Canon DM-100 microphone rattle noise fix

ID: 87881

Description: The DM-100 is still the go-to microphone for...

Steps:

1. This is the rattly beast.

2. You access the internals by removing the grill in the front, which is held in place by a small amount of adhesive.
3. Use a set of tweezers (or a pointy metallic object, I used a tiny screwdriver) and gently pull in a circular fashion not to destroy the metal girder.

4. Canon has used an elastic band for vibration reduction of the directional "sound pipe" (seen as a circle behind the elastic band).
5. The pipe visible behind the elastic is supposed to be mounted toe the inner wall with the two marked circular joints.
6. These incredibly weak joints are bound to break as the rubber loses its elasticity.

7. Rubber band is irreparable and needs to go. I scratched it out using a small, sharp screwdriver.

8. The culprit of the rattling noise is now apparent. A plastic cylinder stretches through the whole of the microphone, enabling the microphones forward focused / directional sound.
9. When the rubber band breaks because of the bad joints, this thing hits the inner side of the cylinder.

10. I measured the internal diameter, and found that there in total was a void of about 2mm in between the tube and the mic cylinder.
11. After some searching, I found a 2mm thick foam sheet for about 50 cents at a hobbyist shop.
12. Use this to cut a small sheet of depth of about 2 cm and length matching the inner circumference.

13. After some scissoring, you should have something that looks a bit like this.

14. Add a dab of glue around the foam to make sure it stays in place.

15. Add a thin layer of glue to the yellow circle and reattach the grill and windstopper.

16. There! 190$ microphone fixed for less than a dollar.
17. The audio quality isn't affected at all.