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THE CARE AND FEEDING OF YOUR SOUND
SYSTEM
Your sound system represents a sizable
investment, and its lifetime depends to a great degree on
how well you take care of it. Take reasonably good care
of it and it will repay you with years of service. We
hope that these tips will be helpful to you, so that your
sound system won't let you down just when you need it
most.
Believe it or not, your sound equipment is most
vulnerable not while you are using it, but while you are
not using it! Besides the normal wear and tear that you
expect to have, to the needle, motor, cords, etc., the
biggest enemies your sound system has are dampness,
neglect, and helpers.
Yes, we said helpers--bless 'em, every one. Dancers are
nice people, and there is no shortage of willing hands to
help set up and take down your equipment. And maybe
forget to latch a case, or drop your microphone, or leave
your power cord plugged into the wall, etc. And when a
disaster happens, what can you say, to somebody who was
only trying to help?
Sound equipment when not in use should always be kept in
a dry place. Damp surroundings and consistently high
humidity cause electric contact surfaces to get a film of
corrosion, and the more moisture in the air, the faster
this film builds up, to the point where it causes poor
contact. If you store your equipment for any length of
time, be sure it is in a dry place, and before you store
it, put a film of protective material such as WD-40 on
all of the plugs and sockets, if you want it to work the
next time you use it. Anything that slows down
oxidization will make your equipment last longer.
Conditions of extreme heat don't do sound equipment any
good, but if it is kept dry, no serious damage should
result. If you must keep your sound equipment in a very
cold place, like your car trunk in sub-zero weather, try
to allow time for it to warm to room temperature before
you have to use it. If you bring your sound system from a
very cold place into a warm room, a film of water will
instantly form on every exposed surface. This can cause
many unpredictable problems, both electrical and
mechanical, within your sound system. Motors can run
slow, belts can slip, it can make your microphone sound
funny for a while; but as soon as everything is warm and
dry it should operate normally.
We are often asked for recommendations about what spare
parts should be kept. A spare needle is a must for
everyone using records. A spare microphone cord is not a
bad idea--a good microphone can be expected to outlast
several cords, because the cord takes a lot of
punishment. If you keep a set of spare plugs and sockets
for your speaker cords, be sure to keep a film of oil on
them, or they will oxidize just as fast as the ones that
are in use, or faster! A spare speaker cord, power cord, and any patch
cords you regularly use are a good idea have with you. This is good
insurance incase of one going bad or being left behind at your last
dance -- it happens! If you
are always driving the same car to your dances then keep
these spares in a separate bag or box in the trunk of
your car.
Here are some suggestions for periodic inspection and
preventive maintenance, to make your sound system last
longer and head off potential problems.
Needle care:
Your needle should with proper care last for many, many
hours of normal use. Be careful not to drop it on the
record or on any metal surface, or drag it across a
record. Use a brush or pad designed specifically for
cleaning needles -- do not use your finger! Always be
sure the tone arm is locked firmly in place before you
place the lid on tour turntable.
Always keep a spare needle, in case of damage to the one
you are using. To check your needle, put on a familiar
record (preferably a new record) and listen carefully to
the music. Take out the needle and put in your spare.
Again listen carefully for any difference in sound. One
symptom of a worn needle is a loss of highs in the music,
making it sound more bassy than normal. "Snaps and
Pops" are also more noticeable with a worn-out
needle.
Painted and finished
surfaces:
Use a soft cloth or sponge dampened in a mild detergent
solution for cleaning these surfaces. Some chemical
cleaners will dissolve paint or plastic, so using any of
these is not recommend. A vacuum cleaner with a dusting
brush attachment does a good job removing loose dust and
lint.
Music sources:
If you use any of the following as your main music source --
Laptop, MP3 player, CD player, or MD player -- we have one important
suggestion. Make sure you have something for a back up! It can be
another one of the same type of component or something else. If you use
a Laptop you might want a small MP3 player (and spare batteries) as your
back up. Keep in mind -- no music, no dance! Periodically use your back
up at a dance to make sure it is still in good working order -- nothing
worse than a flat spare tire when you really need it.
Turntable:
The turntable of most sound systems is driven by a wheel
which has a rubber rim. If this rim and the underside of
the platter are not clean and dry, slippage will result
and the turntable speed will fluctuate. An oily film can
accumulate on these surfaces; to remove this film, use a
non-lubricating cleaner - denatured alcohol does a good
job and is readily available.
The bearing where the platter spins may be cleaned with
the same cleaner, and a light film of oil applied so that
the platter spins freely. Don't over-oil; if the oil gets
on the platter or drive wheel it will cause trouble.
