ABSTRACT
There is relatively little that sound engineers and technicians can do in the way of actual
maintenance of microphones, outside of minor external repairs. Far more important are the
routine things that can be done on a daily basis to care for them and to ensure that they
are working properly. All technical personnel in a given broadcast, recording, or sound
reinforcement activity should be taught the rudiments of proper microphone handling, and
if these rules are followed a microphone should last virtually indefinitely with little or no
departure from its original response. In addition, there are a number of easy measurements
and performance comparisons that may determine if a microphone is performing according
to its specifications.
