Tritonaudio FetHead - Studio Preamplifier

Product Information

Instead, we are left with a glut of entry-level to mid-market audio interfaces, mixers, and mic preamps that offer 50 to 60 dB of gain at best. People who use high-output condenser mics will neither notice nor squirm at this development as these microphones have sufficient gain to produce clean recordings, assuming phantom power is available.

Then again, if making wise financial decisions was my forte, I probably wouldn’t be a musician in the first place. Cloudlifter is a great choice to achieve the 25dB of powerful and clean gain in the recording. This is because it can transform the phantom power into transparent and clean gain, and works well with noisy preamps and long cable connections. Although the Cloudlifter CL-1 is a great product, there are other options to consider. Whether you’re looking for a solution at a lower price point, require more gain than a Cloudlifter provides or you need some additional features, hopefully this roundup has given you some ideas and helped you to decide which one is best for your needs.

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It has been integrated with the FET technology that is responsible for amplifying analog and digital signals. Having said that, it will be able to yield clean signals with improved sensitivity, low noise, and better transient response. Offering a massive +28db gain boost, it’s also the winner in terms of the raw gain it provides. You’d just need to make sure it wasn’t too ‘hot’ of a signal for the mic and mixer/audio interface combo you’re looking to pair it with. The last thing you want is to have to move too far away from the mic to avoid clipping as your audio quality will suffer as a result. In most cases though, this shouldn’t be an issue but it’s worth keeping in mind when researching your options. I had this microphone for years, and it served me well. I didn’t record much in the past, so I was okay with boosting the volume afterwards. However, as I started my Youtube channel and used the microphone more, the gain started to get annoying. If you’re in the market for a mic activator that gives a clean gain boost, you’ll likely read plenty about the FetHead vs Cloudlifter debate. In this article, we’ll cover the pros and cons of these devices. In the end, you’ll have a much better idea of which inline mic preamp will best suit your needs! Performance-wise, it can add up to 27 dB of clean gain to low-impedance signals. FET-based designs have a reputation for sounding remarkably clean. The FetHead too has no issues with noise, assuming that the signal has clean gain at the primary level from the preamp.

For live broadcasters, the compact design of this mic activator can make all the difference. By providing a clean boost without complicating it, FetHead allows you to keep things simple while still achieving the most accurate audio possible.As far as the power consumption is concerned, it consumes 24V to 28V phantom power and has a shielded design to ensure a top-notch build. FetHead is available in three different versions, including the regular version, phantom version, and filter version. TritonAudio products are made in Holland, and FetHead is advertised as a low noise gain booster or mic preamp with extra 27dB amplification.

It can be used for recording in rooms with harder surfaces and higher ceilings (such rooms have challenged acoustics). The DM-1 is made with grade high quality components and FETs which results in very low noise. The gain is clean and neutral which is exactly what you want from a mic activator. FetHead arrived in a small cardboard tube, hidden in a pouch inside. It was much smaller than expected, which was fantastic as I was worried it wouldn’t fit at the end of my SM7B, sitting on the arm. I’ve spent a fat minute researching the inline preamps recently to find the best mic booster for my podcasting setup. I settled for the Cloudlifter CL-Z even though I would have done fine with a FetHead. FetHead Phantom is specially designed for condenser microphones. It works very well with all condenser microphones.FetHead Phantom is also an indispensable toolfor mobile recording and a real upgrade for camera microphone preamps, because it lowers the noise floor.If you wanted to spend a bit more and get something new, I’d recommend the Golden Age Project Pre-73 MKIII Microphone Preamp. With +80db of gain, it’s enough to power even the least sensitive of microphones and the warm sound it produces will give you great sounding audio. Conclusion Before we look further into these alternatives though, let’s take a look at the Cloudlifter in a bit more detail. There are multiple models in the range but we’ll be looking at the original single channel CL-1 as all the alternatives we’ll cover are also single channel. Weighing just over half a pound (.25 kg) and designed to attach right to your microphone, the FetHead’s compact design makes it versatile. This lightweight construction does not sacrifice power or durability.

One thing to remember is that these gain boosters need phantom power, just like condenser microphones. Even though your SM7B doesn’t need extra power, you need your phantom power when you connect it to FetHead. Mic level on the other hand is generally a much weaker signal and as most microphones output at mic level, amplification is required. As mentioned earlier, dynamic microphones like the Shure SM57 tend to require more of a boost than condenser mics. This is because the diaphragm of a dynamic mic needs more sound volume to move and because it’s that movement which produces the electrical signal, the small amount of movement that you get with a dynamic mic means that a weaker signal is generated.As of writing, the FetHead is significantly cheaper than the CL-1. The lower price point doesn’t mean the device is any less rugged, however, as the metal shielded enclosure is sturdy and of a premium build quality. Testing the Two This is because it can enhance the sound quality of the recordings and want to fix the poor acoustics of the room and has a higher audio gain. For a low cost option, it’s probably no surprise that I’d recommend trying to find a used Alice Mic-Pak. It will provide even more gain than an inline version and is likely to cost you less. You lose the portability and convenience but do end up with a piece of equipment which was once widely used in the professional broadcasting industry. Mic activators though need to be used with the existing preamps of a mixer or audio interface and they simply boost the gain of the mic which avoids having to crank up the mixer/audio preamps to a level which could introduce a lot of noise.