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Illustration: Liz Xiong
It might sound a bit mysterious at first, but phantom power is just a tool for activating certain audio hardware so you can make music.
You’ll usually hear the term when people are talking about microphones and other devices that transport or convert audio signals, but also need a power source in order to work properly.
In this article, let’s break down what phantom power is, how it works, and when and why you might need to use it.
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What is phantom power?
Phantom power is a direct current (DC)—a continuous flow of electricity in a single direction—that’s used to power a range of electronics. Because it’s supplied along the same cables being used to transmit audio signals, you don’t have to worry about getting that power from somewhere else; this is where the term “phantom” comes from.
While the concept was first applied to the copper wiring of telephone landlines in the early 1900s, it would later eliminate the need for bulky power supplies when working with various microphones in the 1960s and beyond, as tape recorder preamps and mixing boards would act as the power source as well as the receiver for recorded signals.
These days, a mixer or audio interface will often supply phantom power, and the electricity passes through pins 2 and 3 of a balanced XLR cable. A lot of audio interfaces used for home and studio recording will have a button that you can press marked “+48V” or “P48”—this signifies your phantom power option, since 48 volts is the maximum amount needed.
When and why you need it
Some devices won’t function at all without phantom power, whereas others need to avoid its accidental use as much as possible. User manuals will always be your friend here, but below we break down some FAQs and popular themes when it comes to when and why you need phantom power.
Do condenser mics need phantom power?
The most common situation where phantom power comes into play is when recording audio with condenser microphones. These mics need it because their active electronic circuits require an electric charge in order to properly measure (and sometimes amplify) audio signals before they leave the device.
Do dynamic mics need phantom power?
On the other hand, dynamic microphones don’t need any phantom power because their simpler design has no “active” circuitry that requires an electric charge. While activating it won’t mess with a modern dynamic microphone, as it basically ignores the voltage coming through, you may want to be more careful when handling older, more delicate mics (like vintage ribbon mics) that can potentially be damaged by its presence. Very spooky indeed!
For a deeper look, you can learn more about different microphone types and how they work below:
Does a guitar need phantom power?
Last but not least, you don’t need phantom power to record an electric guitar via your audio interface. That said, if you’re miking your amp or an acoustic instrument with a condenser microphone, then you’ll need it for the reasons we mentioned above.
Some ‘DI’ or direct boxes will also require it in order to properly amplify and balance your outgoing signals (similar to a microphone), especially over longer distances.
Conclusion
And there you have it! Hopefully this article helped you understand what phantom power is, and when and why it’s used.
Do you have any questions about what we’ve covered above? What other topics in audio technology and music production would you like to see us explore next? Start a conversation with us and an ever-growing community of music creators via the Splice Discord.
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September 4, 2025
