Fixing my broken CAD M179's

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FNM
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Fixing my broken CAD M179's

Post by FNM » Fri Nov 21, 2014 7:15 am

Hey guys,

For years I had two CAD M179's that I used mostly for drum overheads. A while back one started distorting on everything so I got another one and soon enough another one of the mics started doing the same thing. so now I have 2 of 3 blown.

Basically if you sing into it, the louder peaks will be distorted. I have tried the typical troubleshooting and am almost positive it's the mic in both situations. I will say that before one of them blew out, it made the waveform look limited in my DAW (a problem I googled and has been documented by someone else), but the sound was not distorted at that point.

I liked these for drums, have one working, and have limited funds, so any help or advice with getting these mics up and running would be awesome. Are there typical failures for condenser mics? Does CAD have good costumer service?

Thanks!

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Post by kslight » Fri Nov 21, 2014 9:39 am

I don't own any cad mics so I've never dealt with them, but if you aren't experienced in mic/electronic repair I would suggest contacting cad and see what they can do for you. Some manufacturers have a flat "diagnostic/one size fits all repair" fee that's usually pretty reasonable, at least compared to buying a new one or sending to a specialized tech.

From your post its gonna be tough to narrow it down, but honestly I've seen bad connections cause similar symptoms.

FNM
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Post by FNM » Fri Nov 21, 2014 12:22 pm

I just contacted them to see what they say. I thought maybe since 2 out of 3 of mine did it that someone else may have had a similar experience, or someone could relay typical condenser mic failures. I am actually experienced in electronics repair, just not microphones, so if it was per se an easy fix for CAD, I assume just do it myself. Thanks!

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Post by Scodiddly » Fri Nov 21, 2014 4:50 pm

If you've got a voltmeter you might measure the phantom power from whatever preamp/interface you're using. I've never had a problem with my one M179 (sadly hasn't been used in years, though) but in general the CAD mics seem to need the full 48vdc.

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Post by Studiodawg » Mon Nov 24, 2014 7:08 am

CAD says: "

Service and Repair
SHIPPING:
Download the CAD Audio Repair Request Form and fill it out completely (form can be filled out on your computer by opening the pdf), print, and put the completed form inside the box with the repair when it is shipped. No return authorization number is required for repair returns!

When packaging your CAD Audio product for repair, please use at least 3 inches of padding all around the product for protection during shipment. We recommend you use a carrier that can track your shipment if you want to know the delivery status of the repair. Insurance is also recommended.

PREPAID SHIPPING:
Shipping cost to return product to CAD Audio for repair is the responsibility of the customer. Repairs will be returned to the customer by United Parcel Service (UPS) or Fed EX and by the same shipping priority as originally sent to CAD Audio at our expense.

Send product to:
CAD Audio
Attn: Service Department
6573 Cochran Rd Suite I
Solon, Ohio 44139

WARRANTY:
To claim warranty service, please indicate as requesting warranty repair on the CAD Audio Repair Request form. The form should be returned in the box with the product to be repaired and proof of purchase. Be certain to enclose a copy of your dated sales receipt. A copy of your dated sales receipt for the product is required for all warranty repair claims!

PAYMENT METHODS FOR NON-WARRANTY REPAIRS:
Acceptable payment methods are Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover.

OUT OF WARRANTY - MIN BENCH FEE:
Products that are deemed out of warranty either by expiration of the warranty period or abuse - will be charged the following flat rate based on the product category.(If you are requesting warranty repair and we deem otherwise ? we will contact you to resolve the dispute and to authorize subsequent repair) Should your product require extensive repairs ? we will contact you to authorize any additional charges over and above the flat rate. (Any discontinued product or current product not listed as flat rate ? please call our service department to consult on your repair before sending the product to our service department)

Equitek $100
M Series $50
GXL Studio Mic $30
StagePass Wireless $50
GXL Wireless $30

REPAIR TIME:
Turnaround time for repairs is typically five to six working days from when a repair is received by CAD Audio. We will do everything possible to repair products as soon as possible. The turnaround time does not include the time the carrier requires to deliver the product to your address. We reserve the right to ship with the most convenient carrier. Most will ship via Fed Ex or UPS."

