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Author Topic: Coles 4038  (Read 3571 times)

Mark du Plessis

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Coles 4038
« on: April 30, 2004, 09:16:36 AM »

Hi all,

A few days ago I was using my Coles 4038 (great mic, specially when a thin-voiced dude like me has to do Darkness-type singing!)and accidentally plugged it directly into my console, which is permanent phantom. I have a phantom breaker which I use, but was rushing - DOH! and now I am not sure if I have trashed it. It was all quality cable and XLR-ed but I am sure I heard a "fizz" type sound on plugging in.

How will I know if it is trashed? Does the sound change?

Thanks for the help,

Mark
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Mark du Plessis
Rain Studios
www.rainstudios.com

adamcal

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Re: Coles 4038
« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2004, 09:27:53 AM »

I think the sound would change from sound to no sound at all.

how does it sound now?
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Adam Calaitzis
www.toyland.com.au

Mark du Plessis

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Re: Coles 4038
« Reply #2 on: April 30, 2004, 10:09:32 AM »

It still "sounds" ie.e I can speak into it and it passes audio. I tried it on a JTM-45 and it sounded "rough", um... the only way to describe it is that it sounded boxy, closed in and not pleasant. I have used it on other projects before the incident and it was great, specially for guitar (tsl-122 2x12" combo being my fav). It was full and fat, with oodles of bass (as it should have).

Mark
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Mark du Plessis
Rain Studios
www.rainstudios.com

Jim Dugger

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Re: Coles 4038
« Reply #3 on: April 30, 2004, 02:00:41 PM »


It's entirely possible you have stretched the pleats out of the ribbon.

Phantom and ribbons are usually a bad combination.

That said, if the mic and mic cables were wired properly, no phantom should have passed through the mic.
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zimv20

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Re: Coles 4038
« Reply #4 on: April 30, 2004, 02:04:14 PM »

Jim Dugger wrote on Fri, 30 April 2004 13:00


That said, if the mic and mic cables were wired properly, no phantom should have passed through the mic.

what does this mean?

if i plug an OTS XLR into a ribbon by coles, aea or royer -- does that qualify as wired properly?
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George Massenburg

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Re: Coles 4038
« Reply #5 on: May 02, 2004, 08:21:05 AM »

It means that the current from the phantom supply flows from the ground connection (XLR pin 1) to the balanced modulation leads (XLR pins 2 & 3), and not between the two modulation leads (XLR pins 2 & 3).  The ribbon element (and more often, in other technologies, a coupling transformer) is connected between pins 2 & 3.

If there's something screwed up with the wiring of your mic cable or microphone - if, for instance pins 1 & 2 are connected together - you could draw current across the element.

The best way - maybe the only way - to test for this is to get another Coles set up for an A/B with your Coles.  Maybe listen on headphones while you talk (or in Fletcher's case, mutter & growl) and compare the mics.

Very important that you mix up the identification of the mics!  If you know which one is yours you'll "hear" the screwed-up sound for sure.

In my experience this exact failure is for the most part chimerical.

By the way, the failure mechanism that's happened to me on at least two occasions is that the sound of the Coles 4038 gets distorted - first subtlely, then more and more crunchy.  For most of the things I do it's not a positive step.

George
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Mark du Plessis

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Re: Coles 4038
« Reply #6 on: May 04, 2004, 11:50:10 AM »

I do believe that the console (Calrec) and the cable (Van Damme) were correctly connected so it SHOULD have been ok. Thanks for that George. I will see if I can get another one from a hire company. I'll be well pissed if it's stretched. I have always been really carefull wiht the Coles, always checked the spl with a meter before using it. Specially on johnny-with-the-MesaMarshall.

Thanks,


Mark
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Mark du Plessis
Rain Studios
www.rainstudios.com
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