July 13, 2008 It could also be the sneaky 12v-48 Phantom power switch on my 442 I hit it the other day and it added all kinds of noise to my recording Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 Do you also hear a whine, very low level, sometimes rising in pitch? That's the giveaway that the Schoeps has humidity problems. Do everything you can to make sure your mic is NEVER colder than the surrounding air--do NOT take it into air-conditioned rooms and then back out into the heat. If the mic can acclimate it will work fine. Philip Perkins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPSharman Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 This is why it's always good to have a 416 in your kit, or even an old 415T. It's bullet proof in these kinds of situations, although not always the best "sound" choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 Also, make sure it's not a Blackberry or similar device on set. Check your cables, too. Sometimes how they're grounded can make them more susceptible to spurious radiation (to the shell or not to the shell). Like others have said, isolate where in the chain the problem occurs, starting with the microphone. Even if it is another device that is the origination of the noise, a given microphone, or cable, can "team up" with rf interference to make it an audible issue. Also, try a different mic input on the mixer. Sometimes a simple change like that can chase away a persistent demon. JB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bondelev Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 Are you running anything off AC power? If you are, it's also possible that there is a grounding problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FSBELLA Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 Hi there, me and another sound guy are shooting a feature in the Bahamas and today we've come across a "clicking" sound in our line. As the boom op i am hearing it on my end and its going all the way to the track. It sounds kinda like the clicking of a clock. We are using a Schoeps CMC6 with a 744T as the recorder. Any help would be great. I have heard stories of the Schoeps acting up in high humidity situations could this possibly be the problem? B, Are you using any wireless systems in addition to the Cmc6? if so, are you using a mixer in front of the 744t? are using a venue system by any chance?? maybe a older 411. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jimg Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 Do you also hear a whine, very low level, sometimes rising in pitch? That's the giveaway that the Schoeps has humidity problems. Do everything you can to make sure your mic is NEVER colder than the surrounding air--do NOT take it into air-conditioned rooms and then back out into the heat. If the mic can acclimate it will work fine. Philip Perkins I'm with Philip and Crew C on this... Sounds like the classic Schoeps condensation problem, especially if the whine is present. A 744T provides sufficient current to run a pair of Schoeps. The 744T RF issue mostly results in decreased range, I think. Grounding would present a different set of symptoms. CMC-6 amps are very forgiving of RF issues generally. I live in a hot and humid half-the-year place, where it can also be cold and wet most of the other half. I had this problem a lot of the time. I fixed the problem by being sure the contacts capsule to amp or accessory to amp are clean and then by storing my mics in Dry Tubes. See this link at Jerry Bruck's website: http://posthorn.com/Macvk_3.html Best regards, Jim Ps: I should say that Evan Mater at Vark Audio, who makes the Dry Tube, is a neighbor and friend of 25 years or more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Sorensen Posted July 15, 2008 Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 I know a mixer who used to keep ( store ) his Schoeps microphones in pipe insulation , inside a tupperware box along with a bunch of Silica packets , the kind that usually come inside the box of new electronic gear. Kevin S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Rillie Posted July 17, 2008 Report Share Posted July 17, 2008 The title of this thread says it all, IMO. "clicking and getting faster". The "getting faster" part has happened to me with Schoeps CMC series many times in the past. My version of the classic Schoeps humidity problem is - starting with slow clicks or puts, which over time ramp up in frequency to awhine. At this point I'm whining too. Lotsa folks mentioned the dry tubes. Should work fine. I use a Lexan waterproof box with all the Schoeps components inside (from outdoor suppliers), as well as a gel pack from Lee Valley (encased in an aluminum box, and rechargeable) I also clean the contacts of the variouscomponents with fine toothpicks and methyl hydrate. By doing these preventative things, I have left the humidity problem behind for the most part. Regards, Jim Rillie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G$ Posted July 18, 2008 Report Share Posted July 18, 2008 Never ever use a Schoeps in the Bahamas, unless it's the only mic you have. They can't take any extreme humidity and will start making clicking sounds just before they burst into flames!! Try any Sennheiser instead. Best of luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PetrZ Posted March 8, 2021 Report Share Posted March 8, 2021 I had a similar issue with my Schoeps MK41 with CMC6 preamp. The solution was simple - TURN YOUR MOBILE PHONE OFF when recording. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Reineke Posted March 9, 2021 Report Share Posted March 9, 2021 23 hours ago, PetrZ said: TURN YOUR MOBILE PHONE OFF when recording. +11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tourtelot Posted March 10, 2021 Report Share Posted March 10, 2021 Yeah, and have the camera guys turn off their ultrasonic focus crutch. D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Feeley Posted March 10, 2021 Report Share Posted March 10, 2021 Guys, it's been 12 years. The shoot is probably over. Even Boyhood would be finished by now. 😘 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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