Go Back   Cockos Incorporated Forums > REAPER Forums > REAPER General Discussion Forum

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 02-21-2019, 10:25 AM   #1
toleolu
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 2,423
Default Connecting acoustic guitar with phantom power on

Just want to confirm that my research online is correct.

I'm going to play around with recording my Taylor acoustic on two channels, one direct connect from the guitar and the other through a mic. The mic requires phantom power and from what I've read online, connecting the Taylor to the interface with the phantom power on won't blow anything up in the guitar. Is this correct?

Thanks
toleolu is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2019, 12:17 PM   #2
Fergler
Human being with feelings
 
Fergler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 5,207
Default

I've never had a problem with it
Fergler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2019, 12:23 PM   #3
SonicAxiom
Human being with feelings
 
SonicAxiom's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Germany
Posts: 3,015
Default

I'm not aware of a device that will output phantom power via its jack connectors, only via the XLRs. So as long as you don't use a jack-to-XLR adapter to connect your guitar's direct signal to the XLR mic input of the interface, you will be safe. Also, does your interface offer the option to engage phantom power for each of its 2 mic inputs separately? You may only turn phantom power on on the mic's channel.

If you plug a DI box between the guitar and the interface, you would use an unbalanced jack cable to connect the guitar to the DI box and then a balanced XLR mic cable to connect the DI box to the mic input of your interface. In this case, phantom power would be output towards the DI box but would not reach the guitar as it would be eliminated by the DI box.

.
__________________
Check out AVConvert (free, super-fast media file manipulation via the right-click context-menu in Windows Explorer) and my free VST plugins.
My Reaper tutorials and studio related videos on youtube.
SonicAxiom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2019, 12:41 PM   #4
ashcat_lt
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 7,272
Default

I mean, unless it's got an XLR connector. Some guitars are doing that. They're probably protected, though. A TRS>XLR cable probably won't even work because the guitar won't turn on. A TS>XLR cable might short one leg of the phantom, but there's not a lot of current flowing there, so it shouldn't hurt anybody.
ashcat_lt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2019, 12:56 PM   #5
DVDdoug
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Silicon Valley, CA
Posts: 2,779
Default

You didn't say what interface you are using but a "guitar" or "instrument" input won't have phantom power so as long as you have the right connection you'll be fine.

You also didn't tell us anything about your guitar. A piezo pickup wouldn't be damaged by phantom power. But, I assume the guitar as active electronics.

Quote:
from what I've read online, connecting the Taylor to the interface with the phantom power on won't blow anything up in the guitar. Is this correct?
Taylor probably wouldn't guarantee that.

...This is one of those situations where the odds of something bad happening are low but the cost of something bad happening is high.
DVDdoug is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2019, 03:59 PM   #6
toleolu
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 2,423
Default

Thanks everyone, that pretty much goes along with everything I read. I just always like to check the stuff I read online with you guys, just to be sure.

My Taylor has the ESS2 sound system in it. I sent it back to the factory last year and had them upgrade the old ESS system that was originally in the guitar. Have to be honest, not a big fan, just never have been real happy with the tone. The guitar itself sounds great, just seems like that ESS2 is kind of hard to dial in.

Plugged in it with the phantom power on for the mic, no smoke, no flames, everything still works.

Turns out I prefer the sound I get from the dynamic mic over the condenser mic, so I guess in the end, the point was moot.

My interface is a Presonus FireStudio.

Last edited by toleolu; 02-21-2019 at 04:01 PM. Reason: Forgot to mention interface
toleolu is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2019, 06:15 PM   #7
karbomusic
Human being with feelings
 
karbomusic's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 29,260
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by toleolu View Post
My Taylor has the ESS2 sound system in it. I sent it back to the factory last year and had them upgrade the old ESS system that was originally in the guitar. Have to be honest, not a big fan, just never have been real happy with the tone. The guitar itself sounds great, just seems like that ESS2 is kind of hard to dial in.
I love mine, it's one of the best plugged in acoustic sounds I've ever had... But that's live, what it's really made for. I'd never really choose it for studio recording unless I wanted that plugged in acoustic guitar sound, otherwise, I'd just mic it - so either specific creative use or last resort.

That doesn't mean it can't be used that way, but it's Taylor, give it the mic love it deserves.
__________________
Music is what feelings sound like.
karbomusic is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2019, 07:24 PM   #8
toleolu
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 2,423
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by karbomusic View Post
I love mine, it's one of the best plugged in acoustic sounds I've ever had...
Do you mind me asking how you set the controls on your amp and the guitar?

To me, it seems a bit bright, and when I try to roll that off a bit, it seems it gets muddy pretty quick, just can't seem to find a happy middle ground.

Love the guitar, really like the tone I got micing it, problem with micing it though is the acoustics in the man cave sucks.
toleolu is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2019, 07:47 PM   #9
karbomusic
Human being with feelings
 
karbomusic's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 29,260
Default

Mine just has Bass/Treble/Volume but it's also always through a PA aka full range monitors, not a guitar amp if that's helpful. I think I often have bass/treble around 3 o'clock which is effectively a little bit of a mid cut.
__________________
Music is what feelings sound like.
karbomusic is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 11:26 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.