![]() Let’s Look Back: History of Phantom Powerīefore the concept of phantom power, vacuum tubes powered microphones. Some older models of mixing consoles may have phantom power buttons. Some equipment, such as audio interfaces and consoles, have their own phantom power switches for each channel. Yes, you must turn phantom power sources off and on depending on your use. If you want to find the true voltage output of your phantom power source, you can always check the specifications sheet of the device.Īlternatively, a voltmeter can be used to check the voltage across Pin 2 and Pin 1 and across Pin 3 and Pin 1. Of course, your condenser mic might not even require +48 V, but don’t worry! Your microphone is designed to adjust the phantom power depending on its needs. You can think of phantom power as the right amount of power supplied to the right components at the right time! Polarizing the externally-polarized capsules.Powering the active circuit board components.Phantom power usually performs the following functions: These microphones are designed to block the DC power voltage from entering circuits where it is not required or from reaching parts of the microphone that it may damage. Sending phantom power to a microphone that needs it is okay, even when you are not using the mic yet. Passive microphones block the phantom power through an output transformer, such as in the case of some types of ribbon microphones.ĭynamic mics that have moving coils do not have an output transformer, but this will not be affected by phantom power damage. The voltage the phantom power will supply travels through the cable and towards the microphone’s connector to be prepared for use. Step 3: Voltage Travels to the Mic’s Output Connector This means that the sound quality of the audio will not be affected. With the two signals canceling each other out, noise or electromagnetic interference will affect both equally. XLR cables are wired with the following wires:Īudio signals are sent down through Pins 2 and 3, with Pin 2 carrying the positive polarity mic signal and Pin 3 carrying the negative polarity version of the same signal. The Audio Engineering Society would agree that the positive voltage produced by phantom power sources will then pass through balanced audio cables. What makes these sources possible of supplying phantom power is their active units that convert battery power into phantom power. Phantom power is produced from electricity from the power mains or batteries that power the phantom power source. Let’s go! Step 1: Production of Phantom Power Here, we’ll explain how phantom power is generated and supplied to the microphones. Since we understand the function of phantom power, let’s dive into the mechanics of the process. However, phantom power will not affect balanced dynamic microphones as there is no voltage difference. Phantom power supplies the needed voltage where you require it. Once the phantom power supplies the needed voltage, the condenser microphone can translate the sound waves to the audio signal that audio software can read. Essentially, the condenser microphone is mute.Ĭondenser mics require phantom power to polarize the microphone’s transducer element, a.k.a, the capsule. The microphone input will not be translated into an audio signal without a proper power supply. This changes the capacitance of the condenser microphone. The distance between the diaphragm and the backplate changes as sound waves travel through the diaphragm. The phantom power supply is commonly found in condenser microphones, as they have active electronics. First, we’ll tell you a little bit about how condenser microphones work. ![]() Now that we understand phantom power, let’s discuss what it does next. Phantom powering will result in identical voltage measurements between pin-2 and pin-1 and pin-3 and pin-1. However, it can also be labeled as 12V, 15 V, 18 V, and 24 V. It is usually labeled as 48 V on most audio equipment such as audio interfaces, preamps, mixing consoles, and converters. ![]() Remember that Pin 2 and Pin 3 carry 48 V and 4 V DC, while Pin 1 is 0 V. Through the XLR-3 connector and balanced cables, the power supply is delivered to condenser microphones. What sets phantom power apart from other methods of providing power supply is it travels from the source through the same cable that carries the audio signal. There is no power cable to show how the phantom power is supplied, which is how it got its name, “phantom,” meaning “ghost” or “invisible.” You can think of it as a way to send DC voltage through an XLR cable. ![]() Phantom power provides DC power to the active components within certain active condenser microphones. Phantom powering is in the form of DC voltage. Phantom power is a method of providing power to microphones, more specifically condenser microphones.
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