Recording with condenser mic that requires +48V phantom power

[CrackedPotts]

I am very new to the recording at home scene. I have a 4 track recorder & and amp/mixer but the mic channel only has 24V phantom power. I have seen "phantom power converter boxes" and am wondering if this is something that I can use with my existing equipment or do I need to buy a mixer with a channel that has proper phantom power. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Chili]

Have you tried the 24v power yet? Give it a try, it might work just fine.

If not, then you can get a power box like you mentioned. If you do, then be sure not to use the mixer's phantom power.

 

[CrackedPotts]

Thanks, Chili. I did try the 24v and it didn't work. That helps me know a direction. I don't really want to buy a new mixer if I can avoid it just for the extra power. Thanks again.

 

[Chili]

Thanks, Chili. I did try the 24v and it didn't work. That helps me know a direction. I don't really want to buy a new mixer if I can avoid it just for the extra power. Thanks again.

I'm kind of surprised it didn't work. What mic are you using?

 

[_brian_]

Chili, just out of curiousity, would putting a 48v rated mic onto a 24v not double the current drawn by the mic?

I don't know much about this stuff, I'm just interested.

 

[Chili]

Chili, just out of curiousity, would putting a 48v rated mic onto a 24v not double the current drawn by the mic?

I don't know much about this stuff, I'm just interested.

Most mics that use phantom power use very little current to begin with. I don't know much about this stuff, either, but I have heard of mics using low voltage for phantom power without problem. I know the power is used to bias both sides of the foil and also whatever electronics there might be in the mic. I guess if it's a tube mic, then it will use a lot of current.

There are some mic experts floating around this place. Maybe they'll pop in and set us both straight.

 

[mixsit]

Got a volt meter (assuming you don't have other things to compare with? You could check the phantom before and with th mic load for example.

 

[moresound]

Thanks, Chili. I did try the 24v and it didn't work. That helps me know a direction. I don't really want to buy a new mixer if I can avoid it just for the extra power. Thanks again.

You know I just have to ask this question.

For it has happened so many times in the past here with newbies, so excuse me if you think that I'm not having the fullest of confidence in your ability to set up your equipment ..... So I'll ask you ..... You are using an XLR to XLR cable to hook Your microphone to your console right?

 

[John Willett]

The standard is normally 48V +4V, so a mic. designed to work on 48V will definitely NOT work properly on 24V - even if you get a signal out of it.

Some microphones are wide range and will work from 12-48V +4V (sometimes described as 9-52V). These will, of course, work under 24V phantom.

However, in your case, it's probably best to switch phantom off and get an external supply capable of providing the full 48V.

NB: What Chili said is not correct. Yes, you are likely to get a sound from a 48V powered mic. with 24V; but you will lose dynamic range and transient capability and it will not sound as it should! So it is not a good thing to do at all.

 

[Bobbsy]

Just as an aside, the standard for phantom power (IEC 61938) provides for 12 volt, 24 volt and 48 volt variants so it is possible that the mixer actually does provide 24 volt power. I've never personally seen anything other than 48 volt on any gear I've used but, as has been said, many mics will power from a wide range of voltages so I guess it's possible somebody "went cheap" on some old mixer model. I do know of some supposedly-professional mixers that skimp on the available current on the phantom bus causing problems if you fully populate the inputs with phantom devices.

However the other option is to look for a cheap small mixer on Fleabay--some little Behringers may way sell for less than a more specialist device like an external phantom supply.

Bob

 

[moresound]

Just as an aside, the standard for phantom power (IEC 61938) provides for 12 volt, 24 volt and 48 volt variants so it is possible that the mixer actually does provide 24 volt power. I've never personally seen anything other than 48 volt on any gear I've used but, as has been said, many mics will power from a wide range of voltages so I guess it's possible somebody "went cheap" on some old mixer model. I do know of some supposedly-professional mixers that skimp on the available current on the phantom bus causing problems if you fully populate the inputs with phantom devices.

However the other option is to look for a cheap small mixer on Fleabay--some little Behringers may way sell for less than a more specialist device like an external phantom supply.

Bob

In fact there where a few for free in the pay it forward thread in the used free adds forum here at HR.!!!

 

[partonkevin]

I too have a mixer with 24v phantom. It's a Fostex mixer, new in 93-94. I also have a 1U rackmount Rolls mixer that is 12v phantom. I have some Carvin SDC mics for overheads that worked excellent on 24V, never tried them with the 12v. Back when I was demoing songs in the mid 90s, I was using an AT4033 into that 24v Fostex board. It worked, however, I didn't think that I was getting the dynamic range that I should. My band rented a vocal preamp unit with 48v phantom. The sound was MUCH better. That being said, I'm not sure if it sounded better because I had the full 48V or if it was an improvement over the Fostex pres.

On another note, I was doing live sound once while recording the show to ADATs. Someone suggested that I use their new SDC mics for overheads instead of my trusted Carvins. Over the 100ft snake and 20-30 cables the phantom just didn't work. I thought it should because my Mackie has 48v phantom, but after thinking about it after the show, I believe my mics ran through the Rolls units, into the ADATs, and then into my Mackie. If that was indeed the case then I was only giving out 12v. I suppose it's possible that his mics 'required' 48v, but most little overheads I've used work fine on 12v. Heck, some will even run off a AA battery.