Why isnt this microphone working?

[tommorichards]

The singer in me band was using it, then it just died on her. Im completely unfamiliar with microphones and im wondering if some boffins may be able to help.

Its an XLR output mic. Ive opened up the thing to take a look and these pictures are the result.

There is a miniscule wire going from the microphone bit to the xlr piece that is broken. Im thinking that could be it, but how the hell do you reattach it if it is? And the 2 black wires dont even look like theyre soldered to anything.

Ive included some pictures to aid in diagnosis









cheers for any help chaps

[bertbass]

I have repaired mics before and it's a bit fiddly but you get there in the end.

In the first photo it looks like the wire from the voice coil, the thin wire under the yellow tape, is broken but that may just be the photo. The way to check it is to put a meter across the two solder pads either side of the brass standoff. If you get continuity then all is well. If the wire is broken, then using a magnifying glass and a sharp knife / blade, scrape the wire until the varnish is removed and solder it back together. You may need to bridge the gap with a very thin piece of wire.

A wire from each solder pad passes through the holes shown in the second photo and are soldered to the yellow and white wires in the last photo.

To do this you have to undo the nut between the yellow and white wires shown in the last photo. With this undone, it's reasonably simple the thread the two wires from the solder pads through the holes by the yellow and white holes and solder them in place.

I'm sure that with the bits of the mic infront of you you'll get the idea.

Good luck.

[tommorichards]

[size=4][quote name='bertbass' timestamp='1366754848' post='2057061'][/size]In the first photo it looks like the wire from the voice coil, the thin wire under the yellow tape, is broken but that may just be the photo. The way to check it is to put a meter across the two solder pads either side of the brass standoff. If you get continuity then all is well.[size=4][/quote][/size]
[size=4]Ive checked the continuity on the coil, there is none.[/size]

[size=4][quote name='bertbass' timestamp='1366754848' post='2057061'] [/size][size=4]If the wire is broken, then using a magnifying glass and a sharp knife / blade, scrape the wire until the varnish is removed and solder it back together. You may need to bridge the gap with a very thin piece of wire.[/size][size=4][/quote][/size]
[size=4]Is this wire the one inside the coil, or the thin one that goes from the coil to the base where the white, green wires are?[/size]

[size=4][quote name='bertbass' timestamp='1366754848' post='2057061'][/size]A wire from each solder pad passes through the holes shown in the second photo and are soldered to the yellow and white wires in the last photo.[/quote]
[size=4]These were not soldered when i took it apart. It looked like they just slotted into the hole and that was it. You're saying that they should be soldered?[/size]


Also, thanks for responding.

Edited April 24, 2013 by tommorichards

[bertbass]

In the first photo it looks like there may be a break in the wire that comes out from under the yellow tape and solders onto the pad. If that is a break, then it is repairable but is a seriously fiddly job. If it's not broken then the voice coil has gone open circuit and the you might as well throw the mic away or try to get a new cartridge and use the old body of the mic but you'll still have to solder the new cartridge in. Easiest just to get a new mic.

The wires should have been soldered otherwise the signal from the cartridge would not have been able to pass through to the XLR plug at the end of the mic unless you were very lucky and they made contact by just touching.

[Dad3353]

Good evening, tommorichards (or may I call you Tom..?)...

In p2 we see a black wire on the right, and a solder pad on the left.
In p3 we see a black wire on the right and a sliver of wire on the left.
Although not familiar with this mic, it looks to me as if the black wire from p3 should be soldered to the solder pad on the left of p2
I think that the sliver comes from inside the black wire in p2. This sliver should be removed, and the p2 black wire soldered to where the sliver is soldered in p3.
Still awake..? Sorry, it's not simple to describe simple stuff..!
In any case, if you've no continuity whatever from the 2 solder pads on the capsule, best seen in p3, then I'd say that the capsule has snuffed it, and must be replaced (or, of course, the whole mic; probably the cheaper solution...).
Doesn't sound hopeful, and I may be wrong, but that's my tuppence-worth. Hope this helps.