Electrical blackouts, brownouts, and power surges can raise havoc with microphones of all types – ribbon, dynamic and condenser types included. Modern consoles have well designed, regulated supplies that turn power on gently even if power is removed momentarily, but many older boards and preamplifiers were designed with unregulated supplies that can surge wildly when power is first applied. In the case of a brownout, voltage “spikes” can damage any gear that is connected, including microphones. With ribbons, a serious voltage spike can blow the ribbon element to pieces, just like a fuse. If this happens, a re-ribbon servicing will be required to restore the mic to new working order.