When to use phantom power?
- Thread starter BWyldeck
- Start date
Look at the specs of your mic. That will tell you.
I fit's a condenser mic, it will need phantom (unless it has a battery compartment, in which case it probably uses either or). Condenser mics do not generate their own signal, and need a power supply to charge the diaphragm inside the mic capsule. This supply of electrical current cancels itself out after it hits the mic, hence the term "phantom power."
If it's a dynamic mic, it does not need phantom. Dynamic mics create their own signals. Remember in grade school science classes when you learned about creating electricity with a metal coil and a magnet? Dynamic mics do that.
Wireless lav systems do not need phantom.
You didn't say what, specifically, your "boom" mic is. Is it a shotgun mic? Model number? CHacnes are, it takes phantom, but it will be helpful to know which mic it is.
Please note that some devices may actually be damaged by phantom power. If you're using an external mixer, do not send it phantom power.
I fit's a condenser mic, it will need phantom (unless it has a battery compartment, in which case it probably uses either or). Condenser mics do not generate their own signal, and need a power supply to charge the diaphragm inside the mic capsule. This supply of electrical current cancels itself out after it hits the mic, hence the term "phantom power."
If it's a dynamic mic, it does not need phantom. Dynamic mics create their own signals. Remember in grade school science classes when you learned about creating electricity with a metal coil and a magnet? Dynamic mics do that.
Wireless lav systems do not need phantom.
You didn't say what, specifically, your "boom" mic is. Is it a shotgun mic? Model number? CHacnes are, it takes phantom, but it will be helpful to know which mic it is.
Please note that some devices may actually be damaged by phantom power. If you're using an external mixer, do not send it phantom power.
Thanks for your response. Not sure what my boom mic is. I'll find out. But I often use other boom and stick mics so I guess that is not as important. I think I have been using my wireless lav with p power on. Does it affect the sound recording when I do this? Also, if I use a mic that does require p power but I have the switch turned off, will I still be able to hear something? In other words, is it a good test to start with the p power switch on the camera set to off, and test the sound and then turn it on if I can't hear anything?
If a mic requires a power supply, and does not have said power, you will not get a signal.
It is also good practice not to use phantom with any mic or device that does not require it. It probably won't cause problems with your wireless receiver, but it's just good practice to keep it off when you don't need it.
It is also good practice not to use phantom with any mic or device that does not require it. It probably won't cause problems with your wireless receiver, but it's just good practice to keep it off when you don't need it.
Richard Crowley
Veteran
NEVER use phantom power unless the microphone requires it. It is often a very bad idea to feed phantom power to things that don't need it. Some microphones and other equipment can be damaged by phantom power. Furthermore turning on phantom power on a portable mixer, camcorder, recorder, etc. eats extra battery power and that is another good reason to leave it off unless you can't live without it.
JordanBlock
Well-known member
Unless you're using old ribbon mics, that's not an issue. Any properly wired, balanced mic / gear is completely unaffected by phantom power unless it's making use of it.
Most small and many medium form-factor boards for live sound have only a single switch for phantom power that applies power to every mic channel of the board. You can have five or ten dynamics, a few condensers, wireless receivers, and a DI box or two all hooked up to a board with the phantom power turned on and there is exactly zero trouble.
The only time phantom is a potential for trouble is when using older ribbon mics or trying to mate unbalanced gear to your balanced, phantom-powered inputs.
Very true. In the situations we usually find ourselves in in the field, phantom can be a drain on battery life if you've got it on unnecessarily.
Or when feeding a mixer's XLR outputs to another XLR input with phantom activated. You can fry a field mixer by sending mic-level XLR out to a camera with phantom turned on.