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Post by vvv » Mon Nov 24, 2014 1:33 pm

That looks incredibly fair!
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Post by blungo2 » Mon Nov 24, 2014 6:15 pm

Indeed it does. I have a pair of M179s that are quite nice on some things. That gives me a bit of confidence if for some reason they fart out, they weren't just money wasted.

FNM
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Post by FNM » Fri Dec 05, 2014 7:31 pm

Scodiddly wrote:If you've got a voltmeter you might measure the phantom power from whatever preamp/interface you're using. I've never had a problem with my one M179 (sadly hasn't been used in years, though) but in general the CAD mics seem to need the full 48vdc.
In preparation to send one of these mics off to CAD I decided to set all three up and compare them. On a snare drum I didn't notice a problem with any of the mics, but as a close mic on a not very loud guitar cab they ALL 3 sounded like distorted garbage. Very interesting. (I tried them all with the pad and they sounded much better.)

Some research led me to learn that these mics draw a heavy amount of phantom power current at 8mA each (what I think Scodiddly was getting at). Well, I tested all 3 of my preamp phantom supplies and got 7.5mA, 6.5mA, and 6.5mA. The two 6.5's were from interfaces that supplied 4 mics at a time.

So now I am a bit perplexed. How did these work for me for so long, and why did one seem to go out on me mid-session? If all of my phantom power supplies are too low on current then why do more people not have this issue? Should I still send one in? If the phantom power supply is my problem why does the pad help?

Really kinda bummed about this.

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Post by vvv » Sat Dec 06, 2014 9:27 am

Y'know, they make remote phantom power supply units.

I bought one to power like 4 mic's to use with my Zoom R16; it cost mebbe US$30 used on the E-bog.

Mine is a Peavey APS4 (48 volt Phantom Power Supply requires 16.5 VAC 100Ma
Supplies 48 VDC +/- 5% at 5ma) but there may be bigger ones around.

You might find this interesting ...

FWIW, my understanding is that too little supplied power will noticeably affect the transients, first.
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Post by FNM » Sat Dec 06, 2014 12:03 pm

Thanks for the link. According one poster there, my mA ratings may be double what I thought since I was giving the rating for each side of a balanced cable. This adds to the confusion a bit, because in my three mic test one had its own phantom supply and that one was the highest rated so why did that one distort?

Also mentioned is that most seperate phantom supplies do not list current rating so purchasing one is a bit of a crapshoot. I do a mobile studio so extra gear and wal-warts are really not the direction I would like to go anyways.

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Post by Scodiddly » Sun Dec 07, 2014 6:46 pm

The actual phantom power spec is 48vdc as the source, but run through a 6.8k ohm resistor on each of pins two and three before it gets to the microphone. Into a dead short that results in 14mA of current total, or 7mA from each pin.

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Post by FNM » Mon Dec 08, 2014 3:53 pm

So you are saying that all standard phantom power supplies will read around 7mA (dead short from pin 2 or 3 to pin 1) if they have 48V?

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Post by Scodiddly » Mon Dec 08, 2014 4:07 pm

FNM wrote:So you are saying that all standard phantom power supplies will read around 7mA (dead short from pin 2 or 3 to pin 1) if they have 48V?
Yup.

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Post by vvv » Mon Dec 08, 2014 4:14 pm

To take it further, then, it's presumably stuff like mebbe old Altec pre's with the really low 12 or 24 v. you might not be able to use, I reckon.
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FNM
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Post by FNM » Mon Dec 08, 2014 5:36 pm

Ok, thanks for clearing that up for me Scodiddly. I guess I'll see if they work with the pads on for drum overheads and if not I may send one in for CAD to test.

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