What's the real deal with Mics and germs and stuff?

[LiveMusic]

I visited a friend who has a keyboard and mic set up at his house for jamming. I started to play a song and almost threw up when I went to sing. I told him "God, this mic smells like it's been rolled in a dead dog." It smelled TERRIBLE. He was embarrassed. I wouldn't use it. I didn't bring it up anymore but he did something to it. I guess he cleaned it somehow. Only thing I can figure is... this guy eats LOTS of garlic. Maybe over time, his bad breath was growing baddies inside the mic. So, any other bad stories? I assume mics might be cesspools for germs. Are they? What do you do about it?

[AlanThomas]

Gee, I've gotten to where I kind of like those 20 year old, beat-to-shit SM57s and 58s that smell like beer and cigarettes that all the dive clubs have...

[The Bear Jew]

Hmmm... Microphones. Our singer likes to use his own wherever we go. He says using someone else's is like borrowing a jock strap. I used to think he was crazy, but after using some mics that were covered with the spit of previous users, I kind of agree. I can't imagine that putting your mouth so close something that has been exposed to one of the most germ-ridden parts of another human's body (the mouth) can be all that healthy. I'm no doctor, but it sounds like a sort of nasty idea. Having said this... There is something kind of "rock" about those "beer-n'vomit" encrusted mics...

[Botch.]

I can just picture someone rolling a Trojan over an SM-58. Wonder if they're sonically transparent? "Ribbed for high dynamic response". Har!

[DC]

On the hand helds, you can usually screw off the grill and soak it in listerine or something. Just don't get anything on the diaphram itself, that could mess things up.

[Gtoledo3]

If it's a live/dynamic mic thing, I'll bring my own little foam windscreen to drool on.

[fantasticsound]

The most common solutions to this problem are; 1. Bring your own mic. 2. Bring your own pop filter. 3. Bring your own Listerine and clean the windscreen/popfilter before using it. If you constantly sing into house SM58's (And what gigging musician [i]doesn't[/i]?) you can bring your own replacement ball end, popscreen. Simply screw theirs off the mic and replace it with yours. Don't forget to switch them back after your set! :freak: You can buy wintergreen or spearmint alcohol to disinfect, as well. A small pump bottle is handy when you sing into someone else's mic. I've always told people, "Since most people put their mouth right on the mic, using someone else's mic is like kissing them. Anything in their mouth will likely get in yours. This is especially important in winter, as lots more people have colds or worse.

[where02190]

As an engineer and tour manager, I have always been aware of this. I always bring my own mics, particularly vocal mics. they are numbeed so if I am touring I know which one is for which artist and kkep them together. They are cleaned once a week, or whenever artists change(in the case of one-offs). I remove the grills and wash in a disinfecting soap, let dry(in winter a heat grill speeds the process, in summer, the sun) then brush with mint listerine and a toothbrush. Foam windscreens get the same treatment, and are tossed for new ones regularly. I have become sort of known for my nice smelling mics. As a tour manager, it is one of many ways to prevent sickness amongst artists to keep those mics as germ free as possible. Hope this is helpful.

[fantasticsound]

Go, Where! :thu: You reminded me of something I forgot to mention. This is critical to a touring engineer. Guess how much money you get when your talent gets sick? If you're on a per-show basis, the answer may be nada, nothing, zero. Keep those mics clean! ;)

[Jotown]

I never use anyones mic, and I never let anyone use mine. It's definitely a germ thing. I sing for a living and I just cant get sick. Sometimes people get offended when they want to sit in, and I switch mic's. I always tell them this: "If when you have sex with someone, you are having sex with everyone they have ever been with, when someone sings into your mic, you are kissing every ass that they ever have kissed." No thanks. :D

[Groovepusher Sly]

Funny you should mention that ass. I played a show after some scraggly, wild lookin' guys once, and the mic I had smelled just like ASS. It was radiating from the mic in a radius of about 6" to 8". Horrible! I just backed up and kept pointing at my throat like I was in pain. I actually was! It smelled that bad. I carry my own mic. Sly :cool:

[Rog]

I won't ever use anyone else's mics (unless they're Jack Ortman's 57's) A sniffy pop shield is one thing but I refuse to even contemplate what lies beneath a snotty old mesh windscreen. I'd love to find out the practices of stoodio owners with their hoop shields, I can't imagine they get washed too often?

[where02190]

[quote]Originally posted by fantasticsound: [b]Go, Where! :thu: You reminded me of something I forgot to mention. This is critical to a touring engineer. Guess how much money you get when your talent gets sick? If you're on a per-show basis, the answer may be nada, nothing, zero. Keep those mics clean! ;) [/b][/quote]Never work on a no show no dough basis. Always have a contract.

[surfmonkey]

[quote]Originally posted by Mr. Botch: [b]I can just picture someone rolling a Trojan over an SM-58. Wonder if they're sonically transparent? "Ribbed for high dynamic response". Har![/b][/quote]Hey, you might be on to something there! I am borderline germ-a-phobic, so I always bring my own mic. Mmmmm....58 with brown grill funk...mmmmm

[Nawor]

I know a guy who used to mix for AC/DC back in the bad ol' days when Bonn Scott was the lead singer. The story goes there was an after gig get together with lots of alcohol, illicit substances and several ladies. It also involved a portable cassette deck with a 6" long microphone plugged into it. (begin to get the picture?!!) Anyway apparently the record button was pressed on the cassette deck followed by several rounds of 'hide' the microphone. :eek: Sometime later the 'said' recording wound up in a deck in the main rack at an AC/DC gig... and 'someone just happened' to push play with the whole thing running thru FOH. :D When asked what the hell the noise was the engineer kept responding with "Mike Hunt... Mike Hunt!" ;) He never said whatever happened to the microphone! :freak:

[G. Ratte]

When I was running sound at crappy punk dive places I'd force everyone to use my cheap huge foam windscreens, which I'd wash out in the sink with soap and water after every gig. Using those seems to help the grills from getting banged up with the fall-on-the-floor-type singers too. I also wash my hoop screen after sessions. If people are using your mics with just grills on 'em, you can take 'em off and there's usually a piece of foam filter inside there that you can wash too.

[Jeff Klopmeyer]

Using someone's old SM-57? Might as well ask to borrow their toothbrush whle you're at it. In fact, with a 57 (or other similar dynamic mic), it's worse than anything else, since (as we all know) due to proximity effect, people have a tendency to eat those mics to get the best sound off them. So literally, you could just have a make-out session with the biker band singer who was on stage before you and get as many germs. Yuck. Bring your own mics, or at least a wind screen. - Jeff