Troubleshooting and Tech Support

Capsule Installation / Wiring Questions

If your question is about capsule installation, you might save some time by thoroughly reviewing the capsule installation documentation before contacting us.

Circuit Troubleshooting Questions

If your question is about a circuit mod kit, here are basic steps to follow to begin the troubleshooting process:

  1. Compare your circuit board to the photos in the manual. Any discrepancies should be carefully investigated.
  2. Electrolytic capacitors, diodes, and transistors are all "polarized" -- that means they will work only if inserted in the proper orientation. Compare the orientation of the polarized parts to the photos in the manual.
  3. Clean your PCB(s), then inspect all solder joints. Look for joints that are misshapen, milky, or cracked. Look for holes or voids. Look for lifted pads. Many DIY failures result from bad soldering.
  4. If the manual contains voltage test points, test them! Here is the basic test setup for DC voltage measurements:
    1. Put your multimeter into DC Voltage mode.
    2. Clip the black lead from the multimeter to the mic's chassis. (You will need to remove the mic's body sleeve first.)
    3. Connect the mic to phantom power. (You may wish to first verify that phantom power is working by testing with a known-good microphone.)
    4. Mute the audio output on that channel. Unplug speakers and headphones from the interface.
    5. Carefully touch the red probe to each of the points indicated in the documentation. Do not allow the red probe to bridge any two components, or to touch two solder pads simultaneously, or you risk damaging the microphone.
    6. Read the voltage measured by the multimeter. If it is different than the value stated in the product manual, report the discrepancy to us via email for additional guidance.
  5. Test the mic with a different cable, different preamp channel, and/or after confirming that your signal chain works with a known-good microphone.

Missing / Broken Components

See our policy regarding missing components.

If you broke a component and need a replacement, see our policy in the FAQ.

Tech Support Via Email

To request tech support, gather the following information:

  • your order number
  • the complete and correct name of the circuit or microphone kit you're building
  • the version number from the rear cover of the build guide
  • photographs of your PCB(s), in-focus only, taken from multiple angles, showing both the component side and solder side of each PCB
  • a specific description of the problem: low output? noise? Distortion? Frequency response anomalies? Hum? Buzz? The more specifically you describe the problem, the sooner we can resolve it.

Send all of this information in an email to our tech support team.