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Microphone "socks"

PostPosted: Sun May 12, 2013 10:54 pm
by stosostu
For some time now I have been using mic 'socks' on all the vocal mics I use for live shows, for reasons of hygeine. I remove them after each show and wash and disinfect them. However, last night I did sound for a young lady who insisted that she wouldn't use it and now I have an SM58 that has been used without its usual protection. I'm sure that it is perfectly safe and that she hasn't transfered any Scottish/Californian bugs into it, but I was a little surprised that someone in the middle of an international tour would be so unconcerned about the bugs that may have been in the basket already. Maybe I'm becoming overly anal, but I'd hate to think that someone caught a cold, or worse, from one of my mics when they had international singing committments to fulfil.

Re: Microphone "socks"

PostPosted: Mon May 13, 2013 12:39 am
by jkhuri44
i think the use of socks is more psychological.... ie. it is a "visual barrier"....
nasties will get through a sock to go inside a mic cavity if they exist....
and tbh wouldnt anyone that concerned about germs most probably ask to use their own mic

Re: Microphone "socks"

PostPosted: Mon May 13, 2013 12:22 pm
by Chris H
I regularly remove and clean the wire cage and foam insert of SM58's when doing live sound......often one of the first things I do when getting to a venue. After a wash, I squeeze the foam, put it under the hand dryer for a min, then on top of the warmest bit of gear in the rack, and go about my usual routine.......arn't I a good bloke!

Re: Microphone "socks"

PostPosted: Mon May 13, 2013 12:30 pm
by Wiz
Chris H wrote:I regularly remove and clean the wire cage and foam insert of SM58's when doing live sound......often one of the first things I do when getting to a venue. After a wash, I squeeze the foam, put it under the hand dryer for a min, then on top of the warmest bit of gear in the rack, and go about my usual routine.......arn't I a good bloke!



do others pull the balls off (ooh that sounds rude) and remove the foam and Glen 20 them?

I do that

Re: Microphone "socks"

PostPosted: Mon May 13, 2013 1:30 pm
by Kurt
Every now and again I'll take all the balls off and wash them in warm water. Any that look badly dented I replace. I try to remember to give them a spray with Glen20 every week or two. During cold and flu season I am a little more zealous about spraying.

I'd be suss on a "sock" too, spit filled material seems like it would be more bacteria friendly than a steel mesh. Whether that's true or not the idea would put me off.

Re: Microphone "socks"

PostPosted: Mon May 13, 2013 7:23 pm
by gigpiglet
definitely take the "balls" off and wash and disinfect!
even if only for the smell... and not the hygiene

re socks - they do take a lot of top end off. i actually like using them on some vocalists. shane nicholson comes to mine, who are sibilant.

def clean it all all the time (and your in ears)
glenn 20
alcohol swabs
buy new "balls" and replace from time to time.
etc etc

Re: Microphone "socks"

PostPosted: Tue May 14, 2013 12:16 am
by rick
gee the things I never think about that people do ..
live and learn

Re: Microphone "socks"

PostPosted: Tue May 14, 2013 7:14 pm
by NathS101
please excuse my ignorance...
how do you guys wash the balls? (o dear.....) in a dishwasher?
and if you wash them once a week how often do you spray them with Glen20? Every gig?
cheers
nath

Re: Microphone "socks"

PostPosted: Tue May 14, 2013 8:19 pm
by gigpiglet
i would only wash every month or two
at the end of a tour?

i spray "almost" every gig
take the ball off, give it a quick spray, put it back on (don't spray it when its on, that would be spraying the diaphragm)

i also use alcohol wipes on in ears and anything else thats sort of "handled" like that (my computer!)

Re: Microphone "socks"

PostPosted: Tue May 14, 2013 11:14 pm
by Kurt
I do it every few months at most, drop them in warm soapy water and swish it around a bit, rinse repeat.
Glen20, a light spray, ball still on, every now and then. Maybe fortnightly, straight after a set if I know the singer was crook.

NathS101 wrote:please excuse my ignorance...
how do you guys wash the balls? (o dear.....) in a dishwasher?
and if you wash them once a week how often do you spray them with Glen20? Every gig?
cheers
nath

Re: Microphone "socks"

PostPosted: Tue May 14, 2013 11:20 pm
by NathS101
cheers guys

Re: Microphone "socks"

PostPosted: Wed May 15, 2013 5:30 pm
by The Tasmanian
Don"t do the Glenn 20!!

Nothing worse than the smell of a toilet cleaner for the first line of a vocal.
Makes some people want to vomit - in fact I know some rehearsal rooms that used to do it, until everyone brought in their own mics. The owner asked why?
Everyone said they smelled like dunny's, and after an hour one could feel pretty queezy
May suit some styles of music...

