XLR cable

Yes.

The capability of your appliances phantom power supply will effect the limits as well. I agree with Butch and will add that 50' powered cabled runs are routine day in day out stuff for my work.

I have a concern about phantom power specs... many devices do not provide adequate phantom power current capability. IMO, disciplined sound techs will endeavor to learn the power specs of the various phantom power supplies that they work with so that they can augment the supply if required.

In any event 1 mic on a 50 foot cable is no problem on just about any modern gear, but 8 phantom powered mics on a 8 in sound card can be a big problem on modern gear... check your specs for max current draw at 48vDC... if your gear doesn't have that spec... call the service dept and find out what that spec is... then compare it to the needs of your mic(s)

all the best,
mike

oh, meters... I missed that part.

Well, I can report that I have a pair of 120' cables made of star quad that I use with phantom powered mics... and they work well.

best regards,
mike

As an example; if the mic says Neumann on it's likely that the spec is 48vDC +/- 4vDC.

If the mic is transformerless it probably draws between 3-6ma.

44-52vDC is the range where Neumann feels you will enjoy the quality they designed into their circuit. If the voltage sags the current increases. A distortion sets in. You may never notice the slight degradation of sound... but you will also never know how good the sound could have been.

I only point this out to serve as an example of how every sound tech should endeavor to know the specs of both their microphones and their phantom power supplies.

Here's an example; My MOTU 896HDs will only power 2 to 4 of Neumanns inexpensive TLM103s at the spec Neumann publishes. MOTU on the other hand doesn't publish their power supply spec... you have to write and ask Magic Dave.

all the best,
mike

I routinely power condensers using standard mackie mixer preamps through cable lengths of over 300'.  The power should not be blocked unless there is another piece of equipment in the path.   You should be able to go over a thousand feet with no major problems.   

FWIW, my first Mackie 1604 was the unit that taught me that M.I. grade manufacturers will sell a 16 XLR input while advertising the phantom power feature... but they only provide enough current at 48vDC +/- 4vDC to power, IIRC, 5 Neumann transformerless microphones.

Another thing to note... when a inexpensive condenser mic manufacturer specs 12vDC thru 52vDC phantom power capable... they are usually not elaborating on the next obvious questions. Is that capability coming at the expense of headroom in the on board preamp circuit... or is it using a on board voltage regulator which wastes energy and exasperates the problem of insufficient supply for all the other mics.

Stuff to consider... if you care to consider it.

all the best,
mike

I have heard that a low impedence mic signal will go much further than 1000' on a balanced line, but I also think they were talking about dynamic mics.... the condensor mic might be a different story as far as the working distance, and yeah...ohms law for current, voltage and resistance do apply.

The variables are the resistance of the wire which varies with wire size, and the load the mic places on the voltage supply.

The voltage/current specs that come with any piece of equipment are basically "ideal range" voltages. To get the best operating specs, you should not exceed the envelope in either direction...however... in the real world, you can exceed the limits...I wouldn't want to go to much higher, but often, with most equipment, going lower, the mic will still work. It will not be functioning in it's optimal range and the distortion, and other issues that will arise, as Mike pointed out above will become more evident.