Phantom Powering
T-System Powering
A-B Powering
Remote Powering Systems for Condenser Microphones
Phantom Powering: 
how it works, do's and don'ts
Patch Bays 
and phantom powering
Splitters 
and phantom powering
Transformers 
and phantom powering
T-Powering 

In the middle of 1965, Schoeps introduced the CMT 200 microphone. An RF condenser design, it was powered by 12v, supplied to the microphone via the mike cable using a phantom circuit. This is the first known usage of a phantom circuit for microphone powering[1].

Sometime around 1970, Neumann introduced the Fet-80 series of condenser microphones that were solid state and remotely powered via the microphone cable. In typical German fashion, they decreed that these microphones were the be-all and end-all to microphones of any sort, and they promptly discontinued all of their vacuum tube microphones. Of course, nearly 40 years later, we know different, with the venerable U47 now selling for the price of a car. Here then, are a series of articles, that explain this important concept and how it works. BTW, Neumann "gave" the idea to the industry; they claim that they trademarked the term, phantom power, and gave the concept and the term to our industry. There! Something for free from Neumann! (But as you can see, Schoeps beat them to the punch, however it was Neumann who standardized the value at 48V.)

About that time (1965), another (non-compatible) system for powering condenser microphones via the microphone cable was in use. This system is known as T-System, A-B Powering or Modulation Lead Powering.

Phantom powering uses pins 2 and 3 of the XLR for the postitive side of the power supply, and pin 1 of the XLR for the negative side of the supply. T-powering puts the power source across pins 2 and 3, with pin 1 only serving as the shield conductor.

Links Etc.

Phantom Powering

Rectifier and filter  circuit for a DIY supply.
Voltage regulator  for the phantom supply
Applying phantom power  to a mixer's inputs
Using a non-phantom processor  with a phantom powered mike.
A complete phantom power supply  for any mixer with a balanced input.
Converting the EV PL-76 or 1776  microphone to operate on phantom power.

T-Powering

All about T-powered condenser microphones 
P48 to T power adaptor #1 
P48 to T power adaptor #2 

Other

Richard Hess' treatise  on remote microphone powering
Richard's article  about T-Powering.
Wikipedia on Phantom Powering 
Wikipedia on Phantom Circuits 


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Copyright © 1999-2009 by Rick Chinn. All rights reserved.

Last modified 04/14/2011. 18:27:16