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[$a1Ty]

Havent seen it discussed (did a quick search), i would like facts/opinions on smoke machines as to their affect on microphones.

I do a fair amount of live gigs, church youth stuff, which has lots of smoke from smoke machines. Now i know this stuff is fine for us humans as its designed that way, but i dont know what it does to my microphones.

Like not just small amounts of smoke, its crazy thick that you cant see through lol, totally enveloping the microphones both dynamic and condensor.

So yeah whats been your experience with this, so far i havent noticed any degradation of the mics.

[max cooper]

I'd say the effects on one's health are questionable.

http://www.chicagoartistsresource.org/?q=node/15352

Either way, that stuff leaves a coating on everything.  I assume you're not using anything with, like, an M7 capsule, right?

The ones that use dry ice are nicer to work with.

[Iain Graham]

Do people still use smoke machines? Most production companies I've dealt with for a while won't use smoke as the artist's people will make them turn it off. Hazers are usually OK though.

Smoke really messes with peoples throats but haze is designed not to.

If it's a hazer and not smoke, then it should be ok I think.

[Ted Olausson]

Smoke and smoke is not the same thing, there are many ways to make smoke.

But...
Haze and fog is the same thing.
The difference is that there is a lot more water in hazefluid and that the temperature in a hazemachine is lower than a fogmachine.
-You can make your own hazefluid by adding distilled water to regular smokefluid, and save some money by doing so...

http://chemistry.about.com/od/howthingswork/a/smokemachines_ 3.htm


Anyway, the chemical used in the most common type of smokemachines are also used in food and other householditems.

http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/suppliers/a/propglycol.htm

Propylene Glycol is used:
   * In food – Cake mixes, salad dressings, soft drinks, popcorn, food colorings, fat-free ice cream and sour cream. It also protects food from freezing and helps as a preservative.
   * In toiletries and cosmetics – Lotions, creams, some baby wipes (though not in the brand I have in my cabinet), shampoos, antiperspirants, cosmetics, lipstick, lubricants
   * In other household items – Room deodorizers, cleaners, sanitizers and yes, new "non-toxic" and "safe" automotive antifreezes
   * And specific to the soap making and toiletry making industry, it is also used as a carrier in fragrance oils and in many melt and pour soap bases.

[$a1Ty]

yeah sorry, fog machine (same dif   ) sometimes we use haze, but usual fog, we've had this discussion with the muso's it uses the stuff thats not meant to mess with throat and health. And no i'm not using an m7 on stage, my road nt2'a sometimes gets pulled out as a drum overhead on stage but its usually cheaper mics on stage.

[ssltech]

Dry Ice...

Ask Ian Gillan!

Keith

[Bill Mueller]

ssltech wrote on Tue, 28 August 2007 18:54

Dry Ice... Ask Ian Gillan! Keith

I hate smoke but I LOVE dry ice fog! Ah the old days.... In my day the crowd made their own fog, if you know what I mean.

I have never had to deal with fog in the studio. However once one of our other engineers brought in an insane producer who wanted a gun shot on one of his songs. So he proceeded one evening to dig all the shot out of two twelve gauge shells and without covering or removing even a single mic from the studio, fired the damn thing in the main room.

I came in the next morning and we had a C24, two U47's, two U67s, a U47 fet, four 87's, four 414's, and a bunch of other mics covered in white greasy shit. The floors were covered, the B-3 was covered, the Yamaha C7 was covered. The Urie's were covered. The Sonor's were covered. Everything was covered with white greasy shit.

Jimmy spent a week on that cleanup.

Best Regards,

Bill

[ssltech]

Heheheh...

Sorry for the cryptic response, but here's a clip which explains Ian's take on dry Ice... and the Spinal Tap connection. -It's worth the watch!

Keith

[RSettee]

I used to use some fog machines at my bands gigs, but it made me nauseous after awhile. And one time I had my guitar case on the floor in front of it for the night, and it had an oily residue to it, which I probably can't see as being good for ones lungs. Now I rarely use it.

[$a1Ty]

ssltech wrote on Wed, 29 August 2007 11:20

Heheheh... Sorry for the cryptic response, but here's a clip which explains Ian's take on dry Ice... and the Spinal Tap connection. -It's worth the watch! Keith

lol thats a funny clip

[Ted Olausson]

RSettee wrote on Tue, 28 August 2007 22:38

I used to use some fog machines at my bands gigs, but it made me nauseous after awhile. And one time I had my guitar case on the floor in front of it for the night, and it had an oily residue to it, which I probably can't see as being good for ones lungs. Now I rarely use it.

Sounds like there was something seriously wrong with your machine.
-Or maybe it was a cheap bastard, they can be very bad.

The temperature is important, if you have that greasy oil on the floor infront of it then it is too cold but if it gets too hot then it will be poisonus.
Cheap machines cant control their temperature and may do both.


PS: To the OP; I wont say anything about microphones and smoke since i dont know that it is safe for sure.
I do however know that the smoke doesnt do any *noticeable* harm to microphones that *only* is used on a stage, even after several years of professional usage.
-But thats not a guarantee that any problems wont be detected in a good studio. It is after all two completely different listeningsituations.