So many people have asked questions like “Does a condenser microphone need phantom power?” or “Can I use a condenser mic without Phantom Power?”
To cut to the chase, the answer is technically yes, you can record without Phantom Power, but it’s not advised to do so.
Recording with phantom power off can cause a lot of problems. Before we get into why, let’s learn a little bit about what a condenser microphone is and what it can do.
What is a Condenser Microphone?
A Condenser microphone is a type of microphone that captures sound with a larger frequency range and dynamic range. They generally have output that is much louder than a regular microphone.
Most condenser microphones are very sensitive to sound and have the capability to pick up many surrounding sounds.
These microphones are primarily used for recording vocals, sound effects, and instruments including guitar, piano, trumpet and percussion type instruments.
Condenser microphones tend to be more pricey than their regular mic counterparts for a good reason – they have amazing quality. But why are they amazing? Two words … phantom power.
The reason why condenser microphones sound so good is because most if not all of them require a power supply.
This power supply is called 48-volt “Phantom Power”.
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Your mixer or audio interface should have a switch that allows you to turn on phantom power. (If it does not then its time to get an audio interface that has one!)
Ok… Why Phantom Power and Does A Condenser Mic Need Phantom Power?
Like we learned above, Condenser microphones are special microphones that need an additional power supply because it is a mic that can capture a lot of sound efficiently. It is why they sound really good.
If you don’t turn on your 48v Phantom power switch, it will record all sound at very quiet levels. This is like driving a Lambo in a school zone all day vs driving it in a race track! (Yes… I love Lambos) 😉
Anyways… recording without phantom power can cause a lot of problems including…
- Having to crank the gain up to ridiculous amounts which will raise the noise floor
- More processing needed to the recorded vocal
- Uneven vocals if you are using a compressor
I turned on Phantom Power and its now too loud! What did I do wrong?
When you turn on Phantom Power, you will notice that the mic sounds loud so we need to make sure that we area always recording on optimal levels.
On your audio interface, look for the gain knob and just turn it down to a level that makes sense for you.
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Recap … so Does a Condenser Mic Need Phantom Power?
So to answer the question, just remember this… Yes you can use a condenser mic without phantom power, however, its not advised because too many problems will happen if you do this.
Its best to always turn phantom power on when you are using the mic so that you can record at optimal levels. Do you and your favorite condenser mic the favor and hit that 48v switch. You’re welcome. 😉
