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Gear / Technical Help => Ask The Tapers => Topic started by: a-dub on July 25, 2009, 08:54:07 PM

Title: Portable Phantom Power
Post by: a-dub on July 25, 2009, 08:54:07 PM
Hey all-

I'm going to be doing alot of field recording pretty soon and I had a question about using a portable XLR phantom power box. I was wondering what could power my AT3032's running into a R-09HR? Would an ART phantom II be enough juice or do i need something a little more powerful?

Thanks,
Aaron
Title: Re: Portable Phantom Power
Post by: Neilyboy on July 26, 2009, 08:49:54 AM
Its really in how much $$ do you want to spend. Yeah the ART Phantom II should do ya just fine. Or head over to the YS and pickup a UA-5 for ~125 bucks...

Neil
Title: Re: Portable Phantom Power
Post by: fmaderjr on July 26, 2009, 09:35:04 AM
Or spend a little more for the new Naiant Littlebox and have a great and very compact preamp as well.
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,124895.0.html

If by field recording you mean nature recording, even the R-09HR could probably benefit from a preamp.
Title: Re: Portable Phantom Power
Post by: a-dub on July 26, 2009, 09:54:42 AM
Or spend a little more for the new Naiant Littlebox and have a great and very compact preamp as well.
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,124895.0.html

If by field recording you mean nature recording, even the R-09HR could probably benefit from a preamp.

Oops yes, I do mostly nature recording. I was looking into a low noise pre, like a mixpre. Although it costs about an arm right now for the budget i have. Eventually i will get one way down the road. The Littlebox looks really nice though. I'm wondering how much self noise it has compared to a mixpre?
Title: Re: Portable Phantom Power
Post by: fmaderjr on July 26, 2009, 01:09:51 PM
Jon at Naiant appears to be a very honest guy. Why not send him a PM (http://taperssection.com/index.php?action=pm;sa=send;u=15691) and ask about self noise and also the littlebox's suitability for your purposes. I'm guessing it would work very well.
Title: Re: Portable Phantom Power
Post by: a-dub on July 26, 2009, 02:36:08 PM
Jon at Naiant appears to be a very honest guy. Why not send him a PM (http://taperssection.com/index.php?action=pm;sa=send;u=15691) and ask about self noise and also the littlebox's suitability for your purposes. I'm guessing it would work very well.

Good idea! I've researched Jon's threads and the Naiant Littlebox looks like a great piece of gear especially for the price. Interesting to see how it compares to the Lunatec V3. I listened to the comparisons and they were all really good!
Title: Re: Portable Phantom Power
Post by: fmaderjr on July 26, 2009, 05:46:58 PM
I was embarrassed to admit it, but I listened to the V3-Littlebox test recordings and couldn't really hear a difference between them.

The Littlebox must be a steal for the money. For you, though, you'd need to know how noise free it is in very quiet situations.
Title: Re: Portable Phantom Power
Post by: su6oxone on July 27, 2009, 09:15:38 AM
I would also consider the Sound Devices MixPre/MP-2.  They are very low-noise and operate for hours (4+ hours with rechargeable AAs > KM184 and MK4/CMC6) on AAs. 
Title: Re: Portable Phantom Power
Post by: fmaderjr on July 27, 2009, 02:54:22 PM
I would also consider the Sound Devices MixPre/MP-2. 

I LOVE my MixPre.

Didn't recommend it because I thought it was way past a-dub's budget, whereas the Littlebox can be had for not much more than that phantom power box he was asking about.
Title: Re: Portable Phantom Power
Post by: a-dub on July 27, 2009, 05:57:02 PM
Quote

I LOVE my MixPre.

Didn't recommend it because I thought it was way past a-dub's budget, whereas the Littlebox can be had for not much more than that phantom power box he was asking about.

I think I'm going to just save the dough and grab a mixpre. The feedback from everyone that uses a mixpre is amazing. I mean another $350-400 and the mixpre is taking a first class UPS ride to the crib. From what I've researched not only do you get phantom power but one of the quietest preamps available. Sweet!
Title: Re: Portable Phantom Power
Post by: Brian E. on August 06, 2009, 01:29:39 PM
for future reference, I'm also interested.  Say I wanted some AKG's or Neumann's running into my 09HR.  What do I need?  Just a phantom power amp?

I don't want to be one of those guys carrying around what seems like 3-4 "decks" in a bag.  I want small size and simplest chain.

Thanks!

(P.S. I have no idea about phantom pre's)
Title: Re: Portable Phantom Power
Post by: su6oxone on August 07, 2009, 01:57:17 PM
Say I wanted some AKG's or Neumann's running into my 09HR.  What do I need?  Just a phantom power amp?

Just need a phantom source, which can be just power like a Denecke PS-2 or a preamp that supplies phantom, like the MixPre, V3, etc.  If you're mostly taping loud rock type shows, I would just get a PS-2 or something similar as it's small and you can't really tell the difference for loud shows IMO. 

Title: Re: Portable Phantom Power
Post by: cottle on August 07, 2009, 02:40:17 PM
for future reference, I'm also interested.  Say I wanted some AKG's or Neumann's running into my 09HR.  What do I need?  Just a phantom power amp?

I don't want to be one of those guys carrying around what seems like 3-4 "decks" in a bag.  I want small size and simplest chain.

Thanks!

(P.S. I have no idea about phantom pre's)

If you decide you want a PS-2, PM me.  I've got one I picked up in the YS that I don't need. 
Title: Re: Portable Phantom Power
Post by: tbrown4 on August 20, 2009, 01:47:16 PM
I'm using the PS2 currently.....saving for something with independent channel gain control. But, I'm pretty happy with it.  Does fine for louder setting. Acoustic/quiet is another story though.
Title: Re: Portable Phantom Power
Post by: digifish_music on August 21, 2009, 12:16:05 AM
Hey all-

I'm going to be doing alot of field recording pretty soon and I had a question about using a portable XLR phantom power box. I was wondering what could power my AT3032's running into a R-09HR? Would an ART phantom II be enough juice or do i need something a little more powerful?

Thanks,
Aaron

May be of interest to you. A small experiment using R09/R09HR + ARTII + AT3032's...

http://www.digifishmusic.com/public/articles/edirol_mic_preamps.htm

When you can afford it, get a Sound Devices MixPre.

digifish


Title: Re: Portable Phantom Power
Post by: moooose on August 21, 2009, 03:51:58 AM

I think I'm going to just save the dough and grab a mixpre. The feedback from everyone that uses a mixpre is amazing. I mean another $350-400 and the mixpre is taking a first class UPS ride to the crib. From what I've researched not only do you get phantom power but one of the quietest preamps available. Sweet!

If you can wait and save money, go for the MixPre. It is such a great device.
Title: Re: Portable Phantom Power
Post by: digifish_music on August 21, 2009, 11:48:26 PM

I think I'm going to just save the dough and grab a mixpre. The feedback from everyone that uses a mixpre is amazing. I mean another $350-400 and the mixpre is taking a first class UPS ride to the crib. From what I've researched not only do you get phantom power but one of the quietest preamps available. Sweet!

If you can wait and save money, go for the MixPre. It is such a great device.

I don't know any field recordist that has regretted the MixPre purchase. You can also let you expectations get as high as you want, with a pair of AT3032's it's going to blow you away.   

digifish