Shure condenser mic / phantom power questions

[Demonstr8]

Hello everyone! I am new to the forum and I am in need of some assistance regarding my mic and mixer.

I am a DJ and i just received a brand new Shure mic and was pretty excited to start using it. However, i am unable to get any sound out of it and i think i have narrowed it down to the "phantom power" that it requires.

When it comes to mic's, i do not know anything beyond 1) plug it in, 2) turn it on, 3) adjust my levels. Thats it! So i am humbly turning to the knowledge of this forum hoping that i can learn something new.

Hardware in question:
Mic - Shure SM86
Mixer - Rane Sixty-Two

I was under the impression that i could just plug and play with this mic, but after testing different configurations i am still unable to get any sound out of the mic. The mic is brand new. Any ideas or suggestions as to why?

 

[PDP]

Check to see if it unscrews (don't break it) it may need phantom power in which case you would need to install a battery, or turn 48v on your desk. Does it have a switch on it?

 

[Demonstr8]

Check to see if it unscrews (don't break it) it may need phantom power in which case you would need to install a battery, or turn 48v on your desk. Does it have a switch on it?

No, the mic does not have a switch. I didn't see this as an issue because my mixer has an on/off for the mic. Only the grill unscrews from the mic showing the "receiver" part that pics up the sound.

 

[Steenamaroo]

From the instruction sheet that is included with the mic....

"OPERATION
Power
The SM86 requires phantom power. This may be supplied to the
microphone from an external power supply (such as the Shure
model PS1A) or directly from preamplifi ers, mixers, or consoles
with built-in phantom power. Suitable sources should provide 11 to
52 Vdc phantom voltage."
http://cdn.shure.com/user_guide/upload/1577/us_pro_sm86_ug.pdf

Don't attempt to unscrew it..

Does not look like your mixer can provide phantom power from what I can see>>> Rane Sixty-Two DJ Mixer including Serato DJ | Rane DJ

You need either an extra box to provide +48vdc like a Behringer: MICROPOWER PS400 or get a dynamic mic that does not need phantom.

That's the one. ^^^^

 

[Demonstr8]

From the instruction sheet that is included with the mic....

"OPERATION
Power
The SM86 requires phantom power. This may be supplied to the
microphone from an external power supply (such as the Shure
model PS1A) or directly from preamplifi ers, mixers, or consoles
with built-in phantom power. Suitable sources should provide 11 to
52 Vdc phantom voltage."

Don't attempt to unscrew it..

Does not look like your mixer can provide phantom power from what I can see>>>

You need either an extra box to provide +48vdc like a or get a dynamic mic that does not need phantom.

I assumed "phantom power" meant that it was powered from the XLR via mixer, which is what it means. But i guess what your saying is that my mixer does not provide phantom power, so i am unable to use this mic with my setup. That's a bummer!

 

[Steenamaroo]

I assumed "phantom power" meant that it was powered from the XLR via mixer, which is what it means. But i guess what your saying is that my mixer does not provide phantom power, so i am unable to use this mic with my setup. That's a bummer!

It usually is provided by your preamp or mixer, but you can get phantom supplies which go inline between the mic and the preamp/mixer.

You need either an extra box to provide +48vdc like a Behringer: MICROPOWER PS400 or get a dynamic mic that does not need phantom.

 

[Demonstr8]

Thanks for everyones advice and expertise! I appreciate the help. On a side note, is anyone interested in buying a brand new Shure SM86? Haha, i'll trade for a dynamic mic!

 

[Steenamaroo]

Ha. To be fair, a dynamic mic is probably more suitable if this is for live DJ use.
Stick a post in the free adds section. Maybe someone will trade for a nice Senny dynamic or something.

 

[Demonstr8]

Ha. To be fair, a dynamic mic is probably more suitable if this is for live DJ use.
Stick a post in the free adds section. Maybe someone will trade for a nice Senny dynamic or something.

At least I learned something new today. I had no idea about the difference between dynamic and condenser mic's or phantom power. All i do is plug in my gear and make sure i have back ups if something doesnt work.

 

[Demonstr8]

a dynamic mic is probably more suitable if this is for live DJ use.

can anyone explain some of the main differences between dynamic and condenser mic's? what are the two mainly used for? why would a dynamic mic be more useful to me than a condenser mic?

 

[Steenamaroo]

Well, your average dynamic mic is basically a speaker wired in reverse, although there are other less common kinds.
They usually have a relatively heavy diaphragm with a coil attached. When you speak the diaphragm moves, which makes the coil move inside a magnetic field.
This generates your output voltage which, relative to that of a capacitor (condenser) mic, is pretty small.

Capacitor mics have much lighter diaphragms and a 2nd heavier back plate (again, there are different kinds).
The two surfaces have a voltage across them and the signal is created by the distance between the two plates increasing and decreasing. Ie. Changes in capacitance.


In use, capacitors are generally more detailed sounding, more sensitive to damage, puffs of air etc, and have a fairly hot output voltage.
Dynamic mics are generally less sensitive and more forgiving which is why you see people on stage screaming with their lips right on a 58 or whatever.

People often, mistakenly, say that dynamic mics pick up less background noise. They don't, but they do usually allow you to get much closer to them without issue which increases the source signal relative to the background noise.