This is really exciting. Sennheiser announced their new shotgun mic, the Sennheiser MKE 600, very recently and you can be among the first to get one. It’s available at B&H, the first retailer to stock and ship the new mic. You can order yours by clicking here.
The reason I said it was so exciting was that I have stated that my “desert island mic” was the Sennheiser MKH 416 shotgun mic (see my review, along with audio and video samples here: https://www.homebrewaudio.com/sennheiser-mkh-416-shotgun-microphone-review/). But that one costs about a thousand clams. If the new MKE 600 sounds anywhere near as good as the MKH 416, it will be a fantastic value at just $399.95. Plus I can justify that to my wife a lot easier than the grand I’d have to drop for the 416;).
One feature of the MKE 600 that I like a lot is that it can use phantom power or a battery. That is VERY significant and convenient for a mic designed to be primarily used for video because most video cameras don’t have phantom power available on them for microphones. Heck, just finding a video recorder with an external mic hookup is hard enough. When I recorded the videos for the review of the 416, I had to use a separate phantom power unit plugged into a wall to power the mic. The MKE 600 also has a low-battery indicator so your audio won’t suddenly cut out on you in the middle of a shoot.
Again, you can find out more and order yours by clicking here.
Cheers!
phantom power
What Is Phantom Power Really?
Recently I posted something called Phantom Power – A Dizzying Description in which I called attention to the fact that audio recording terms like phantom power are often hard to describe if you try to get into the details. I had asked someone to put together a 400-word essay on it for me and was stunned with how academic (to put it euphemistically) it came across. My eyes glazed over halfway through.
I went ahead and posted those 400 words for those who are more academically and technically inclined, but promised a now-what-is-it-really-and-only-tell-me-what-I-need-to-know post on phantom power very soon afterward. This is that post.
Okay, so to cut right to the chase – there are basically 2 types of microphones, dynamic and condenser. Ribbon mics are sometimes called a 3rd category but really are a variant of the dynamic.
What you need to know:
Dynamic mics don’t need electric power. Assuming the thing you plug them into – a mixer or PA of some sort – is plugged in, all you have to do is poke the microphone cable from a dynamic mic into a mixer and you’re good to go. That type of mic works by the sound coming into it (your lovely voice, perhaps) physically moving the parts (magnet and wire coil) inside. Those movements are then converted to an audio signal.
Condenser mics DO require electricity beyond what a plain old mixer or other interface can provide. That’s because condenser mics convert air movement (caused by your lovely voice) to audio in a different way (changing capacitance if you must know, which you don’t;)). That different way needs about 48 volts of electricity just for the mic to work.
As you may have guessed by now, that 48 volts of extra juice is called phantom power, probably because it comes into the mic not via the way you power up most things, namely with a plug of some sort. Phantom power comes into the mic through a mixer or interface by flipping a switch on the mixer. Sometimes the switch is labeled “phantom power.” But often you’ll just see “48V” or something similar on the device, usually next to a switch and an indicator light (so you know if it’s on or off).
It is not at all uncommon (meaning I do this all the time!!) to plug the condenser mic in and get all ready to record only to find there is no sound coming through the mic because someone (me) forgot to turn on phantom power. You have been warned.
One other thing you should know. It is possible to carry your own phantom power, which is handy if you are a musician doing gigs. This just happened to me a few months ago. I was at a venue that used a condenser microphone on-stage. Their amp died and the owner came back with a combo mixer/amplifier thing that is very useful for live PA stuff. But since for live PA stuff, most people use dynamic mics, there was no phantom power on the mixer. We couldn’t use it for the venue.
But a musician friend of mine had a portable phantom power unit similar to the ART Phantom I unit pictured on the left. All you need then is an outlet and an extra mic cable. We just plugged the condenser mic into the ART, then plugged the extra mic cable into the output of the ART and into the mixer. Voila! Phantom power. The day was saved.
So that is all you really need to know about phantom power. Condenser mics need it. Dynamic mics don’t. If you are all set up to record (or play live) with your condenser mic and you are getting no sound, chances are good that you forgot to turn on the phantom power.
Phantom Power – A Dizzying Description
Phantom power is not supernatural, nor is it anything to do with with Andrew Lloyd Weber (snicker). So that is what it isn’t. What it is can be – gasp what a surprise – a bit confusing and “techie” sounding when someone tries to explain it. I asked someone for 400 words on what phantom power is and below was the result. Hint: take a big hit on your coffer, soda or 5-Hour Energy drink before proceeding. I will put up a now-what-is-it-really-and-only-tell-me-what-I-need-to-know post on phantom power soon.
Phantom Power
Phantom power is a technical term used by audio aficionados which is the direct current smeared likewise through the two signal lines of a balanced audio connector. When the concept of phantom power was brought about, one of its benefits was that the same type of balanced and shielded microphone cables that well equipped studios were typically using for microphones, could now be used for condenser microphones. This is different than the uses for the usual dynamic microphones. The traditional circuitry of most of the microphone equipment requires special multi-conductor cables. Phantom power alleviated some of these needs.
Supplying phantom power can be achieved by microphone or other device and obtain DC power from either allowing two capacitors to block DC power from registering at the output or running a signal line to a ground terminal. Appropriate settings for R1 and R2 has to be 6.8k ohms for 48 volt phantom, and R3 will not be used in this case. Phantom power can effectively and seamlessly supply voltage to well-adjusted microphones that do not use it. Most vibrant microphones would be included. The only difference in voltage amid two signal lines of a balanced signal will be noted as phantom powering spaces identical DC voltage on either signal lines of the balanced connection.
In contrast to earlier methods of powering, in which DC had a direct overlay onto the indicator in disparity mode. This method was of German origin and referred to as “Parallel Powering” or “T-Powering”. The connection of a orthodox microphone to an input that had one or the other between T-powering or parallel powering facilitated can harm the microphone.
Phantom powering isn’t without its flaws. It can cause significant damage or equipment malfunction when cast-off with adapters or cables that connect either of the sides of the common input to earth. This is especially the case when different equipment besides microphones are linked to it. To avoid theses perils numerous mixer boards have a switch that serves as a tool for switching phantom power on or off. Most high-end gear this is achieved individually by a channel setting. On lesser mixers most if not all microphone channels can be set either on or off. This can also be done in groupings of most mid-range boards as well as some of the small ones. Disconnecting an individual channel from phantom power shouldn’t prove to be too difficult. This can be completed by means of a 1:1 seclusion blocking capacitors or transformer.