phantom power

Posted: Sat Oct 21, 2006 8:50 am

I need to run phantom power on the board, will that juice hurt any direct output, say on the bass amp or the keyboard?

Posted: Sat Oct 21, 2006 9:25 am

Generally, you only want to supply phantom power to microphones. There should be no phantom supply on 1/4" inputs. There is no phantom supply appearing at any outputs. If you need to plug your bass amplifier direct output, via XLR to your input on your console, provided it is a 3 pin balance output and your microphone cable has no shorts, or panties, you should be fine. Generally, most keyboard devices do not have balanced XLR outputs and with that, if you're not using a studio style transformer coupled or FET DI box, and you're trying to merely used a patch cord from 1/4" to XLR, DON'T! You will be feeding phantom supply to your keyboard which might blow up. So in that situation from your keyboard, you should always use a direct injection box if you are going into your consoles XLR microphone inputs with phantom power supplied.

Don't blow up, buy the boxes
Ms. Remy Ann David

Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2006 4:52 pm

Wait. You must have a global phantom power switch for the whole console. Ok. Phantom is NOT passed to direct outs, inserts, sub groups, auxes, mains, etc.

All dynamic mics made today will have a resistor built in, that will keep phantom from harming the mic. As sure as I say "most" electronics, amps, etc will have similar protection, we will see a data base built in short order of ones that don't. But most are protected.

But, if you take a condenser mic, plug it into channel one, turn on your phantom power, then take a direct out and plug that into your tape recorder, effects unit, amp (to reamp I assume for recording, for which you will need to match the impedence, etc), you will be safe.

Now if you are taking the line output of your keys, bass amp, etc, and using phatom power, that may be another issue, especially if you are talking vintage analog boards, amps, etc that were around before consoles had phantom power like they do today. In that case you should locate the schematics on-line, call the manufacturer if they are still in business, etc. Or do what was recommended and use a good DI, like a Countryman FET85, etc.

Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 4:38 pm

So if I use a DI box I'm OK? Is there certain models I should buy?

Posted: Sun Oct 29, 2006 11:35 pm

Any active DI would be fine IMO, like a Countryman FET85 as stated above, KlarkTeknik's are great, Radial Engineering are good, etc.

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