# Behringer ECM8000 Mic. Question.



## srbaker (Apr 30, 2006)

I am getting a Behringer ECM8000, and will run it through my Sound Blaster Live! 24 bit USB external sound card. My question is will in need a pre amp with with a phantom power supply, or can I use just a phantom power supply between the Mic. and and sound card? 

Thanks Rich.


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

You could try the phantom power supply but you may end up needing the amp to control the input level to REW.

Btw... welcome to the Shack!


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## srbaker (Apr 30, 2006)

Thank you for the quick reply. So what I think you are saying is that I might need the preamp to LOWER the Input level as the direct input from a phantom PS might overload the Sound card input? The reason I ask is because I got the USB sound card because with the Mic. input on my laptop and a RS SPL meter I could not get a high enough in put level for REW. 

Rich


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## MikeOates (Jun 2, 2006)

Rich,

Being a user of microphones in general, I will jump in here.

The phantom power that the microphone needs, is used to power the electronics in the mic, the actual output from the microphone is low and needs a pre-amp to bring it to line level to plug into the Soundblaster card (line input). The RS SPL meter has it's output at line level so should work directly with the soundcard.

The phantom power is only passed on to the microphone via the pre-amp and does not get fed into the soundcard. 

Soundcards expect high impedance microphones, but the Behringer ECM8000 is a condenser microphone with a low impedance, so even if you could provide it with phantom power, it would not drive the soundcard microphone input.

You should be able to get a cheap pre-amp that supplies phantom power to suit your needs and could even be battery powered.

For an example of a pre-amp with phantom power: 
http://www.boomerangsounds.co.uk/product.php?xProd=275&xSec=140

Hope that helps, I am new to the Shack myself.

Mike


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## srbaker (Apr 30, 2006)

Mike: Thank you very much that is what I was looking for. I am bidding (well I was out bid) on a stewart phantom PS so I guess I will let it go and find a low cost Preamp with phantom power. I have a BFD coming, but will enventualy try to get DRC working on my slimserver. 

Rich


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## MikeOates (Jun 2, 2006)

Rich,

Perhaps I should mention something Sonnie just reminded me of in another thread http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/bfd-rew-forum/604-what-mic-use-rew.html that to be sure your readings are correct, the pre-amp also needs calibrating as well as the mic. With that in mind, cheaper pre-amps *may* not have such a good linear response as those more expensive. It's always a gamble, I really can't say just how much the quality of the pre-amp would have on such measurements.

Mike


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