What is Audio Mic Phantom Power?

"Now I want to give you a quick lesson on microphones before we get to Phantom power. Basically, there's two types of microphones, condenser and dynamic. Condenser microphones require power and dynamic do not. First off, let me show you one of our condenser mics. This is one of our little mini shotgun here, and if unscrew it, you can see that it has a battery. It has its own power source. This is a condenser mic with its own power source. If this was a condenser mic that did not have a battery, it would require Phantom power. Phantom power, basically means, the microphone can draw power through the connection and basically draw power from my camera. Before I get to showing you how that turns on, let me just show you our dynamic mic. This microphone does not have a battery, but does not require power. That's basically a dynamic mic in a nutshell. No power needed. So, let's show you how to turn on our Phantom power if you have a condenser mic that does not have its own power supply. Our Phantom power is right here on the front of our XLR jacks, and there's just one for just channel one and two. Basically, if you know that you need it, you'll to switch this on. It's also important to note that you'll always want to plug the microphone in before you turn on the Phantom power. Then when you're ready to unplug the microphone, turn the Phantom power off and then unplug it."