Topic: Underpowered Mics?

[tradja]

I searched the archives, but couldn't find an answer - sorry if I missed it!

My Oktavas are powered via a Samson Mixpad, which provides 18V phantom power.  What are the implications of not supplying 48V to the mics?  Reduced dynamic range?  Less ability to handle high SPL?  What?

Thanks!
 

[Scuba Jeremy]

I don't know the Denecke PS2 provides 48V Phantom power to my MC012s for better than three hour on only a single 9V battery, but by golly, it does. Can anyone explain how it does that? My tapes with that little gadget sounded fine to me, if anything the low end was a little sloppier than it would have been supplying 48V with the UA5. But for stealthing, the PS2 is acceptable. But even then, they worked fine, and provided a steady line level to feed my M1.

I would imagine similar results from a Mixpad, but a comparisson tape would help.

[Sean Gallemore]

I don't know the Denecke PS2 provides 48V Phantom power to my MC012s for better than three hour on only a single 9V battery, but by golly, it does. Can anyone explain how it does that? My tapes with that little gadget sounded fine to me, if anything the low end was a little sloppier than it would have been supplying 48V with the UA5. But for stealthing, the PS2 is acceptable. But even then, they worked fine, and provided a steady line level to feed my M1.

 

[Sean Gallemore]

I searched the archives, but couldn't find an answer - sorry if I missed it!

My Oktavas are powered via a Samson Mixpad, which provides 18V phantom power.  What are the implications of not supplying 48V to the mics?  Reduced dynamic range?  Less ability to handle high SPL?  What?

Thanks!
 

18 Volts as in 18 Volts phantom supply and 6 kOhms phantom drop resistors?  

Errhmmm ... then you get no more than 8 to 10 volts on the power rail inside the MC012 body (compared to 26 Volts when using 48 Volts phantom voltage).  

This means you loose around 12 dB in Signal to Noise ratio from the voltage drop alone.  Then you loose additional S/N in the active devices due to the reduced voltage.  

The reduced voltage have a few other implications but I'd guess that you  still have enough voltage to support  performane at max SPL.

Jon

dude, thanx for learning us! that's great info

[tradja]

18 Volts as in 18 Volts phantom supply and 6 kOhms phantom drop resistors?  

Errhmmm ... then you get no more than 8 to 10 volts on the power rail inside the MC012 body (compared to 26 Volts when using 48 Volts phantom voltage).  

This means you loose around 12 dB in Signal to Noise ratio from the voltage drop alone.  Then you loose additional S/N in the active devices due to the reduced voltage.  

The reduced voltage have a few other implications but I'd guess that you  still have enough voltage to support  performane at max SPL.

Jon

Thanks for the info!  Dammit, looks like I'll be after a UA-5 or PS-2/AD-20 soon...
 
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