phantom power question....mixed mics

[kensington]

hello folks, I have an Allen Heath Mixwizard mixer (20/8/2/) with phantom power capability. I'm running a CAD M179 phantom powered mic, so the PP button on the mixer is on (pressed in). I'm planning on getting a Tube Condensor mic, an M9, NTK or whatever. So, my question is.....can I run a tube mic through my board with the phantom power switch ON? I need to run the PP M179's and the externally PPowered tube mic at the same time. When I just ran a friends M9, I turned OFF the PPower on the Allen Heath. Even though the Mixwizard booklet says....."no harm will be done to non-powered dynamic microphones plugged into powered outputs as long as THEY ARE BALANCED.", I'm still a bit concerned, a tube mic is not a dynamic mic. The basic warning is....Do not use phantom power with UNbalanced microphone or line sources. So is it alright to run a PPowered CAD M179 and a CAD M9 tube mic simultaneously? Thanks to all with answers. kenton

 

[reshp1]

hello folks, I have an Allen Heath Mixwizard mixer (20/8/2/) with phantom power capability. I'm running a CAD M179 phantom powered mic, so the PP button on the mixer is on (pressed in). I'm planning on getting a Tube Condensor mic, an M9, NTK or whatever. So, my question is.....can I run a tube mic through my board with the phantom power switch ON? I need to run the PP M179's and the externally PPowered tube mic at the same time. When I just ran a friends M9, I turned OFF the PPower on the Allen Heath. Even though the Mixwizard booklet says....."no harm will be done to non-powered dynamic microphones plugged into powered outputs as long as THEY ARE BALANCED.", I'm still a bit concerned, a tube mic is not a dynamic mic. The basic warning is....Do not use phantom power with UNbalanced microphone or line sources. So is it alright to run a PPowered CAD M179 and a CAD M9 tube mic simultaneously? Thanks to all with answers. kenton

Your M9 should come with it's own power supply. You connect the mic to the power supply, the power supply to your mixer. All power supplies I've ever heard of don't have a problem with having Phantom Power on, it just ignores it. DISCLAIMER: read the manual for the M9 just to be sure.

 

[geet73]

I'm still a bit concerned, a condensor mic is not a dynamic mic.

Fixed.

I'm sorry, I don't know what the answer would be. Might I suggest looking up the manual online?

 

[crazydoc]

Insofar as I know, all recording mics are made to run with phantom power on (whether they need it or not). There is an issue with ribbon mics if the mic or the cable is wired wrong.
You can go here to read about it (phantom power.)
http://www.hr-faq.org/

There is also an issue about plugging in a mic with the phantom on (hot plugging) as opposed to plugging the mic in with the phantom off and then turning it on: as with many things in life, there is no right answer - just differing opinions.

 

[kensington]

phantom power

Thanks for the input.......I know the tube mic has a seperate power supply box....doesn't the power supply box provide phantom power for the tube mic?
If so, I thot maybe a "double-dose" of phantom power would be harmful somehow to the mic. Am I off base here? Reshp1, I hope your right about the power supply "ignoring" the external PP. thanks again KK

 

[Farview]

The phantom power on my board has been on for years. Never had a problem with my tube mics or anything else for that matter. When I worked at a big studio, that's the way they did it too.

 

[kensington]

thanks farview

 

[crazydoc]

Thanks for the input.......I know the tube mic has a seperate power supply box....doesn't the power supply box provide phantom power for the tube mic?
If so, I thot maybe a "double-dose" of phantom power would be harmful somehow to the mic. Am I off base here? Reshp1, I hope your right about the power supply "ignoring" the external PP. thanks again KK

The tube mic power supply just ignores the phantom power. The power supply box provides the correct voltages and currents to the tube mic. Phantom power is the 48+/-4V@10ma (or whatever current less than this the mic draws) provided by whatever device you are plugging the mic into, such as preamp, mixer or separate phantom power supply, which is used to polarize the capsule of a condenser mic, and power any active electronics in the head amp of the mic.

 

[reshp1]

Thanks for the input.......I know the tube mic has a seperate power supply box....doesn't the power supply box provide phantom power for the tube mic?
If so, I thot maybe a "double-dose" of phantom power would be harmful somehow to the mic. Am I off base here? Reshp1, I hope your right about the power supply "ignoring" the external PP. thanks again KK

It shouldn't give the mic a double dose. The power supply itself shouldn't be damaged either, but like I said, the M9 manual should address this and then you'd know for sure.