From what I can gather those types of Glenn20 sprays are useless for germs, like most supermarket garbage antiseptics are.

Use a proper tea tree, or pure pine oil, or similar type of disinfectant,that can be sprayed by adding to water and sprayed with a normal hand cheap kitchen sprayer.

Or - just good ol cleaning Vinegar diluted with water will kill most germs.

Re: Microphone "socks"

PostPosted: Wed May 15, 2013 7:01 pm
by Chris H
The Tasmanian wrote:Don"t do the Glenn 20!!

Nothing worse than the smell of a toilet cleaner for the first line of a vocal.....etc.......

Ha! I wasn't going to mention it but I too hate the smell of glenn 20 with a passion and never use it for anything.

Re: Microphone "socks"

PostPosted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 5:23 pm
by Silver Sound
I quite regularly get compliments on the cleanliness of my "balls".. I spray my vocal mics after every gig with Glen20.. I also spray my studio pop filters.. I'v only ever had one complaint about the smell (the same singer also complained about only having a beat58 to sing into rather than his preferred standard 58... I think he was just looking for a fight).

I totally get the not wanting to kiss the toilet thing.... my secret... I don't use original glen20... I use 'country scent' ;)

Re: Microphone "socks"

PostPosted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 12:54 pm
by Paul Maybury
Scalding hot water is all you need to clean the foam. "Disinfectant" sprays are a placebo.
Balls can be reshaped if dented, use the handle of a some heavy tool.....
If you are a singer, and you don't want to share spit, bring your own mic.
Cheers,
Paul

Re: Microphone "socks"

PostPosted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 6:53 pm
by Chinagraf
I am amazed all singers don't own their own mics. Have a look at what the rest of the band spend on gear and they can't spring like 500 bucks for a good vocal dynamic? They deserve to catch germs then.

Re: Microphone "socks"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 2:21 pm
by Paul Maybury
Exactly. What is it, about $150 for an sm58 now? I spend more than that in guitar strings in a year.

Re: Microphone "socks"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 3:39 pm
by Kurt
Maybe it's the look of dread that flashes across every soundguy's face when a singer says "I've got my own mic."

Re: Microphone "socks"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 4:07 pm
by Paul Maybury
Yeah, but that's usually reserved for when someone brings a totally inappropriate, blingy Nuemann hand held condenser to small venue. A 58 rarely offends. Even though they sound pooey, everyone knows how to deal with them. Or should...
Cheers,
Paul

Re: Microphone "socks"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 4:21 pm
by Ben M
Kurt wrote:Maybe it's the look of dread that flashes across every soundguy's face when a singer says "I've got my own mic."

...a $20 karaoke mic...or wireless madonna headset mic they got off ebay for $15.

Re: Microphone "socks"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 4:41 pm
by Kurt
It's an exciting lottery!

Paul Maybury wrote:Yeah, but that's usually reserved for when someone brings a totally inappropriate, blingy Nuemann hand held condenser to small venue. A 58 rarely offends. Even though they sound pooey, everyone knows how to deal with them. Or should...
Cheers,
Paul


Ben M wrote:
Kurt wrote:Maybe it's the look of dread that flashes across every soundguy's face when a singer says "I've got my own mic."

...a $20 karaoke mic...or wireless madonna headset mic they got off ebay for $15.

Re: Microphone "socks"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 4:48 pm
by Paul Maybury
Heres how do judge the mystery live mic lottery.
1
Throw the mic in question to the floor, jump up and down on it three times.
2
Plug it in, say "one SOOO", if it works, you are good to go.
If it doesn't,
3 switch on the phantom power. If it then works, repeat step one. it should stop working now, and you can plug that stinky 58 in again.
Happy times!

Re: Microphone "socks"

PostPosted: Sat Jun 07, 2014 10:28 am
by Djembe
I have to agree about the Glenn 20 smell. It's vile!
Some rehearsal studios use it and it's vomit inducing.
But then again I hate all air "fresheners".

Re: Microphone "socks"

PostPosted: Sat Jun 07, 2014 12:36 pm
by Chinagraf
[quote="Kurt"]It's an exciting lottery!

[quote="Paul Maybury"]Yeah, but that's usually reserved for when someone brings a totally inappropriate, blingy Nuemann hand held condenser to small venue. A 58 rarely offends. Even though they sound pooey, everyone knows how to deal with them. Or should...
Cheers,
Paul[/quote]

[quote="Ben M"][quote="Kurt"]Maybe it's the look of dread that flashes across every soundguy's face when a singer says "I've got my own mic."[/quote]
...a $20 karaoke mic...or wireless madonna headset mic they got off ebay for $15.[/quote][/quote]

No, no... those chinese fake vintage Shure 50's ones with the metallic Elvis grill that have totally shitty dynamic capsules in them and hum like mother&^%$(#s