On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 06:54:59 +0100, Eeyore
wrote:



Keith G wrote:

A number of days/week or three ago the topic of phantom power 'damaging'
mics was mentioned by me and I couldn't recall where I'd seen it. Here
it is:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk:80/ws/eBayISAP...B:WNASIF:UK:12

The wording also suggests a certain vulnerabilty in certain areas ('air
blasts') - is this normal??

Unless the mic has been incompetently designed it's not possible for phantom power to damage it.

Ribbon mics often require a step-up transformer. If that transformer has a centre-tapped output then
phantom power could damage it if the mic was plugged or unplugged whilst the phantom power was on (due
to the possibility of contacts mating sequentially). A centre tap is absolutely not required however.

Graham


Possibility? Make that 100% certainty. Balancing transformers should
absolutely never have a grounded centre tap.

d

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Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com