Who knew my mic was zeus!

[texlop]

Um, this isn't really a recording question more of a live situation question. I have played a show and have practiced with a mic that shocks you while you sing. I can't remember exactly where, but I think I remember reading that it was because not all the equipment was connected to the same ground. I wasn't able to try it, but if this is true I'm gonna go out and buy a power strip so that all equipment plugs into the same ground. Can anyone confirm this or is this something I made up.

[biasvoltage]

It's pretty hard to make sure everything is hooked up to exactly the same ground at a club, because the mic is plugged into a snake that is grounded to the console way at the back of the club, which is more than likely on an entirely different circuit. The first thing to check is if the outlet you're using is even really grounded; you can get these little plug-in checker things at Home Depot or Radio Shack that tell you if the outlet is wired correctly. There's a lot of DIY electrician work going on at clubs, and I've seen some pretty scary stuff.

Were you playing a guitar at the time you were shocked? Or were you shocked just by touching the mic?

[blunderfonics]

I assume you're playinig guitar or bass when this happens? It can be that there are multiple paths to ground or the possibility that the PA has a faulty ground or no ground at all. You can try to remedy this by simply putting a ground-lift adapter on the power cord of your amp. I always keep a couple in my gig box for just such an occasion

[texlop]

yeah it was when I was playing the guitar.

Well during practice we connect the mic to a guitar amp using an adapter that goes from balanced to unbalanced. The guitar amp might not have a ground, but how would the live situation be solved. I haven't had the chance to play at clubs since there really aren't none in this area and we have to provide our own p.a. systems when we play. Should I consider plugging everything into the same outlet using a power strip? I still can't forget when our guitar player was talking in between songs and he unexpectedly yelled out "Fuck" when he got shocked. We aren't a band that uses cuss words so this was really out of the blue.

[psinglet]

If you have an amp with a polarity switch, reverse the polarity. For example, if your on/off switch toggles on up or down and off in the middle, if you are turning on the amp "up" try "down" and see if that fixes it. A much better idea than bypassing the ground on your amp.

[Professor]

You can try to remedy this by simply putting a ground-lift adapter on the power cord of your amp. I always keep a couple in my gig box for just such an occasion

Never, ever, ever, ever do this. When you do, you are REMOVING the safety ground from the amplifier which is exactly WHY you are getting shocked in the first place. Thost little grey plugs are for ADDING a safety ground, not for removing them!!!
Somewhere along the line part of the system isn't being properly grounded, probably because of either a 'cheater plug' or an improperly wired outlet. Excess energy is building up on one of the devices, and is findinng a path to ground through the ground screen of of the mic cable, across your lips and through your body, into your guitar and out through your guitar amp... or perhap the other way around. Which ever direction the energy is traveling, it has to be stopped by providing a more attractive path to ground from both amps directly to their ground connections.
If one or both amps have 2-prong plugs for power, then it is important to make sure they are both plugged in to the same polarity which is easier if the plugs are polarized, but could be sorted out by reversing the plug at the wall. But keep in mind that if an amp has a 2-prong plug because some idiot yanked out the 3rd pin, you'll need to replace the plug on the power cord. For extra safety from shocks, you could get a ground lift adapter FOR YOUR MIC CABLE or perhaps even a transformer isolator (a little more expensive) to protect you from such problems.

-Jeremy

[thunderboy]

You can try to remedy this by simply putting a ground-lift adapter on the power cord of your amp. I always keep a couple in my gig box for just such an occasion

What is commonly referred to as a "ground lift adapter" is exactly the opposite - it is used to ground a device when plugging into a type A outlet. That is what the little spade terminal hanging off the bottom is for.

Using a ground adapter to lift ground on a grounded device is generally considered an unsafe practice.

jt

[thunderboy]

Damn, Jeremy's post wasn't there before I posted...and I know it didn't take me 40 minutes to write that...

Eh, just tryin' to be helpful for once.

jt

[stinkpot]

One thing that singers in bands that I've been in have done with some success is to slip on one of those foam "mic condoms." (I know, the don't look cool at all, but...) It's not really a true fix, but at least it has seemed to lessen the jolt if not eliminate it by severing the physical connection of lips to mic. Might save you a "fuck" or two at inappropriate times.

[b3groover]

I use a mic condom everywhere I go. The Hammond b3 is ungrounded and if i touch the drawbars or any part of the organ that is metal and the mic with my lips, I get a nice painful zap! I bring extra mic covers to all gigs, even those that have a house sound system. It's also a health thing... using house microphones, who knows who used that mic last and how many germs are in that thing. Yuk.

[jmiller]

One thing that singers in bands that I've been in have done with some success is to slip on one of those foam "mic condoms." (I know, the don't look cool at all, but...)

I think we should bring them back. Especially the orange and yellow ones. Maybe a special yellow TOMB edition mic condom can be made.

[stinkpot]

. It's also a health thing... using house microphones, who knows who used that mic last and how many germs are in that thing. Yuk.

Yeah, those house mics are disgusting. Ever smelled one? It's fungus/ bacteria city inside the grill there.

[texlop]

Jeez "Mic Condoms" All this time I've been practicing un safe music. Who knew I was at risk.

[inverseroom]

The Hammond b3 is ungrounded

Just curious, how hard could it be to ground it? There's a board ground and chassis ground, right? Could you hook 'em up to the ground on the three-pronged plug?