However, we still recommend that you deactivate phantom power when Royer microphones are being connected or disconnected simply because other abnormal conditions may exist that could cause problems. The scenario that is least likely to damage your ribbon mic is where phantom power is switched. Choose the mics and preamps that will get the best sound, Know which DAW and plug-ins get the best results, song after song, Choose monitor speakers and headphones that help you get the best mixes and masters, An investigation of the pre-delay parameter of the Lexicon 480L reverb plug-in, Add reverb to your recordings using the natural echo chamber technique, Why you should ventilate your home recording studio. I don’t have any personal experience of what damage this could cause, but my alarm bells would certainly be ringing. It is best known as a convenient power source for condenser microphones, though many active direct boxes also use it. Continued plugging and unplugging on a daily basis will repeat the stress. The example that Jon puts up shows that EVENLY applied P power is fairly OK. It’s too bad that there are many times that is not the case. Rather, if you own a vintage ribbon and you have a question about its ability to survive patchbay wiring with phantom power, have the mic’s internals checked out by an expert before making assumptions you might regret. One of the beauties of phantom power is that microphones that need it use it; microphone that don’t need it ignore it. Case in point: AEA’s “Ribbon Pre” was designed with “83db of clean gain and no dangerous phantom power.” Little wonder there are guys on the message boards making comments about dedicating a mic pre to their new ribbons and putting a piece of tape over the +48v button. If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. This is particularly true with ribbon mics (a type of dynamic mic), where an imbalance of power flow can destroy the ribbon in the mic. Myths, unlike the egos of most guitar players, require at least occasional affirmation to grow. Do you intend to soundproof your... (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); However, if there happens to be an imbalance in the amount phantom power voltage being applied to each pin, the power can damage or destroy a dynamic mic. Nonetheless, applying phantom power will not damage other microphones in the vast majority of cases. The first thing to remember is that ribbon microphones are inherently delicate due to the way in which they are constructed. Get the Audio Masterclass Newsletter, subscriber-only info and special offers too... FREE EBOOK - Equipping Your Home Recording Studio. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. While most engineers wisely steer away from letting phantom power come anywhere near their ribbon mics, some newer mics, such as the active Royer R-122 MKII, AEA R84A, or Cloud Microphones 44-A, utilize phantom to power their electronics. Update, 2008-12-01: Ribbon mic expert Mark “Marik” Fouxman wrote in with a cautionary postscript about some vintage ribbons: There are some vintage ribbon microphones that have transformer secondary with grounded center tap. I’m here to tell you that the idea that phantom power is a ribbon killer is mostly a myth. Or could it stretch the ribbon element and just ruin the tonality of the mic? I have to put the phantom power ON for the condensator mic and I understand it applys to the 4 inputs. What could conceivably happen is that one pin makes contact a fraction of a second before the other. 1 I have a mixer that supplies phantom power to all channels (Soundcraft E8). FREE EBOOK DOWNLOAD ► Come on the FREE COURSE TOUR Yes of course you can add reverb to any instrument or vocal with a reverb plug-in. Ribbon technology can be traced back to the beginning of the previous century. Thanks for your advice, as always. Phantom power, in the context of professional audio equipment, is DC electric power transmitted through microphone cables to operate microphones that contain active electronic circuitry. Tags: phantom power, ribbon mics, royer, shinybox Posted in Microphones, Video | 2 Comments », Previously: How to record drums at homeNext: tourism for gearheads. This will only transmit through the transformer momentarily. This is because the coil of the diaphragm in a dynamic mic, and the ribbon in a ribbon mic, is connected across the primary coil of the transformer. I engage the phantom power for my condensor mics. How did you do it? In theory, phantom power should not affect any transformer-output mic that doesn’t use it. For this reason, it is commonly recommended that phantom power be turned off when using ribbon microphones. The problem with patch bays is that they use TRS (tip-ring-sleeve) connector cables, which can (during insertion) momentarily apply phantom power, if present in the patchbay circuit, to the parts of the TRS connector where they should not. But this isn’t *real* reverb. Jon is the proprietor of ShinyBox, maker of highly-regarded, hand-built ribbon mics. But ribbon microphones are different. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. I can't understand what one to buy in my case (and they are god damn expensive), so I had the idea, ditch the transformer, and use the phantom power from my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, although to me it seems a god idea I thought to ask the internet first. Phantom power can be applied in a way that will stretch many ribbons without a patchbay – all you need are XLR pins of unequal length when connecting, or disconnecting them. Have you ever damaged a ribbon mic? Clearly they are not going to be damaged by it. Leaving phantom power on can result in a stretched or completely blown ribbon. In this video, Jon bares the ribbon from one of his mics and demonstrates the complete lack of disaster that follows when phantom power is applied. Since switching occurs simultaneously on pins 2 and 3 of the XLR mic input, there is no possibility for any current to flow, other than a very small amount due to any slight mismatch of the resistors through which the phantom power is fed. Mixing is a complicated “mix” of art and science. I'm building a ribbon mic, it's coming out really well the only problem I came across is the transformer. It is often considered good practice not to let air push against the diaphragm as you walk from the mic cabinet to the studio floor, and certainly don’t run with it (although when do you ever see sound engineers run?). Nonetheless, applying phantom power will not damage other microphones in the vast majority of cases. What?! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Pervasive, yes, and grown from a seed of truth, yes, but blown way out of proportion — according to no less an authority than the very folks who make ribbon mics. Read more in the Royer Labs whitepaper, or better yet, check out Jon Ulrigg’s video demonstration. We’re assuming your cables are in good shape. In phantom power, +48 … Can a plug-in improve your monitoring acoustics? | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use, How Google uses data when you use our partners’ sites or apps, Ready to take your recording to the next level? One final point – if you have a vintage ribbon microphone, then it might have a centre-tapped transformer and current from the phantom power supply will actually flow through the secondary coil. For this reason, it is commonly recommended that phantom power be turned off when using ribbon microphones. In theory, a microphone that doesn’t need phantom power should just ignore it. Over to you. Exactly. Lots of multi-channel audio interfaces and small mixing consoles have grouped phantom power switches. May this damage the non ribbon dynamic mic? The fear of P power is real, and even if it is only an occasional failure mode, it does happen and it will destroy an aluminum ribbon. 4. Some ribbon microphones have internal preamplifiers and require phantom power. But that’s the theory. If any of them shorts pin 1 to pins 2 or 3, whether due to a bad cable or a bad connector, you will indeed cook that ribbon if you apply phantom power.