XLR to mini jack adapter with phantom power?

[Frank Jen]

hi, i have a couple of lav mics that require phantom power. they are both 1/8 mini jack connections. so far they've been used with recorders that have the 1/8 connector

but i've just picked up the tascam dr-40 which does not have a native 1/8 connector. i already have a rode vxlr adapter coming in the mail to convert xlr to 1/8, and just remembered that my lavs need phantom power.

question is, does anyone know if the vxlr adapter carries phantom power? and if not, are there any male xlr to female 1/8 adapters that do? thanks for any help

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by Frank Jen

hi, i have a couple of lav mics that require phantom power. they are both 1/8 mini jack connections. so far they've been used with recorders that have the 1/8 connector

but i've just picked up the tascam dr-40 which does not have a native 1/8 connector. i already have a rode vxlr adapter coming in the mail to convert xlr to 1/8, and just remembered that my lavs need phantom power.

question is, does anyone know if the vxlr adapter carries phantom power? and if not, are there any male xlr to female 1/8 adapters that do? thanks for any help

Hang on a mo......

A mini tie mic with a 3.5mm jack will almost certainly *not* require phantom power.

Putting 48V phantom on this is likely to destroy the mic.

Mics like this normally require "plug-in power". This is similar to "T-power" and is an unbalanced power feed normally around 4.5 to 12V.

If you mic. needed phantom power it would have an XLR connector.

[Steve House]

As John said, careful you're not confusing phantom power with plug-in power. You haven't said what mics you have or what their 1/8 connectors are wired for but what I think you're going to need here is an combination XLR adapter and power supply that will convert the 48volt phantom power on the mic input down to the 5 volt plug-in power the mic requires while also converting the unbalanced 1/8 to a balanced XLR connection. The Rode VXLR does NOT do this. A couple that do include the Sennheiser MZA900P Sennheiser MZA 900 P - - Phantom Power Adapter or the Ambient EMP "Eumel" EMP: Ambient Recording GmbH

[Frank Jen]

wow thanks guys. this could have turned out pretty bad :)

i've realized the difference now. as the proper adapters themselves cost more than my lavs i'll keep the two systems separate and use only xlr mics with the recorder. thanks for the help!

[Richard Crowley]

There are more realistically priced mini-phone to XLR adapters, such as:
Naiant - Inline Devices (See PFA at the bottom of the page)

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by Richard Crowley

There are more realistically priced mini-phone to XLR adapters, such as:
Naiant - Inline Devices (See PFA at the bottom of the page)

Canford Audio also do a selection of affordable phantom to plug-in power adaptors.

[Frank Jen]

thank you richard and john for the links. learned a few new things from this!

i do have an xlr shotgun coming so i'll see if xlr mics are really superior to what i've been using, and if i'll want to adapt 1/8 mics at all.

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by Frank Jen

thank you richard and john for the links. learned a few new things from this!

i do have an xlr shotgun coming so i'll see if xlr mics are really superior to what i've been using, and if i'll want to adapt 1/8 mics at all.

It's nothing to do with XLR mics being better - the XLR is only a connector.

Tie mics are the same whether they come with a mini connector or an XLR - it's just that the ones with a mini connector are normally designed to plug into a radio transmitter and the XLR version is designed to be used on a cable with phantom power. The mic. itself would be the same.