Check the manufacturer's manual if you have one.
Microphone:
Care of a microphone is fairly obvious. Don't drop it;
don't blow into it; don't spray or squirt any material
into it in an attempt to clean it. Keep it in a dry place
when not in use. Excessive moisture inside a microphone
can interfere with the free motion of the diaphragm,
causing the voice to sound unnatural. A microphone stored
in a very cold or damp place may show this symptom. A
microphone with inadequate filtering may even develop
this problem while in use, from the moisture in the
user's breath. In either case, the problem will probably
be gone when the microphone is once again dry. Excessive
moisture can eventually cause corrosion and oxidization
of components inside the microphone, causing it to fail.
Most modern microphones have easily replaced internal
foam filters. Check the foam filter periodically and
clean it if it is good shape, replace it if it is
starting to disintegrate.
A microphone in which the diaphragm is beginning to drag
has opposite symptoms from those of a worn needle. There
will be a loss of bass in the voice program, making it
sound tinny, and there will be an increased
susceptibility to feedback.
If you use a wireless microphone, make sure
you always have new batteries available. Keep this in mind --
almost half of the wireless microphones that we get in for
repair only needed a new battery. Batteries can cause weird
problems so if you have any problem -- replace the battery!
Also make sure you have a wired microphone with you since you
never know when you might have an interference problem or
something else happen at a dance to your wireless system.
Speakers:
Speakers, like other components of your sound system,
should never be dropped or handled roughly, or stored in
a damp place. The most frequent speaker problems come
from cords and connectors.
If a speaker has been dropped or handled roughly, it may
develop a misalignment of the voice coil which can
eventually lead to what is called a "dragging
cone." To check for this, hook the speaker to your
sound system. Turn the music volume off, and set the bass
at maximum and the treble at minimum. Select a piece of
music that has a good clean bass beat to it. Put your ear
in front of the speaker and turn up only enough music
volume so that you can hear the music clearly. If the
cone is beginning to drag, you will hear a rasp on each
bass note. The speaker may sound normal at your usual
volume and tone settings, but over a period of time the
problem may gradually become worse so that the speaker
must be reconed or replaced.
Having checked the speaker itself, reset the tone
controls to normal and turn up considerable volume.
Listen for any rattles or vibration from the grille or
case, correcting these as necessary.
Plugs, sockets, cords:
In normal use, your cords, plugs and sockets take more
punishment than any other part of your sound system. For
this reason they should get a little extra
attention--more frequent checkups, extra care in handling
and stowing--to prevent failures and to prolong their
life. Fortunately, there are advance warning signals
before these components fail. If you know what to look
for, you can avoid embarrassing interruptions of your
dance program.
Wear of plugs and sockets: If plugs slip in and out of
their sockets much more easily than when they were new,
they are getting worn and should be replaced before they
begin to make poor contact.
Corrosion of plugs and sockets: Contact surfaces of plugs
and sockets may become corroded from moisture in the air,
particularly in very humid climates. This corrosion
prevents good electrical contact. If your speaker plugs
and the plugs on speaker cords become tighter rather than
looser, it is the result of corrosion. One good way to
slow down this process of corrosion, and even restore
good electrical contact after oxidized film has begun to
build up, is by cleaning plugs and sockets with WD-40,
which is available at almost any hardware store. Put a
little WD-40 on the plug of your cords and speakers; plug
then in and out of their sockets a few times to work some
of the material into the sockets, and wipe away any
excess. This will help to prevent buildup of film which
would cause intermittent contact.
Broken strands in cords: Cords can become frayed inside
their insulation from repeated flexing and bending. To
check your cords, set up your sound system, plug in your
mic and play some music. Wiggle each plug in its socket
and flex each cord along its entire length. Listen for
static and interruptions, which are warning signals of
future trouble. I know I mentioned this earlier, but it
is worth repeating; keep spares of the important cords in a separate
bag in the trunk of your car! I can guaranty that you will be thankful
it is there someday.
Remember, any wire can be bent only so many times, and it
will eventually break. You can make your cords last much
longer if you form the habit when you put them away of
coiling them without sharp bends. This particularly
important in the case of shielded cables, including
microphone cords.
Follow our bird to the next topic
TO RETURN TO THE
"SOUND" INFORMATION T. O. C. CLICK HERE
 Contact
Information
For a complete information package contact Dick
Henschel at:
HILTON AUDIO
PRODUCTS, INC.
1033-E Shary Circle, Concord, California 94518
Phone: 925-682-8390 - Fax: 925-682-8497 - E-mail: hiltonaud@aol.com
Copyright
© 2007 - Hilton Audio Products, Inc.
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