Moose,
Actually, battery powered condensor mikes are a relatively new thing. Those
of us that were fortunate to have worked with older large diaphragm
condensors will remember the large boxes and heavy cords that were required.
These mikes (I used a Newmannin the sixties, and yes, we were still using
mono) were, as our friends across the pond say, mains powered. The box had a
cannon connector on the output end, and on the other, a larger connector for
the cable to the mike. If memory serves, a quite high voltage was sent from
the power supply. All the great recordings from the fifties and sixties used
at least some of these.
Later, I was able to use some phantom powered Newmanns that were quite good,
as well.
Battery powered mikes were the result of semiconductor advances, that
allowed lower PS voltages. I think the earliest ones were FET, but there is
probably someone more electronically aware that can explain this.
The irony of all of this for me is that of all the older recordings that are
valued by the audiophiles [I was once one, but age is working against me],
all were made with equipment that would never stand up to their standards in
their homes. Cables, for example, were made of wire then, just plain wire
with just plain insulation. Condensor mikes were powered with relatively
ordinary power supplies. Tape was pretty primative then, as were the
machines that used it. No trick parts in the mixers, just plain stuff from
the parts house, pretty much the same as those inside your Zenith TV.
Bill Pearce
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