Apex Microphones

[falcon]

Our theatre just bought an Apex SP1 microphone set. It includes 2 Apex180 pencil mics and one Apex345 mic. Does anyone know if these need phantom power to run at all?

[zachlipton]

I don't know about those mics in particular, but you should be able to find out pretty easily. Chances are that the literature that comes with the mics should tell you. If not, as a general rule of thumb, dynamic mics do not require phantom power, while condenser mics do.

Here's probably the easist thing to do. First check the manual to make sure that phantom power is not going to damage the mic (they will almost certainly let you know this very clearly if it will). Then plug in the microphone and bring up the channel. If it doesn't work, give it phantom power and try again.

[falcon]

I should have mentions that we looked at the manual and I checked the information online from the manufacter and I couldn't find any information about phantom power. The words didn't even come up on any page that had info about the mics.

[avkid]

they are condenser mics,condensers almost always use phantom power. If a mic does not use phantom power and it is supplied, the mic USUALLY will not be damaged.

[falcon]

so if they do need phantom power, can I use PVM™ 22 Diamond Series™ Microphones with phantom power? also we have wireless headset mics (hope that makes sence to you guys, I can try to clarify the best I can with the limited information I have about them) that we have to run, i'm not sure the brand of them since we are scrapping ours and borrowing from another school, but can they generally run with phantom power on?

[Peter]

Usually wireless mics will go through a reciever which will output the signal to a 1/4" cable into your board or whatever, and phantom power will never go to a 1/4" cable. Even in the "nutric" inputs with a 1/4" inch input inside an XLR input if you turn phantom power on to the chanel and have a 1/4" plug in it, the phantom power will not go to the 1/4" cable (only to the XLR)

I would start out by pugging it in without phantom power and seeing how good the signal you get into the board is. Everyone should feel free to correct me, but I dont think pluging in a mic that needs phantom power into a plug without phantom power will do much harm, the worst i can see it doing is not working while the phanom power is off. If it doesnt work without phantom power, I would take that as a decent sign that it nees phantom power.

I am not sure about those PVM mics, but a quick look on google might answer that (in the manual) I would look for you, but it's getting late here and I need to catch a few winks of sleep!

[falcon]

the wireless mics have an xlr connection,

[zachlipton]

XLR or quarter-inch, the wireless recievers do not require phantom power no.

[cutlunch]

Falcon. The Apex mikes you have got need phantom power. The PVM mike won't be worried about phantom power so long as you are using balanced microphone leads. With the wireless mikes so long as you don't take an unbalanced output from wireless receiver into the balanced XLR input on the mixing desk there won't be a problem. As you mentioned the receivers have an XLR output so I take it you just use an XLR - XLR balanced lead so no problem.

[falcon]

so plugging all three types of mics into the board using xlr cables and turning the phantom power on won't fry anything?