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DO WE HAVE TO USE PHANTOM POWER FOR CONDENSER MICROPHONE

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DO WE HAVE TO USE PHANTOM POWER FOR CONDENSER MICROPHONE

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In the context of professional audio equipment, is DC electric power transmitted through microphone cables to operate microphones that contain active electronic circuitry. It is best known as a convenient power source for condenser microphones, though many active direct boxes also use it.

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The power can be provided by a battery located inside of the mic; an example is the Shure PG81 that operates from a single AA battery. Alternatively (and most commonly) the DC power is provided by the pre-amp/mixer and delivered to the condenser microphone via the mic cable. This method is referred to as phantom power.

The worldwide standard for phantom power is 11 to 52 volts of DC (typical studio mics run on 48v). Your preamp will typically have a button labelled 48v, which allows you to turn this on/off. However, some older mixers and cheaper audio interfaces may not have phantom power. In this case, an external phantom power supply can be added between the condenser mic and the preamp.

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Phantom powering is a technique which delivers a DC voltage to the microphone through the same shielded two-conductor cable that carries the audio from the mic. The phantom power may be supplied either by the mic mixer or from an external supply that is inserted into the line between the microphone and mixer input. For phantom power to function, the line between the power supply and the microphone must be balanced to ground, and uninterrupted by such devices as filters or transformers which might pass the audio signal but block DC.

Phantom power also requires a continuous ground connection (Pin 1 in the XLR-type connector) from the power supply to the microphone. The supply delivers positive DC voltage equally to both signal-conducting leads, and uses the shield as a return path, or negative. Balanced-output dynamic microphones are not affected by the presence of phantom power, since there is no connection between the shield and either signal lead and, therefore, no circuit for the DC voltage. While the application of phantom power is prohibited for most ribbon microphones, Audio-Technica’s ribbon microphones require phantom power for operation.

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A capacitor has two plates with a voltage between them. In the condenser mic, one of these plates is made of very light material and acts as the diaphragm. The diaphragm vibrates when struck by sound waves, changing the distance between the two plates and therefore changing the capacitance. Specifically, when the plates are closer together, capacitance increases and a charge current occurs. When the plates are further apart, capacitance decreases and a discharge current occurs.

A voltage is required across the capacitor for this to work. This voltage is supplied either by a battery in the mic or by external phantom power.

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The electret condenser mic uses a special type of capacitor which has a permanent voltage built in during manufacture. This is somewhat like a permanent magnet, in that it doesn't require any external power for operation. However good electret condenser mics usually include a pre-amplifier which does still require power.

Other than this difference, an electret condenser microphone as being the same as a normal condenser.

Cross-section of a typical condenser microphone:

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Condenser means capacitor, an electronic component which stores energy in the form of an electrostatic field. The term condenser is actually obsolete but has stuck as the name for this type of microphone, which uses a capacitor to convert acoustical energy into electrical energy.

Condenser microphones require power from a battery or external source. The resulting audio signal is stronger signal than that from a dynamic. Condensers also tend to be more sensitive and responsive than dynamics, making them well-suited to capturing subtle nuances in a sound. They are not ideal for high-volume work, as their sensitivity makes them prone to distort.