What are some of the good portable phantom power for power mics?

Lor

Well-known member
I'm looking for portable phantom power my mic. Any suggestion is much appreciated.
 
If you give context of why you need this, then we can narrow down a better list of solutions for you.

I assume he needs it because he has a mic that needs phantom power and he doesn't have a mic pre or mixer or recorder that provides it.

Lor,
There are batery powered units out there but you will need to know how many volts your mic needs. Phantom ranges in voltage and some of the battery supplies are on the lower end of the spectrum. Most mics will work with lower voltage phantom but some really need 48V.
 
Yes, it is very important to know how much voltage the mic in question requires. Many need the full 48v, others only require 12v.
Many of the lower cost Phantom Pwr. supplies, only put out 12v, or in some cases, 24v. If the mic only needs 12v, a 48v supply would work an not damage the mic. The minimum voltage is the main factor here.
I'll assume Lor is not confusing Phantom Pwr. with Plug-in Pwr. (bias current), in that case the higher voltage can fry a mic
 
I have the my Sennheiser mkh-70 - (p48) mic and I'm trying to use it on my DSLR but I need phantom power for this mic.
 
I assume he needs it because he has a mic that needs phantom power and he doesn't have a mic pre or mixer or recorder that provides it.

Lor,
There are batery powered units out there but you will need to know how many volts your mic needs. Phantom ranges in voltage and some of the battery supplies are on the lower end of the spectrum. Most mics will work with lower voltage phantom but some really need 48V.

Based on B&H page, the mic I have needs 48v. And yes, I will need battery powered units for this mic because I need it to be portable.
 
Most DSLRs do not handle high output mics very well, and it will be unbalanced, so long cable runs (over 10') would not be good. You may be better off with a Phantom Pwr pre-amp, specifically designed to feed unbalanced mic inputs (defunct JuicedLink used to make these). Even with that, quality would probably be abysmal. A POS H4n would record better quality than a DSLR.
 
I would not say the size difference is "huge", but the Mackie is significantly heavier and does not appear to have a belt clip. Which can be a factor for mobility, a boom op for instance.
Denecke: 1.25 x 3.0 x 4.0" (31.75 x 76.2 x 101.6mm) - 8.0 oz / (226.8 g)
Mackie: 1.5 x 3.4 x 5.8" (38 x 86 x 147 mm) - 12.8 0z / (400.0 g)
 

A little larger and a little heavier, and 1/2 the price.

Generally I don't get the obsession with small, unless your a spy. You have a camera and tripods and lights and audio gear and batteries. He is sticking a big honking shotgun (16") on a DSLR a couple of extra ounces and an added inch or two is not going to be the big issue.

I can't imagine he is running and gunning with that fishpole of a shotgun so he can tape it to the sticks.
 
A little larger and a little heavier, and 1/2 the price.

Generally I don't get the obsession with small, unless your a spy. You have a camera and tripods and lights and audio gear and batteries. He is sticking a big honking shotgun (16") on a DSLR a couple of extra ounces and an added inch or two is not going to be the big issue.

I can't imagine he is running and gunning with that fishpole of a shotgun so he can tape it to the sticks.

I don’t know noiz. Why don’t you take that that 8” iPad out of your pocket and give me a call, we can discuss.
 
The Marantz recorders I've owned (a portable cassette deck in the 70s and subsequently a MniDisc and Solid State CF), were always reliable. The 602A has some nice features.. separate Phantom Pwr, and pro line level inputs up to +24dBu. Someone commented on the B&H product page that the output is LINE (unbalanced 3.5mm) Many DSLRs do not support line and the specs do not state the output level. The specs also state "12 hrs w/Phantom Pwr". I'd be skeptical of more than a two hours of using 48v PP on four AA batteries (a little more with lithiums). It also appears not to have an external power input.. $99 seems awfully low for two preamps, PP, limiters, ect. and states, "professional"
 
The Marantz recorders I've owned (a portable cassette deck in the 70s and subsequently a MniDisc and Solid State CF), were always reliable. The 602A has some nice features.. separate Phantom Pwr, and pro line level inputs up to +24dBu. Someone commented on the B&H product page that the output is LINE (unbalanced 3.5mm) Many DSLRs do not support line and the specs do not state the output level. The specs also state "12 hrs w/Phantom Pwr". I'd be skeptical of more than a two hours of using 48v PP on four AA batteries (a little more with lithiums). It also appears not to have an external power input.. $99 seems awfully low for two preamps, PP, limiters, ect. and states, "professional"

I'm not as skeptical on the time, or rather just as skeptical but my estimate is longer. I get 4-5 hrs on a MixPre off of 2 AA's, 12 seems a stretch though.
Marantz limiters, all that I have used, act more like Auto Gain Controls, ie useless. But the recorders have been pretty quiet, and very reliable.

"Professional" ... It's kind of a loose term these days.
 
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