Happy Friday folks. Welcome to tech tips. With all the worry about flu’s and colds and such I thought I would share something with you that has been a part of my regular sound person routine for ages. I am sharing this tip with you now as I think it is more appropriate then ever. Most microphones (dynamic) have a metal screw on ball cover. It is a simple matter to carefully unscrew the metal ball end and wash in soapy water, rinse and place on a towel or air vent to dry. I do this on a regular basis and have never had a musician complain about a fresh smelling microphone. You can remove the foam filter from inside the ball first if you wish. I don't because it is a bit tricky to get back in though not impossible. Here is my simple procedure.

1 Remove the metal ball end from microphone (unscrew)
2 Fill sink with mild soap ( anti-bacterial works fine)
3 Gently wash the metal microphone screens
4 Rinse the screens with running water till all soap is removed
5 Place metal mic screens on a towel or air vent to dry.

My ultimate solution is that each performer/singer should own their own microphone. Not a huge investment and you will not have to share someone’s germs. Suzanne and I have our own mics and when not using them they get put away and we are diligent about not sharing them. Nothing personal. I keep a selection of alternate mics in case someone needs one. In my career as a travelling sound tech I have experienced some nasty smelling (and looking ) microphones and soon realized what a bacteria farm these things can become if unchecked. So take a few minutes and make your mics a whole lot cleaner, healthier, and better smelling. You won’t regret it and singers will thank you. See you next week.
techtips@mts.net