Glossary: Phantom Power | Sweetwater.com

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Phantom Power: A DC (direct current) voltage, usually 48 volts, applied to pins 2 and 3 referenced to pin 1 of an XLR microphone connector that can be used to power transducers with active electronics. Condenser microphones require a pre amp close to the very high impedance (See WFTD archive "impedance") diaphragm which requires power to operate. Back in the '50's and '60's this power was often provided by a separate power supply that came with the microphone. Later manufacturers began to provide a source for this power at the microphone input to mixers or pre amps. Since the power is carried on the same wires that carry the audio signal, and since most dynamic microphones and other passive devices are not affected by this DC voltage it was known as "phantom" power. The theory was that only devices that needed it would be wired in such a way that they would use it. Nowadays almost all condenser microphones and active direct boxes are able to use phantom power when it is present on a microphone cable. Consequently most mixing board manufacturers include this feature in their products.

P-94	p-n Junction	P90
PACE	Pad	PAF
Page	PAIA	PAL
Palm Muting	Palo Escrito	Pan (Panning)
Pancake	Panic Button	Parabolic Reflector
Paragraphic Equalizer	Parallel/Parallel Port	Parameter
Parametric Equalizer	Parasitic Oscillation	Parity
Parlor Guitar	Partial	Partition
Pascal	Pass	Passband
Passive	Passive Radiator	Password
Paste	PA System	Patch
Patch Bay	Patch Cord	Patch List
Patchlist	Patch Mapping	Path
Paua	PC3200	PC4200
PCB	PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)	PCI-X
PCI Express (PCIe)	Pulse Code Modulation (PCM)	PCMCIA
PCM Deck	PD Drive	PDF
Peak	Peak Hold	Peak Power Handling
Pearloid	Pedal	Pedalboard
Pedal Point	Pedal Steel	Peer-to-Peer
Peghead	Penny Whistle	Pentachord
Pentatonic Scales	Pentium	Pentode
Perceptual Coding	Percussion Switch	Perfect Fifth
Perfect Pitch	Period	Perkins EQ
Permeability	Perpetual Looper	petaFLOPS
PeterGabrielizing	Pre-Fade Listen (PFL)	Phantom Channel
Phantom Image	Phantom Power	Phase
Phase Cancellation	Phase Invert	Phase Lock
Phase Locked Loop	Phase Modulation	Phase Quadrature
Phase Shifter	Phon	Phon
Phone Plug	Phono Plug	Phono preamp
Phosphor Bronze	Photona	Physical Modeling Synthesis
Pianissimo	Piano	Pick
Pick Guard	Pickup	Picofarad
Piezo	Piggyback Amp	Pigtail
Pinch Roller	Pink Noise	Pinna Effect
Pin Out	Pipe Organ	Pitch
Pitch-to-voltage Converter	Pitch Bend	Pitch Correction
Pixel	Pizzicato	Plainsong
Planar Loudspeaker	Plate	Plate Reverb
Platter	Playhead	Play List
Plectrum	Plenum	Plesiochronous
Plesiochronous	Plexi	Abbreviation for Phase Locked Loop.
Plosive	Plug-in	Plug and Play
PMPO	Pocket	Pocketing
Podcast	Point-to-Point Wiring	Point Source Monitor
Polarity	Polarize	Polar Pattern
Pole	Pole Piece	Polka
Polyester	Polyphonic	Polyphony
Polyrhythm	Polytonality	Polyurethane
Ponticello	Pop	Pop Filter
Popsicle Brace	Port	Portamento
Portative Organ	Position	Positional Sensing
Post Production	Potential Acoustic Gain	Potentiometer
Potting	POW-r	Power
Power Amp Input	Power Attenuator/Power Attenuation	Power Calibration Area
Power Chord	Power Compression	Power Conditioner
Power Cycle	Power Factor	Power Spike
Power Supply	Power Surge	PPG Wave
Peak Program Meter (PPM)	PPQN (Pulses Per Quarter Note, sometimes Parts Per Quarter Note)	PQ Subcode
P-Ram - (a.k.a. PRAM)	Pre-bend	Pre-delay
Preamp	Preamp Output	PrecedenceEffect
Pre Fade/Post Fade	Preference File	Premiere
Prepolarization	Presence	Preset
Pressure-gradient Microphone	Pressure Microphone	Pressure Wave
Presto	Primary Tones	Princess Ensemble
Print	Print-Through	Producer
Program	Program-dependent Compression	Program Change
Progression (Chord)	Progressive Hammer Action	Progressive Scan
Project-O-Sonic	Propagation	Proprietary
Protocol	Proximity Effect	PS/2
Psychoacoustics	PTP	Public Performance Right
Pull-off	Pull Down	Pulldown Menu
Pulse	Pulse Wave	Pumping
Punch	Punch Block	Punch In
Pure Tone	Pure Tone	Purfling
Purple Heart	Push-Pull	Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)

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