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Can you hear the crackling without the headphones? Could be a bad headphone circuit.

 

If you hear the noise in the main speakers too, you should go through the lines one by one & see if unplugging one of them removes the crackle. If it does not, try another mixer. If you can't borrow one, you could probably rent one for pretty cheap, just for testing. If that cures the problem then buy a new mixer.

 

If one of the lines turns out to have a problem, try switching the crackly mic to another line & see if it still makes noise. If not, check your connectors or replace the mic line. If so - bad mic.

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Thanks Franknputer,

Yes you can hear the crackle in the main system. I also attenuateded all mic's and checked one at a time and they seem to all have a little noise in them. My guess is that it is a phantom power issue or a noise from dust issue.

 

I let the owner know I think we need to replace the mackie.

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Good advice. You have enough cables and mics that you can do substitutions to see if the problem is before or after the mixer, or possibly the power amp or headphone circuit.

 

I know horse venues well and know the dust situation. Possibly cleaning all the contacts will help. In the future, I strongly suggest putting a clear plastic bag around the mixer if it doesn't generate much heat. It should give you enough "play" to move the knobs and keep the dust out.

 

The main thing in troubleshooting is to isolate the problem. Test each element separately until you find the part that doesn't work. For example, if all mics and cables are affected, then it's probably not a mic or cable, but what they feed.

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Originally posted by Anderton

...The main thing in troubleshooting is to isolate the problem. Test each element separately until you find the part that doesn't work. For example, if all mics and cables are affected, then it's probably not a mic or cable, but what they feed.

 

 

And, whenever possible, begin troubleshooting in the middle of the signal chain. This can eliminate half the chain in one step. Then cut the suspect half in half again and check, etc. Fastest way in a linear signal chain to troubleshoot. I learned this from the late, Marty Feldman.

 

I suspect, from your description, that dust is the culprit. The mixer, speakrs or mics are all probably experiencing issues from the dust. If at all possible, I suggest you remove the entire system from the venue, clean each component carefully and test them individually on another system known to be in proper working order.

 

Even if only one component is the immediate cause of the noise, cleaning the entire system will eliminate the need to do this again and again as other components fall prey to the dust and dirt.

 

Be sure you know what kind of cleaner to use for pots vs. contacts so you don't destroy components in an attempt to clean them. Some things require lubricating cleanser (such as pots if you cannot open, clean and re-lubricate them) and others you absolutely don't want an oily, lubricating cleanser as it will hold dust.

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A good cleaning, using Craig De-oxit on all connections and the mixer faders is a good start. If it's consistant in every line, it's unlikely it's a phantom problem, however switching to dynamic mics would solve that.

 

Defintely clean everything and move the electronics to a cleaner environment. Put foam wind sox on the 81's that will help keep the dust out without upsetting the sound quality.

 

It may be the Mackie has collected so much dust it's time to toss it and get another. Since you only need 3 mic pres there are many options, and while I am hesistant to recommend anything behringer, in this application they would do the job just fine. they make a little mixer with 4 mic pres and phantom power for about $100.

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For that matter, several people make small mixers that would fill the bill, without uttering the B word. :D I'm quite happy with my Spirit Folio Notepad for a tiny utility mixer, and they are in the same price range.

 

I wuoldn't recommend dynamic mics for your situation - I assume you're just area miking the room? Condensers will work better for this IMO. But - you should put some windscreens on them to minimize the dust.

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