can you damage a mic with phantom power

J

jaz49

New member
I just bought a condenser mic from a guy from the gearslutz classifieds and it doesn't work properly....the output is so low I can barely get a signal even with phantom power on and the gain all the way up over 60dB. He claims it worked before he shipped it, and that maybe I plugged it into my preamp with the phantom power already switched on. I don't think the Phantom power was on, first of all... but if it was, would that ruin the mic? The mic works, but I only get a tiny barely audible signal. I tested my other LDC and it works fine, so it's not a problem with the preamp or cable.
 
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Thanks. I think if that were the case you'd hear a lot more warnings, like you do about using phantom power with a ribbon mic. There would probably be a warning label that came with a new mic. I've had my AT3035 for well over a year with no problems at all, and I used it almost daily for quite a while. Any idea what might be the cause of such a low output on a LDC mic? BTW, the mic looks almost brand new, and he tells me it IS.
 
I've done countless mixing jobs and pulled out condensors at will without damaging them . . . half the time I also forget to mute the board, so my folly is brought violently to my attention by the bang.

I can't see how you could get a momentary short circuit, but I'm willing to be corrected. I can more easily see how you can get a surge.

As a thought, have you tried the particular signal path with the AT, then immediately swapping the mikes (i.e. using the same leads, same input, same settings, same everything)? (And taking care of your speakers and ears on the swap-over?)
 
I'm sure many people in a hurry have forgotten to turn off the phantom power before plugging in a LDC mic. Wouldn't we hear a lot more stories about damaged mics, if this were an issue? I've done a lot of reading on the subject of recording and mixing, and I've never heard of it before. I did try the AT3035 with the exact same signal path , but I made sure the PP was off when it was plugged in...then turned it on after, since the mic is a LDC. I only need a bit over 40dB of gain on the pre to get a good strong signal with the 3035...which is the norm for that mic. I've used that mic and a few others countless times with that pre and same Mogami cable with no problems. I repeated the tests a few times. It's only the new mic that is malfunctioning.
 
yeah, there is no damage you can do to mic by using phantom power when it is not needed. i was worried about this for a while, but when i got the presonus studio channel (i think?), the instructions specifically said you cannot damage a mic from phantom power.
 
No, no pad...it's a Kel HM-2d...no low cut...no switches at all. But that's a good guess about the pad. It would have had to be a 30dB pad to cut the output to such a low level. I'm thinking maybe the phantom power is malfunctioning in the mic and it's not getting enough voltage. Anyhow it's going to have to get sent back to get repaired.
 
If nothing else, the "Hey - I bought this mic used and it doesn't work and now I feel screwed - Can you help a brother out?" thing might get you a little mileage. Maybe...
 
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