Miniature condenser microphones - such as lavalier (tie-clip) mics, hanging mics or small clip-on instrument mics - are designed to be as small as possible at the microphone-end, so that they can be used for their intended applications. Due to their small size, it is not possible to fit all of the electronics inside the microphone and instead these electronics must be housed outside of the microphone body before it can be used to pick up audio.

These electronics are provided in the form of Power Modules, which convert the Phantom Power through a normal XLR socket into a usable bias voltage for the FET impedance matching circuit inside the microphone, as well as to process the signal into a usable balanced audio signal.

The Power Module is a necessary component to ensure the microphone works correctly. These microphones cannot be wired directly to a standard 3-pin XLR and connected into a mixer without the use of a power module, as this could cause severe damage to the microphone's circuit.

A wireless belt-pack transmitter that provides a minimum of 5V bias voltage may be compatible as a suitable replacement for some microphones - compatible microphones are usually offered 'unterminated' and without a power module if it is suitable for this purpose.

If you would like to check the compatibility of your microphone with a wireless belt-pack transmitter or have any questions relating to this topic, we welcome you to contact us.