Phantom Power 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.
Phantom power supplies are often built into mixers, channel strips, microphone preamplifiers, etc. In addition to powering the circuitry of a microphone, traditional condenser microphones also use phantom power for polarizing the microphone’s transducer element.
A condenser microphone requires phantom power to produce a DC polarizing voltage and to power an internal amplifier required to drive long cables.
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2 Responses
Note that although 48v is ‘normal’, some microphones require 5v – like some Lavs.
Yeah, troubleshooting one oh one when you get a cloudlifter or SS1 pre-amp, Oooooooh I need the phantom power turned on. Uh duh.