Phantom power - all info about power supply

Phantom power is a power supply that is needed to operate certain parts of the equipment in the recording studio or on stage. Find out here what phantom power is all about, what it's needed for, and what to look out for when using it.

This is what you need to know about phantom power

In audio engineering, phantom power is a special type of remote power supply for signal sources to supply them with voltage.

• Phantom power is especially needed by active condenser microphones to operate the built-in electronics. In addition to microphones, active DI boxes (Direct Injection Box - used in audio engineering to convert an unbalanced signal into a balanced one) also rely on phantom power for their voltage supply.
• The voltage level can range from 12 to 48 volts, depending on your needs. Most common in professional devices is a phantom power of 48 V.
• However, there are also devices whose microphone inputs provide 24 V or even only 12 V. This is not a big deal, since most microphones that are operated by means of phantom power can work with voltages between 9 and 52 V without any problems.
• Often the power supply comes from a mixing console, sound card, microphone amplifier or other audio interface and is transmitted to the microphone through an XLR cable.

This is what you should pay attention to when using phantom power

The phantom power or phantom voltage is usually not dangerous for the connected devices. However, to be on the safe side, you should switch off the power supply when it is not needed.