Can high volume destroy a microphone?

[jcdenton]

If I'd use real ammo and record the scene with a camcoders built-in microphone (or any other micro near the gun), could it be destroyed by the sheer noise? Or would the audiotrack only be distorted and useless?

[Haydn]

it is possible that the microphone could be damaged, most microphones use a very thin sheet of plastic (i think its plastic usually) called a diapgragm to pick up the sound, this can be very delicate and can be damaged by high sound pressure levels.

If its a built in camcorder mic it might use a different method than a diaphragm (such as back electret), which may possibly not be so vulnerable to high volumes.

do you know what sort of mic it is ?

[jcdenton]

Thanks for the answer.

Basicly I wonder generally. Right now I only have the Camcorders built in Mic and a Phillips SBC MD695. I think the Phillips is a Membrane Mic. (Diaphragm - are you sure? Thought that's something from birth control o_O ). I also have an older PC-Mic that is surprisingly sensitive, I think it's using some kind of membrane too.

I remember it was said Bon Scott destroyed a couple of Mics in every concert because he had such a loud voice, but I think that's a myth.

But I'd really like to know what happens when you try to record shooting sounds with a sennheiser (eg. MKE 300) or even a Neumann. They are very nice mics but they are also pretty expensive, so I don't want to risk too much.

The Camcorders built in Mic maybe can be protected from damage by some layers of dutchtape - or maybe not...I'm afraid there's only one way to find out.

[Epsilon]

If the sound is loud enough, it can destroy anything. But not really by practical means by which you can create.

He probably destroyed his mics by speaking that close into them. Condensation within a microphone, especially a sensitve condensor, will destroy them after excessive misusage

[wildabeast009]

Another thing is that some microphones have a volume limiting thingy. When a really loud sound comes along, like a gunshot, it will lower the volume drastically or something. I know my built in microphone does this. It can get kind of irritating.

[Epsilon]

That isn't the microphone. Whatever you are recording into has an automatic sound compressor.

[jcdenton]

Yeah, but the compressor and limiter will only alter the electronic signal. It won't protect the mics hardware. You know there's some sort of ammo that is loud like crazy, even when you wear double ear protection, it's giving you a massive hit on your stomache. Magnum ammo, and large rifle ammo.

Well I have this idea: I'm gonna test it with a cheap voicerecorder device. So I'll see if it would crush my camcoder.

I don't want to record bulletsounds - I already got plenty of them from royaltyfree sound packages. I probably gonna take a scene where the actor shoots in a shooting range, kind of like in taxi driver.

[reflexive_cinematics]

You know there's some sort of ammo that is loud like crazy, even when you wear double ear protection, it's giving you a massive hit on your stomache. Magnum ammo, and large rifle ammo.

yeah its definately possible to destroy your mics since they all will able to take different amounts of SPL's. But your sound will start to distort long before the hardware is damaged.