05/26/2026
💨🚬😮💨Vape pens are bad for your capsule. I don't know why I need to say this, but apparently I do.🚬💨😮💨
I've had people tell me "v**e pens won't cause capsule issues". Those people are wrong. The oils left over in the capsule cavity can still accumulate on the capsule and cause all sorts of fun noises!
This U87Ai came to me with mega moisture sensitivity. Even the slightest breath from 8" away would cause the capsule to get quiet, noisy, and dark and stay that way for tens of minutes.
This mic was bought used and the previous owner had clearly been va**ng near the mic. The smell around the mic grill and capsule was obvious (my nose told me he seemed to like a particular fruit flavor!). He also didn't use a pop filter, as seen by the 🧀Capsule Cheese™🧀 accumulated on the front diaphragm.
Smoke and v**e residue require serious cleaning and attention to detail, because the residue is EVERYWHERE and any bridging of the capsule components in this high-impedance area will cause problems. That means not just cleaning the diaphragm - the wires, the mount, the capsule surround, the screws, and the little plastic "hat" all need to get detailed. After the wet cleaning, I baked the capsule to remove any residual moisture and then sealed it with conformal coating and now i can't get ANY moisture-related noise out of it, even from a fogging breath 1" away.
Its back in action and happily recording and not causing its owner any more grief!
