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[Debbie Dunkley]

Was it in channel 7?  I always have trouble with phantom on 7.

Gremlins.

How did you know Dick? Now that's weird !!   

[Tim McCulloch]

Check out how?  Cable tester?

I've switched from using a cable tester (Whirlwind) to using a condenser mic and headphones.  Once a year I check all my cables and snake channels by speaking into the mic and listening.

Some cables will show continuity, lighting up the green lights on the tester, but when listening I have found I can hear signal degradation quite easily.  Marginal cables are then sold on Ebay...

Bazinga!!!

This. Right. Here.

I had 3 mic cables that were recently repaired, fail on a panel discussion set up.  All had the same symptom - "noise" of the random type (not a hum or buzz) on phantom-powered lectern mics.  But they pass the DC cable tester...

[Debbie Dunkley]

Gonna plug in a mic tomorrow…..

Sorry Dick, didn't see your comment post till now…..

[Geoff Doane]

So it makes sense for me to take things apart then.
First, before i do that  I'll use my plug in tester. Today I used my tester with probes but if the connectors can get slightly sloppy like you say, I would need to plug in a couple of cables to the input and one to the output of my plug in tester and then use the probe tester on each of those ends. That would check how well the xlr connectors seat, correct?

It's not clear whether you just checked continuity for each pin, or also tested for shorts between pins (and the case of the snake).  A short from pin 2 or 3 to 1 will stop a condenser mic from working, but a dynamic will be fine (perhaps with some hum, since it's no longer balanced).  I had a problem like this recently with a brand new mic cable.  My first thought was that pin 1 simply wasn't connected, but it turned out to be a short from pin 3 to 1.

Dick's suggestion to use a real condenser mic and headphones is also a good suggestion.  That will find problems like an insulation breakdown in a cable or connector that only happens when there is 48V present.  Since you have a QU16, set up a channel with a brickwall limiter, so you don't blow your eardrums when you do find that intermittent cable!

GTD

[Scott Olewiler]

Wow I had this same issue Saturday with an overhead condenser.  Had HA all the way down and was still getting noise/signal through the roof anytime anyone made a sound on stage. Swapped the cable, noise went away, cable tested fine on my cable tester.  I figured cable must not have been actual issue and threw it back in the bag. Guess I better get it back out.  Very fortunate to read this post and get this info concerning condenser mics and cables. Thanks.

[John Roberts {JR}]

If the mic works but is noisy the issue may be leakage or conduction between some of the cable leads. If the tester just tests that the leads are connected at both ends it might not test for insulation between leads. Or not.

JR

[David Parker]

all XLR connectors are not standard size. The connectors on your tester may be just enough different to make contact. Are there any off brand neutrik type connectors in the mix? I would be suspect if there were.

[Debbie Dunkley]

Fixed it…

I checked with a mic (dynamic actually) and not working.
Tested all pins one more time on tester -works.
I opened up the box and all was well in there. I opened up the XLR plug in question (which was channel 7 -Dick..too weird )...and VOILA !  It was obvious. Bad manufacturing (Go figure)… The earth and cold wires had been cut too long and were looped around in there. They obviously weren't touching in the time I have owned it - which BTW has only been 6 months - and a slight movement - short! …easy fix. I was dreading it being in the cable somewhere but this thing has had no abuse so I would have been surprised if it had been.
Anyway…there it is.
Thank you everyone for your suggestions……...you can all go about your business again (till the next time I need you)

[g'bye, Dick Rees]

I told you so (nudge, nudge...wink, wink).

A tip for the box ends of your snakes:

Get some nice hard maple or oak, cut to the length of the box and fasten them to the bottom with some self-tapping screws of just the right length.  Be sure to recess the heads of the screws and to position them so as not to hit anything vital inside.

This will keep you from gradually wearing off the heads of the screws that hold the box together when it gets dragged around.  It's amazing how quickly concrete can render them smooth and useless.

Also gives you a bit of extra freeboard if the deck is awash...

Carry on.

[Kevin Maxwell]

Fixed it…

I checked with a mic (dynamic actually) and not working.
Tested all pins one more time on tester -works.
I opened up the box and all was well in there. I opened up the XLR plug in question (which was channel 7 -Dick..too weird )...and VOILA !  It was obvious. Bad manufacturing (Go figure)… The earth and cold wires had been cut too long and were looped around in there. They obviously weren't touching in the time I have owned it - which BTW has only been 6 months - and a slight movement - short! …easy fix. I was dreading it being in the cable somewhere but this thing has had no abuse so I would have been surprised if it had been.
Anyway…there it is.
Thank you everyone for your suggestions……...you can all go about your business again (till the next time I need you)

You might also want to check all of the other male connectors as they may have the same problem it just hasn’t shown itself yet.

And the reason he guessed at channel 7 was because that would probably be where one would normally have the overhead mic on a miced up drum kit.

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