Phantom Powering

[Ste69]

I'm going to get a load of condenser mics soon but my mixing desk doesn't have phantom power on it as it is quite old, so I want to get a separate phantom power unit to power my condensers, any ideas? Preferable cheap as possable

[tom_the_LD]

How many mics you aiming to get?

 

 

From our german friends http://www.thomann.de/gb/millenium_pps2.htm <<< Powers two mics

 

 

 

EDIT: Added linky goodness

[Girlyboy]

I have 2 very old AKG phantom power units kicking around the warehouse. I think they power 6 or 8 mics each. I'll run them up in the morning. If they work, you're welcome to them. Obviously, you may need to pay postage or come collect them.

 

Girlyboy

[Ste69]

I have 2 very old AKG phantom power units kicking around the warehouse...

That would be awesome :D THANKS! *fingers crossed you find them* :(

How many mics you aiming to get?

I'm aiming to get 4 mics in total

[Ste69]

Is it possible to get a phantom power unit that powers about 6 or so mics, and if so where can you get them from for cheap? Or would it just be better to but a separate little mixer with phantom power to power condensers and send into the main mixer?

[Chris Beesley]

If you are on a budget then compact desks from the likes of Phonic, Behringer or even some of the smaller Soundcraft or Yamaha would probably come in under the price of multi-way phantom power supplies.

[peternewman]

If you'd continued to browse the relevant category on Thomann you'd find MILLENIUM PP4 a 1U rackmount which will power four mics for just under £60. Alternatively AKG sell a more expensive version that will do six mics here. Although personally I think cost wise you'd be better off getting two of the 4 ways, or a four and a two. The second mixer idea would work, but obviously has issues such as routing and aux limitations, as well as PFLing becoming more challenging have a search on here for some more information on those issues.

[Bobbsy]

As Peternewman says, using a second mixer can be an economical way of doing this but at the expense of a fair bit of convenience.

 

However, to throw a slightly different perspective on this, what is the quality of the mixer that you're planning to use?

 

Mixer technology has come on in leaps and bounds over the last few years, and even cheapies like Behringers (despite the debates we have in here frequently) do a credible job....including providing phantom power. Unless the existing mixer is something special (or specialist) I would seriously look into putting my money towards a new mixer--one that included phantom power--rather than buying separate supplies.

 

If you spend even the £60 on the Thomann unit you get a box who's only purpose is to limp your existing mixer on for a year or two....but you're a quarter to a third of the way to getting a new Behringer Xenyx mixer. It's always easy to spend other people's money, but I know which way I'd go.

 

Bob

[Ste69]

I was actually thinking about getting a new mixer at some point, but I won't be able to get one for a fair while as I need the money and such. But the one I was looking at is the 32 channel Behringer Eurodesk as it is cheap and I have used them before and found them to be realiable. Anyone got and thoughts on this?

[david.elsbury]

If you *really* want to faff around with another mixer here's a suggestion...

 

Use the el-cheapo mixer as a phantom supply but use your regular desk for the audio, as normal- make up some cables that are y-splits, but lift pin one on one side. This is the side that plugs into your good mixer. So you can use your phonic mixer as a phantom supply simply by plugging the other leg of the y-split into it. I would suggest winding the gain right back on the input preamp so as to avoid as much as possible the cheap mixer doing strange things to your audio.

 

David

[Chris Beesley]

I have yet to use one of the new Eurodesk series - when they were first launched we had a few returns due to faulty FX units but now all seems to be sorted as we have not had any more back.

On paper its a lot of desk for the money and like most behringer gear you will get mixed reports depending upon personal experience with their products.

[beware]

If you *really* want to faff around with another mixer here's a suggestion...

 

Use the el-cheapo mixer as a phantom supply but use your regular desk for the audio, as normal- make up some cables that are y-splits, but lift pin one on one side. This is the side that plugs into your good mixer. So you can use your phonic mixer as a phantom supply simply by plugging the other leg of the y-split into it. I would suggest winding the gain right back on the input preamp so as to avoid as much as possible the cheap mixer doing strange things to your audio.

 

David

 

Or just use the preamps on the desk (complete with phantom), and use jack-jack inserts into your main mixer.

[Beaky]

I say just buy a real mixer, sell your old one add some cash and buy something with a phantom switch to every channel (cheap mixers often have global phantom), delta might be a cheap alternative or something similar, how many channels and what config do you need? PM me I may be able to help you do what you want at minimal cost.

[dunk_1984]

We have a Behringer Eurodesk 32 (actually it is 24 usable channels). You are welcome to buy it, so I can put the money towards an Allan & Heath GL2400.

Basically It was bought by the men in suits after I suggested things like Allan & Heath.

 

As for the Mixer:

The knobs are so small and tightly packed together it's very difficult to adjust them accurately,

The aux's are either pre eq & fader, or post fader, which means if someone says "can I have less bass on my guitar in the monitors... your only answer is no. (working on a bodge job monitor mixer to combat this problem)

1 Master fader with no balance on it so you can't send all noise to 1 speaker or the other.

"4 sub groups" actually there are 2 stereo jack outputs.

The List does go on!

 

 

If you want my advice, BUY AN ALLAN & HEATH as they aren't too expensive (£1300) for a real 32ch mixer. Or buy ours so I can.