When plugging a condenser mic into a camera at CRAS, what device is responsible for phantom power?

• A. The camera
• B. A separate phantom supply
• C. The microphone
• D. The Zeus frame

Answer: (A)

Phantom power is the 48-volt DC supply sent through the XLR cable to power condenser microphones. In many camera setups used at CRAS, the camera body provides that phantom power through its mic input, so the camera is the source of power for the mic. The microphone doesn’t generate its own power; it relies on the supply from the device it’s plugged into. A separate phantom power supply would only be used if the camera didn’t provide phantom power or if you needed a different power configuration, but in this setup the camera handles it. The Zeus frame isn’t providing phantom power here.