Phantom Power

Phantom power specifications are well standardized under IEC 61938 and DIN 45 596. Acceptable voltages and current supply capabilities are well defined. Positive phantom voltage is found on the balanced microphone output terminals (pins 2 and 3 of an XLR connector) with the ground return on the shield. There is no such standard for the unbalanced electret microphones that are prevalent in the communications and security industries. It is sometimes necessary to use external components to match the power requirements for some of these microphones when used with RDL mic preamplifiers. When electret microphone specifications are available, RDL Technical Support can help integrate these devices with components designed for conventional phantom power.