In need of phantom power!

[P Hallin]

What is the cheapest alternative to a phantom power source you guys know of?
May it be a mic preamp or maybe a standalone powersupply, I´m grateful for any suggestions.
(I had a borrowed mackie mixer but had to give it back and I still need to power my mic)

 

[esactun]

It all depends on your budget. For cheap, Rolls makes a phantom box for something like $40. Behringer's teeny weeny mixers (the MX602a and the MX802a) will give you, respectively, two and four preamps with phantom power for, respectively, $70 and $100. (If going this route, get the 802.) The M Audio Buddy gives you two phantom powered pre channels for about $80. The Art Tube MP Studio gives you one channel of tube pre with phantom for $99 at 8thstreet.com.

Just curious--what mic you got?

 

[P Hallin]

Thanks for the reply!
I got the most basic of all large d. condencers - the TSM MT87 (man, its got low end)
Sadly its only alternative number one that´s within my budget this month...

 

[Mark H.]

In the longer run, you might want to watch for a used Rane MS-1, an excellent little single-channel mic pre with gain control, switchable phantom power and an outboard power supply. I bought one on Ebay last December for about $65, and I was surprised by the quality. (The current MS-1b is about $200, but its existence tends to drive down the price of the older MS-1.)

I'm considering combining the MS-1 with an RNC as part of a portable recording rig. For those of us who only need a single channel at times, I'm thinking it would make a good compact set.

Also, if you're handy with a soldering iron, I believe Mr. Gerst posted some plans for a DIY battery-powered phantom source several months ago. You might try a search of the site. In the meantime, I agree that the Rolls may be your best bet.

Best wishes,

Mark H.

 

[subspace]

Here's a $25 two channel supply, plus $8 shipping. HTH
http://www.carvin.com/cgi-bin/Isearch.exe?CFG=2&P2=PHW22&P1=MIC

 

[P Hallin]

Thanks a bunch!

 

[newguy]

Also, if you're handy with a soldering iron, I believe Mr. Gerst posted some plans for a DIY battery-powered phantom source several months ago. You might try a search of the site.

Does anybody have a link to the post being referred to here? I've searched the site using a myriad of terms and still can't locate these plans.

Thanks

 

[Badger]

at 25 bucks for two I would be hard pressed to motivate myself to build one.

 

[trpullen]

Audio Technica makes two nice ones.

A single channel AT8801 for $60 or so and a 4 channel CP8506 for $150. They are true +-48v and have nice specs.

The downside to a lot of the cheaper mixers is that they do not do a true 48v. They are in the 12v range usually.

T

 

[Queue]

Newguy,
The search index is busted right now...

go over to the "Visitor Feedback" forum and add a post to the "Dragon, please rebuild the search index" thread...

Queue

 

[newguy]

at 25 bucks for two I would be hard pressed to motivate myself to build one.

Well, like trpullen said, there is some skepicism about the Carvin. I'm as much of a deal hound as anybody, but I have to wonder why I can't find any detailed info on that unit and for a double in/out, that's an unbelievable price.

If I do an internet and newsgroup search for something like "Rolls PB23" I get 187 hits.

If I do a search for the Carvin, I only get a couple. The major (only) Usenet thread about the unit describes a number of potential problems with cheap cheap phantom power supplies.

In addition, I like to build stuff