30v phantom power with boom mics
 

Azden SGM-2X I see this mic uses a AAA battery. Can the Rode NTG-1 run on a battery as well?

The reason I ask is that I'm looking into an old field mixer that only has 30v phantom power. I need to make sure it will work with one of these boom mics (or use batteries instead).

Rode NTG-1 is phantom power only, no battery, and Rode's manual for the NTG-1 states a full 48v is required. The NTG-2 is the same mic but with a battery option.

Just stay away from that old mixer. 48v Phantom is what about every mic uses. Don't try to cut corners on audio. You'll regret it. Start with a Sound Devices MixPre (665.00) and you'll never look back. Short of that there are the JuicedLink mixers, but there are compromises like no limiters.


Oh and stay away from Azden mics too. Total crap IMO.

True Chad ... friends don't let friends use Azden

LOL Steve! Yes Azden ANYTHING is a foolish choice. For inexpensive solutions go with Rode in the Mic department. Great quality at very reasonable prices.

I'm also a non-Azden guy. Rode and Audio Technica are nice mid-priced brands. Sennheiser has some stuff that isn't terribly priced (and some that is). AKG might be worth considering (I'd love to try a Blue Line with a CK93 capsule as an indoor hyper.) But Azden? No. Avoid Nady too. Their wireless stuff is barely adequate for live use, let alone film work.

For outboard gear, amps, and processing boxes Behringer is as cheap as you can buy, but it actually works. It's not great, but it can help a starving musician get off the ground.

I have no more fondness for Azden than anyone else here, and I am not recommending them.

That being said, only some (likely way less than half) the condensor microphones in the world require a full 48V phantom power. A great many can operate to full spec on 30 or 24 or even 12 volts. And most will operate on less than the specified voltage with the only degradation being the ability to handle loud SPL.

I have seen a website that lists what mics will actually operate on (vs. the mfg specs), but I don't have the URL at the moment.

Yes, back on thread...

Richard, that's true. In fact, the juicedLink preamps offer +48V and +12V options. The battery lasts longer with +12V than +48V. And I agree that headroom is likely the only thing to suffer for most mics. It's not like mics include a 47V diode to make sure that we don't cheat. :)