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[aremos]

Klaus (or anyone else, of course), what can you tell from these pictures about the CK-12 condition in this 414EB that someone has offered to sell me?

Thanks,
Ariel

[klaus]

From the pictures, neither I, nor, I am afraid, anyone else can tell you in what functional condition this (I assume original-diaphragmed?) CK12 is. 

But you can make a function test yourself: keep the two screens off the two capsule, plug the mic in, set it to figure eight, blow hard on both diaphragms (first one, then the other) as you observe what the skins are doing when you stop blowing: Does the diaphragm come right back to its resting position? Or does it stay stuck against the backplate for more than a second or two? If that is hard to see, take a strong flashlight to illuminate the gold sputtering during this process, for a better view.

If both diaphragms resist getting sucked against the backplate (it's called electrostatic attraction), you have a healthy capsule. If even one side gets stuck, I would not buy full price for such mic, as original well-working CK12s have  become very expensive very fast as of late.

[Jim Williams]

You better use a cleaner source of air than your breath, unless you want to add more spitum to the capsule surface.

[klaus]

Blowing focussed breath, with your mouth is fine. Its strength can easily be adjusted to the desired level that yields the diaphragm response. And it's done a thousand times during a vocal session, anyway. I was not referring to blowing major spit bubbles.

To make the test even less "spittly" with this method, you can do a few blows into thin air before you aim towards the diaphragm. That ensures the least amount of spittle exposure possible.

If you have cans of compressed air, like Jim probably has, you need to be very careful with the distance between nozzle and diaphragm: start out very far away and gradually decrease the distance until you can see the effect of the diaphragm getting pressed against the backplate (the backplate's outline should now be visible). As soon as you are there, turn the air off.

[aremos]

There's a way of blowing w/o, or rather controlling, saliva from coming out.

But good to always be aware of that (of spit contaminating the capsule) ALWAYS!

[Jim Williams]

There's a way of blowing w/o, or rather controlling, saliva from coming out.

Yes, use a fine particle paper filter in front of your mouth. There are thousands of tiny water droplets in your breath, just because the naked eye can't see them doesn't mean they are not there. Breath on a mirror for proof. I can't think of a better way to contaminate a capsule surface than to blow on one.