Phantom Power

[Good Bob]

I don't understand it AT ALL, and thus, I am afraid of it.

There. I finally admitted it. Whew.

I want to record a solo acoustic guitar part simultaneously using a battery powered AT-822 stereo condenser mic and an AT-4033SE which runs off of Phantom Power. I want to run the signals through 2 RNCs, into a Roland VS-1880. I have a Mackie VLZ1202 mixer which also has Phantom Power, and I think I may have to utilize the on board mic pres. But I'm ascaird.

My fear is that I'm going to *fry* something in the microphones, rendering them useless.

Please help me understand WTF I'm doing, and lend me some guidance on how to get the bestest (that's right, bestest) possible sounds using the above mentioned gear. In fact, I may not even need to use all of the gear, so please guide me in the right direction regarding that as well.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Richard Monroe]

Yo Good Bob! Welcome to the board. The stereo mic has a battery which supplies it's own power. If you really want to use both mics, run the stereo mic through the mackie and turn the phantom power off. Run the 4033 straight to the XLR input on channel one on the Roland, and turn the phantom power on.
However, I would record the guitar with the 4033 alone, and I'd have to try it through the Roland first, then through the mackie, with the Roland's input set for "line", and decide what sounds best.
I'd put the 4033 about 8-12" from the 12th fret on the acoustic, then move it up and down the neck until I hear what I want to hear. The more you move toward the body, the more bass you're going to hear. At some point, it will be too much (this is called "boom"). As it moves up the neck, the sound will become thinner, as you lose bass. The happy medium is somewhere around the 12th fret. I believe the 4033 is very good for the job at hand, and your stereo mic is really for another job. Good luck.-Richie

 

[Good Bob]

Thank you. I ended up recording the part using the 4033 alone. It sounds ok, but I recorded in a bad room--abut 12'x14'. It really chokes any 'ambiance'. I set the mic pretty much the same way you suggested. It's a throw-away take, anyhow--just experimenting.

Now about those phantom power questions....anyone? I have really bad dreams about Phantom Power. Well, not REALLY bad...I just don't want to damage any gear by using it improperly...

Thanks again!

 

[crazydoc]

Here's some info I prepared for the HR FAQ but which has not yet appeared there.

Unfortunately I had to change it from doc to txt format to be accepted as an attachment, which has made it much less readable and the illustrations are lost.

However it should give you an idea of what phantom power is, and has some websites you can go to for more info.

Here is the important part in a nutshell:

1) Phantom power will not damage modern recording microphones (including ribbons and dynamics) that are factory wired and are connected with a properly wired cable.

2) Hot plugging (plugging the mic in or out with the phantom power on) probably won't hurt the mic, though opinion is divided. If you have a mic you are very fond of or you can't afford to replace, it would probably be prudent to switch the phantom power off for several seconds before plugging in or pulling out the mic.

Good luck.

 

[Good Bob]

Thanks a lot! I slept very well last night!