Always replace connectors that have any appearance of damage or that are obviously worn out. The first thing to remember is that ribbon microphones are inherently delicate due to the way in which they are constructed. The microphone/mic-preamplifier section is the only portion of a patch bay that has DC power present in the form of phantom power. We are working and shipping the kits as usual. Some minor extra delays can occur (2 - 3 days) because most of us are working at home at the moment and therefor I have to drive around a lot. However, modern microphones can also be damaged under certain … Ribbon mics (usually used only in studios) can be damaged by phantom power if a cable is mis-wired. However, we still recommend that you deactivate phantom power when Royer microphones are being connected or disconnected simply because other abnormal conditions may exist that could cause problems. On the other side, these signal wires are connected to the secondary winding of a ribbon mic output transformer. So, if you want to know in what circumstances applying the +48V supply can be harmful and, vise versa, when it is perfectly safe to use – this article is for you.. Lots of multi-channel audio interfaces and small mixing consoles have grouped phantom power switches. [vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1491165229153{margin-top: 40px !important;margin-bottom: 50px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”576″ img_size=”200×200″ alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_circle”][vc_empty_space height=”18px”][vc_column_text]Artur Fisher is a founder and owner of Bumblebee Pro, ribbon microphone and recording equipment designer, analog and tube sound enthusiast. Jack plugs short circuit the signal wires to ground for a brief moment while connecting and disconnecting. The Renovation of Our New Work Space is Progressing. Such 48V impulse is very likely to destroy or severely damage the ribbon. So, you must absolutely avoid any manipulations with plugs while phantom power is ON if you are using a jack patchbay. Note: Our phantom powered models are not included in this discussion. If the phantom power is ON, such short circuit will let the DC reach the motor, as only signal pins of a ribbon mic are DC protected by a transformer, not a ground pin! Here’s what happens. There is one situation when a phantom power can be harmful – when you have a jack patchbay between the ribbon microphone and a power source (preamp, audio interface, e.g.). If a setup includes condenser microphones then powering up a group is a must. Good thing first. Since DC voltages are present on these lines, cross patching with the volume control up can also result in damaged monitor speakers and shaken eardrums! and this is where the microphone is connected. So this risk is very much real. Cheers, DIY fellows! If phantom power is on, ribbon microphones can be damaged when cross-patched through a patch bay. The preamp circuitry feeds the current via two signal wires of a microphone cable. The workflow should be as follows: check that phantom power is OFF, connect the ribbon microphones (and other required microphones if you have a master phantom switch only), switch the +48V supply ON, do your work, switch the power back OFF, wait for preamp reservoir capacitors to discharge (condenser microphones should stop responding, it can take several seconds), disconnect the microphones. While most engineers wisely steer away from letting phantom power come anywhere near their ribbon mics, some newer mics, such as the active Royer R-122 MKII, AEA R84A, or Cloud Microphones 44-A, utilize phantom to power their electronics. They require phantom power to operate and obviously will not be damaged by phantom power. Each insert is a full-break patch point, which enables an engineer to crosspatch or redirect microphone lines to various mic-preamp inputs. They provide a soft-start and smooth ramp-down when AC power is turned on or off at the console or mic-preamp. With ribbons, a serious voltage spike can blow the ribbon element to pieces, just like a fuse. can lead to uneven power being supplied to the microphone. Transformers do not pass the direct current. But ribbon microphones are different. UPS and DHL are delivering the packages the regular way. Because microphones are designed to work within balanced conditions, uneven power can create a number of hard-to-pinpoint problems like low output, distortion, degraded frequency response, and other performance issues. A ribbon element that is designed to last ten or fifteen years before replacement can literally be blown overnight by patch bay mishaps. So, if phantom power … The lower row represents the microphone preamplifier inputs. Additionally, it's a good idea to turn phantom power off while plugging and unplugging microphones to prevent any potential power surge and general pops and loud … If phantom power is on, ribbon microphones can be damaged when cross-patched through a patch bay.