Phantom power = 48 volts...right?

[cellardweller]

Phantom power is defined as 48 volts...right?

So, why does my Mackie 808m supply only 15 volts?

Phantom power is only +15VDC. Don't try and run your +48VDC phantom powered mics into this board. You will think that there is something wrong with you condenser mics! Mackie should make their phantom power on this and other powered boards +48V like their competitors

!

Hell...they mention the 15V phantom like it's some FEATURE here;

http://74.125.95.104/search?q=cache:WsYydwlC1jEJ:www.epinions.com/review/Mackie_808M_Powered_Mixer_Mono/content_429138611844+Mackie+808M+phantom+15&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=12&gl=us

Can this have potential ill effect on mics?
How does it effect the performance of phantom mics?

 

[omtayslick]

Many devices supply less than 48 volts for phantom power. And some mics (especially electret type condensers) will do fine on less than 48 volts. However most studio recording mics do better with 48v, and some won't work well or at all with less.

However you can see from this page that the Shure SM81 will run on as little as 12 volts.
http://www.shure.com/ProAudio/Products/WiredMicrophones/us_pro_SM81-LC_content

 

[ido1957]

Good information - although SOME mics may work okay like the SM81, there are several that will not. Hopefully this information will get around....

 

[dgatwood]

Phantom power is defined as 48 volts...right?

So, why does my Mackie 808m supply only 15 volts?


![/I]

Hell...they mention the 15V phantom like it's some FEATURE here;

Yikes. No wonder my ADK Hamburg didn't work at that gig (nothing but a loud rushing noise from the mic) but worked flawlessly when I got home.... I'm pretty sure that's the powered mixer they had. I've experienced that same problem with the Hamburg with two powered mixers now, but have never been able to reproduce it at home....

Surprisingly, my first-gen MSH-4 phantom-powered tube condenser worked fine. Guess it provided plenty of current in spite of its insufficient voltage....

As I understand it, most mics will work, but with less headroom. I'm really surprised the Hamburg did what it did....

 

[mshilarious]

My preamp does only +18V. My excuse for that is I'm using a 9V battery, and while I could do +48V, it would punish battery life mightily. Plus my mics work fine on +18V (actually down as low as +3V for some of them).

But for something that plugs into a wall, and doesn't use a wall wart? No excuse for less than +48V there.

 

[dgatwood]

But for something that plugs into a wall, and doesn't use a wall wart? No excuse for less than +48V there.

Battery is a good excuse, but a wall wart is kind of a copout. I mean, if my Peavey PV8 can do it and my Art Phantom II can do it (though I would never attempt to use the latter on batteries at the 48V setting for the reasons you mention, even with two 9V batteries)....

Wildest thing, some of Canon's new HDV (semi-pro/prosumer high def DV) camcorders provide 48V phantom. It took me an hour to pick my jaw up off the floor....