Members Lakesidedave Posted July 13, 2006 Members Share Posted July 13, 2006 Hi chaps, I have had a Rode NTK for about 4 years, great mic, but it's just starting to become noisy. A sort of popping rumble. Is this likely to mean the valve (sorry, toob) needs replacing, or are there any other components that wear out? It happens irrespective of cable/preamp combination by the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members D Charles Posted July 13, 2006 Members Share Posted July 13, 2006 There's about a 99.9% chance out of a 100 it's the tube (valve) I'd bet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zooey Posted July 13, 2006 Members Share Posted July 13, 2006 It's not necessarily the tube, but a NOS (or Sovtek) replacement is cheap enough that you should give it a whirl. My NTK developed a rumbling noise over the past year, and changing the tube in the NTK did not fix the problem. Shortly after that, I had a Rode NT5 (not a tube mic) start making the same noise, but higher in pitch. Both mics were about 4 years old at the time. My theory is that noise has to do with the capsule being subjected to damp or humid conditions, but that's just a guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 Could be moisture / high humidity, or a bad tube, or even a less than optimal connection between mic and cable - I've seen all three. I'd check the enviromental conditions and cable first... but I'd get a new tube anyway after four years, especially if you use it a lot. IIRC, I use a JAN / Phillips tube in mine, and it sounds better than the stock tube did IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members where02190 Posted July 13, 2006 Members Share Posted July 13, 2006 Could also be an issue with the power supply. I had an NTK become problematic at about 18 months (6 months outside the warranty), and replacing the tube didn't solve the issue, so I contacted Rode. They said ship it to us, (cost about $10) and we will fix it free, we don't care about the purchase date. They indeed did fix it (it was a psu issue) and returned it to me on their dime in about 2 weeks. Give them a call. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Lakesidedave Posted July 14, 2006 Author Members Share Posted July 14, 2006 Thanks for the quick response and good advice guys, I'll have a poke around and let you know what happens. If the capsule has got damp (it gets a lot of use as my main vocal mic), is there a fix for this?As for the power supply- thanks for the tip Where. I've got access to another one, so I'll substitute it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members where02190 Posted July 14, 2006 Members Share Posted July 14, 2006 If the capsule has got damp (it gets a lot of use as my main vocal mic), is there a fix for this? Leave it on, with the capsule down. The heat from the tube will dry it out in short time. Be advised this is not a good way to normally situate the mic however, as the heat from the tube will rise through the electronics and capsule, potentially causing premature failure. IMHO it's best to mount tube mics with the capsule down. YMMV. FYI, I have 2 NTK's and love them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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