Does a Condenser Mic Need Phantom Power
When you are in the market looking for a condenser mic, you often end up with a lot of questions. Now, if you are new to the world of microphones, there is a lot you need to learn. For starters, a lot of people have no idea what phantom power is, and that can be confusing.
Then you have to figure out whether the microphone you are about to buy needs phantom power or not because that is another confusing factor since not all microphones need phantom power. In this article, however, we will help you figure out whether or not a condenser microphone needs phantom power.
Before we get into figuring out the answer, you need to understand phantom power to begin with. After all, there’s no point talking about something without having the readers know about it. So, let’s not waste time and have a look at phantom power and everything about it, shall we?
What is Phantom Power?
Before we get into details about phantom power, we need to understand what condenser microphones are. Now, on the surface, they might look like any other microphone in the market, but they are different in a way that they function on a principle known as variable capacitance. Now, I am not going to start teaching you physics, so don’t worry about it.
Inside a condenser mic’s capsule, you find a thin membrane called the diaphragm, and you also get a metal backplate. Then the acoustic energy from vocals or any other instrument hits the diaphragm, which causes it to vibrate back and forth, and that motion changes the capacitance of the microphone or the stored electrical power in other words.
This fluctuation charge results in the conversion of acoustic energy entering the microphone into an electrical signal that can be recorded. Pretty simple, right? Well, these electrical components need something to power them up because otherwise, this whole process will not work.
This is where phantom power comes into play, as it is responsible for sending DC from the preamp or the mixer to the microphone so the internal circuitry can get the power that it needs.
Now, the reason why it’s called phantom power is because modern condenser microphones have a power supply built into them rather than using an external power source. Therefore, the term phantom power comes from.
Do I Need to Turn on Phantom Power?
If you have just bought a condenser mic, then you might be wondering whether you should keep the phantom power turned on or off. Ideally, I would highly suggest that you keep the phantom power off when the microphone is not in use. Whether you are connecting the condenser microphone or removing the connection, it is better that you just turn it off before doing so.
Phantom power damage is not going to be severe, but considering how electrical work is weird at best and can have anomalies, it is best if you just avoid such a situation altogether. I have never seen a case of a condenser microphone being destroyed by phantom power, so there is that.
If you are not someone who uses condenser microphones and you prefer something like ribbon mics, then you should never plug in the mic while the power is on or turn the power on, for that matter. Modern active ribbon microphones aside, turning on the power can cause phantom power damage to the internal components, but this issue is mostly with the older microphones that are not updated with the latest technology that mitigates this issue.
What Kind of Microphones Use Phantom Power?
Now that we have cleared out any confusion that people might have regarding phantom power and condenser microphones, the next thing that I want to mention is the kind of microphones that use phantom power in the first place. Now, it is easy for everyone to just say that all microphones can use phantom power, but that is not the case. Condenser mics require phantom power because they need it. The same cannot be said about a ribbon microphone or dynamic mics. With that said, let’s have a look.
1. Condenser Microphones
Yes, condenser microphones require phantom power for the simplest reason that the circuitry inside them needs power. However, tube microphones are an exception, which are condenser microphones but they also require an external power supply. So, it is important to keep this in mind.
2. Ribbon Microphones
Contrary to what most people are going to tell you, ribbon microphones do not need phantom power. At least not the modern ones. Why? Well. that is because some of the modern ribbon mics come with active circuitry like the one found in condenser mics, and if that is the case, you are going to need phantom power to run. However, if you are not sure, absolutely double-check this because using the phantom power on a ribbon microphone that does not need it could destroy the microphone along with all the circuitry inside of it and can be an expensive issue to fix.
3. Dynamic Microphones
The last one is the dynamic mics, and if you are wondering whether or not they need phantom power, then the simplest answer is no. The reason behind that is that these microphones work on an entirely different principle to generate sound. Instead of all the circuitry found inside condenser mics or ribbon mics, dynamic mics have mechanical coils that vibrate from all the acoustic energy and then send an electrical signal for recording. Dynamic mics are also less sensitive than condenser microphones and can even tolerate higher SPL without any distortion. You can send phantom power through dynamic microphones without anything going wrong, but it is generally advised against it.
Conclusion
Suppose you have been wondering about condenser microphones or you are thinking about whether every mic needs phantom power. In that case, you don’t have to worry about it because, in most cases, you are only looking at modern-day condenser microphones that require phantom power or some ribbon microphones. But if you are a dynamic microphone user, then no, dynamic microphones don’t need phantom power, so you are gonna be good to go in that case.
Just be sure that you keep phantom power turned off when you’re not using the microphone, and be sure that you turn it off, as well. After all, you don’t want to damage some of the best condenser microphones just because you forgot to turn off phantom power.
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Sharoon Shahid
Hi! I’m Sharoon Shahid, founder of Audiblearray. With a decade of experience in using mics, I’m here to guide you on your audio journey and save you from gear pitfalls!
