Below, you will find a list of frequently asked questions about Sterling and our products. If you do not find an answer to your question here, please contact us at (888) 621-2154, or by filling in the form found on our contact page.
Yes, we offer phone support Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. MST. For messages left after hours, you will receive a follow up call the next business day.
We can be reached at (888)-621-2154
Service for Sterling SP150/130, ST131, ST151, ST155, ST159, ST169, ST170 microphones please contact our Customer Support at (888)-621-2154 or click here.
Sterling products that qualify for warranty service can be exchanged by Sterling dealers at the point of sale. Please read the warranty for your product to determine if it qualifies for a warranty exchange.
Ensure that your microphone is plugged into the input of a microphone preamp and that +48v phantom power is turned on.
Condenser microphones require phantom power in order to operate. Sterling microphones require full 48V of phantom power and may not perform to specification if powered with less than 48V phantom power.
If you are using a tube microphone check your set up as follows:
· If the LED on the power supply for the microphone is not lit, make sure the power supply is plugged into an active power outlet, and try confirming that outlet by plugging something else in to confirm power is indeed flowing.
· LED still not lit? Try changing the fuse on the mic’s power supply: use a small flat blade screw driver or similar prying tool to open the fuse cover that is part of the power inlet on the mic preamp. The fuse cover includes a plastic drawer that holds the active fuse in a clip, and provides a spare fuse in boxed area. Try swapping the spare fuse into the clip, re-inserting the fuse drawer, re-inserting the power cable, and re-powering the preamp. If that works to restore powered operation, your problem was a blown fuse, and that old blown fuse should now be discarded.
· If the LED on the power supply is lit, but you aren’t getting sound, make sure the supplied 7-pin cable is connected between the microphone and power supply, and the audio output jack from the power supply is connected via a standard XLR cable to an audio input of your studio preamp, mixing board, or other audio destination.
The polar pattern is the shape of the microphone’s pick-up area, and determines how much direct sound is picked up, and how much indirect sound is rejected by the microphone.
Cardioid patterns are most common. Cardioid patterns only pick up sound at the front of the mic, and reject sound at the rear.
Figure 8 patterns pick up sound from the front and rear, yet reject sound from the sides. This is good for recording 2 sounds at once from different sides.
Omni patterns pick up sound from all directions, including room reflection and any mechanical noise present. This is useful for ensemble mic’ing, or adding room reflections.
The PHP1 48V phantom power supply can be used to provide proper phantom power to your Sterling microphone when your mixer preamp does not provide a full 48V phantom power.
The bass rolloff is useful to reduce unwanted low-frequency energy when the acoustic source does not contain low frequencies. For example, unwanted rumble from electronic equipment, heaters, air conditioners, and floor vibrations that are lower than vocals or acoustic guitar.
If your Sterling microphone has a multi-pattern feature, try using the cardioid setting instead of the figure 8 or omnidirectional setting. Try minimizing the impact of reflected sounds entering the microphone. In addition to selecting a different polar pattern, this can be achieved with commercially available acoustic treatment products like acoustic foam, reflection filters, baffles, or isolation booths.
Three (3) Month Limited Warranty – Subject to the limitations set forth below, Sterling Audio™ hereby represents and warrants that any Power Tube components of this product shall be free from defects in materials and workmanship, including implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, subject to normal use and service, for three (3) months to the original owner from the date of purchase.
The tube circuit in your tube microphone performs best when it is warm. Sterling Audio recommends turning your microphone’s power supply on a half hour prior to use to ensure the tube has been properly warmed up and will sound consistent throughout your recording session.
Feedback usually occurs as a result of improper microphone or speaker placement or the nature of a room’s acoustical properties.
Try placing your microphone closer to the sound source you are trying to record. Ensure the microphone is not near or pointed towards speakers used for live monitoring. Use closed-back headphones for monitoring during the recording process wherever possible to reduce the likelihood of reamplification of the original sound source.
If your Sterling microphone has a multi-pattern feature, try using the cardioid setting instead of the figure 8 or omnidirectional setting. Try minimizing the impact of reflected sounds entering the microphone. This can be achieved with commercially available acoustic treatment products like acoustic foam, reflection filters, baffles or isolation booths.
The STPF1 is a metal pop filter with angled perforations that direct plosive airflow downward as it passes through the metal screen, is more rugged, and can be easily cleaned. The STPF2 is a double layer mylong mesh pop filter that diffuses plosive airflow as it passes through the filter. Both models include goose neck and stand mounts.
Your Sterling microphone is equipped with a switch marked “-10dB”. Select this position with the switch to attenuate the incoming signal by 10 decibels. This feature is helpful when recording loud sound sources to reduce the likelihood of distortion. Distortion may be a result of improper gain staging in your signal chain.
Try adjusting: 1) the gain of your microphone preamp 2) the gain of external signal processors such as compressors 3) the channel volume on your mixer. If you are using a standalone preamp, ensure that you are not connecting the output of that preamp to a preamp input on a mixer. Connecting your microphone in this manner will be amplifying the signal twice and result in distortion. Connect the output of your preamp to a line level input on your mixer instead.
If you have a tube microphone that had been sounding great, but now has degraded sound despite no other change in your setup, it’s possible your tube could need replacement. This degraded sound could include reduced volume, or increased noise. If you suspect the tube itself may not be working, please note that within 3 months of purchase we will provide you with a replacement tube as needed.
The State of California has adopted what is referred to as “Proposition 65,” which is the “California Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986.” Any company that operates in California, sells products in California, or manufactures products that may be sold in or brought into California is subject to Proposition 65. Because our products are sold in California, Proposition 65 applies to us.
Proposition 65 requires warning labels on any product that may contain any of 770-plus elements that the California Environmental Protection Agency considers a carcinogen or a reproductive toxicant. These elements include lead (sometimes contained in the solder used to attach electronic parts to the printed circuit boards), brass, PVC and a multitude of other everyday elements. The list of elements changes often, making it difficult to keep track of the changing list of elements.
There are penalties for not complying with Proposition 65. Failure to label products may result in civil penalties. If a company’s product is sold or is purchased outside the State of California and brought into California, the company may still be found in violation.
Various trade organizations have issued notices to manufacturers warning of Proposition 65 and its implications. Included in the warnings were suggested methods of protection from Proposition 65 litigation and violations. Protection requires warning consumers about the possibility of dangers from products. A warning label such as the one we use is considered to comply with warning consumers.
We are providing warnings in an excess of caution and they should not be taken as an admission that a warning is required. The label does not necessarily indicate our products will cause you to contract cancer or reproductive harm if used as designed.
For more information about Proposition 65 visit the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and for a list of elements listed under Proposition 65 visit:
