Hi all,

Ok so I am being a little dense but if you don't ask you never learn. So here goes..

I want to buy a new mic as I am slowly getting into home recording. A friend told me that my trusty old Roland mic has had it's day if indeed it ever had a day!

From what I have seen in the mags etc. I like the look of the AKG 1000S, which apparently is excellent for recording (I also play guitar and would like a decent mic to pick this up acoustically). Also and probably more to the point this mic is pretty cheap in the UK. I can get one new for £100.

What I don't understand is that this mic can be powered either by phantom power or by a 9v battery. Does this mean that the mic is wireless??? or is the power needed for something else....signal boost or something?

I know this may seem a silly question to some but the mags and websites all assume you know what you are doing. You my friends know by now that this is not the case (In my case)!

Many thanks in anticipation
Tony

Tony,

Phantom power or not has nothing to do with whether the microphone is wired or wireless, it has to do with the design of microphone.

Audio-Technica has a very good introductory web page explaining microphones:

A condenser microphone uses a light weight membrane and a fixed plat that act as opposite side of a capacitor. Sound pressure against this thin polymer film causes it to move. This movement changes the capacitance of the circuit, creating a changing electrical output. In many respects a condenser microphone functions in the same manner as an electrostatic tweeter, although on a much smaller scale and "in reverse." ...

For details please refer to following URL:
http://www.audio-technica.com/using/mphones/guide/micdoes.html

"Phantum power is a technique which delivers a DC voltage to the microphone through the same shielded two-conductor cable that carries the audio from the mic. ..."

In the case of AKG 1000S, it is designed to accept either 9V battery to be put in the microphone's battery chamber, or get phantom power through XLR connection to mixer board with phantom power switch turned on or phantom power supplier (an AC-to-DC special power supply/converter designed for this purpose. Without phantom power, condenser microphone is "DEAD", whereas dynamic microphone works fine without phantom power because it does not need it.

I hope this helps,

Paul Ip
from Texas

Tony,

There is also an introductory article on microphones in harmony-central.com just in case you find that the Audio-Technica site just went down for some reason:
http://arts.ucsc.edu/ems/music/tech_background/TE-20/teces_20.html

Paul Ip
from Texas

From my experience:
Condensor mics are great as an overhead, or to pick up a guitar. I would not use these mics for brass or singing. These condensor mics get easy overloaded by high dynamic changes, the mic starts to clip.
So for vocals and brass, always use a dynamic microphone.

I've used a phantom powered condenser mic for vocals for 20 years. First EV and now Shure. Wouldn't use anything else. But there are condenser mics designed for vocals and also others designed for instrument mics.
They offer a crispness and clarity I've been unable to find in dynamic mics.
DonM

I agree with DonM that I personally also have had greater success with condenser mics for better sound quality. The key is proper control through mixer, and the appropriate use of compression to prevent signal overloading. Condenser mics are primarily used in studio environment but there are more and more stage condenser mics arriving at the market. Dynamic microphones are much more rugged in construction but most of them are not hot enough (that's why Uncle Dave and Scott Yee recommended Donny and us the hot EV ND767). I now only buy condenser mics for song leaders at my church to get better sound pick-up since we have trained very good mix console operators (have not tried the EV ND767 yet, will try it soon).

Paul Ip
from Texas

Thankyou all for your replies

Now at least I won't appear slow on the uptake when I go to the shop to choose (well no more slow than usual!!!)

That is the great thing about this forum. There is such a wealth of experience here and yet it feels really safe to ask the most rudimentary of questions without the fear of being considered inadequate. Long may it continue

Now if anyone ever needs information on rodent breeding.......well actually I know nothing about that either

Thanks again
Tony