Cold Microphones -- How cold is too cold?

[CZ101]

Don't know what happened to my original post --

I am recording in a converted theater with no heating (in Prague, CZ -- quite cold here at the moment!!)

Anyway, the main room is heated only by two wood stoves and the temperature is getting down to nearly freezing at night...

Should I be worried about my condensers (or all mics for that matter)? I'm using a Studio Projects C1 and an Oktava MK012 plus a 57, 58 and a couple of old dynamics from EV and AKG...

any response would be helpful...

thanks,
Paul

[kraftrourke]

hi,
i cant speak for those manufacturers, but when i asked neumann about my km184 being outide in the cold they said below freezing was fine... if it's a vocal mic you should wait for it to warm up to avoid condensation from breath.

could you maybe leave a portable electric heater on overnight and place the mics close to it? even on a safe "low" setting

or if you are super worried take them home with you at night?

where are the wood stoves? the palce sounds interesting!

[CZ101]

thanks for the reply --

it's a great space -- this old "meeting hall" with full stage apparently constructed in 1910...

There is one wood stove which is fairly large (about the size of an oil barrel) and heats the main room well if tended for about 3 hours!

there is a smaller wood stove in an adjacent room that has some effect on the main theater room also...

The good thing is that I can't "see my breath" when in the space (even if it's below freezing outside) -- although thanks for the info about your Neumann -- I'm assuming that would be applicable to most modern condensers...

There are some space heaters in the room but I would be nervous about leaving them on unattended -- they are kind of old and look kind of like an accident waiting to happen...

[Doug Ring]

All I know is AKG 451s hate cold conditions and start to make horrible squealing and farting noises. Long ago we left several rigged in a church overnight and practically had to postpone the recording next day until the church had heated up. Maybe derig the mics and keep them warm overnight to be on the safe side?

[7rojo7]

Take the mics down when not in use as if someone were to steal them, put them back up an hour before you start recording. Use tube mics with the bodies above the diaphagm.
A change in temperature will change the tension of the diaphragm which will change everything else.
If it's generally cold and you make sounds in the cold they will remain the sounds you made in the cold if it stays cold
protect your mics when they're not in use

[steins]

Our city hosted the Winter Olympics in 1994. I remember seeing an enormous number of U87's lined up beside the tracks at the cross-country arena. It was -15 degrees celsius, and it didn't seem to bother anyone....

Disclaimer: I don't know how this affected the microphones. For all I know, the broadcasting company could have thrown them in the garbage after the Olympics.

A good forum for such questions (besides this place):

Klaus Heyne's Mic Lab

Stein Tore

[edmann]

Originally posted by kraftrourke
hi,

could you maybe leave a portable electric heater on overnight and place the mics close to it?

BE CAREFUL! A friend did this with a pair of B&K 4006's and it destroyed the capsules - B&K asked - "have these been near welding equipment or something?"