Tritonaudio FetHead - Studio Preamplifier

Product Information

This FetHead is designed specifically for use with condenser microphones that have an XLR input. You'll find it particularly useful when it comes to mobile recording and as an upgrade on your camera microphone preamp as it helps to lower the noise floor. This preamp is designed to pass on its power from its input to the microphone so they can both we powered from a single source. Specifications However, if you have a USB mic, you will need an interface or a mixer for generating the phantom power, which increases the setup costs. When connected to the right mic, it will result in low-noise outcomes. Outboard preamps are simply standalone preamps. Unlike a mic activator, they’re not inline and don’t make use of phantom power from an existing preamp.

Germanium transistors were widely used in earliest transistor designs by Neve, EMI, Telefunken,and Fairchild,and have developed a reputation for a decidedly vintage mojo that remains sought after today. Your Fethead Germanium will latch straight onto any XLR equipped microphone, or anywhere else in the signal path between microphone and preamp/mixer.The electronics are housed in a robust metal chassis with a balanced female XLR input and a balanced male XLR output, rugged enough for use at home, in the studio or on tour. FetHead has to be connected with the ribbon or dynamic mic because they create phantom power, which is critical for FetHead to function. One of the biggest fears of using a plug-and-play solution for passive ribbon and dynamic mics is getting enough additional gain. Despite its small size and ability to attach directly to your microphone, FetHead’s ability to increase the loudness of any sound input, whether for music or videos, should not be underestimated. Specs Although keep in mind that you can't plug it into the interface, you have to plug it into the microphone directly, otherwise you'll have a lot of noise. Not sure if it's a FetHead thing or a Scarlett thing.The direct-to-mic design might bother content creators who find it visually unappealing for close up videos. That being said, it’s hardly an eyesore and smaller than you might expect. The construction is all metal and the XLR connectors are gold plated for the most reliable signal connection. Here are the specs: It has the capacity of yielding 27dB sound amplification and has two single-ended amp technology that streamlines the asymmetrical transmission and transfer function. In addition, it ensures that there is no sound canceling. This has been our head to head for the two most popular products in the mic activation market. As you can tell, there are pros and cons to both devices. If you can handle a little extra noise in your recordings then the FetHead is the obvious choice, with its ultra-transparent high gain signal boost. If you are less concerned about coloration and are looking for a product that can prescribe gain based on what your mic needs, then the CL-1 is the activator for you.

McBoost provides 26 dB of ‘variable clean gain’, which means it has a rotary knob on the front panel to set the level of gain between 100%, 50%, or variable. The circuit and electrical isolation ensure that it does not add any noise or tone color i.e. transparent operation. I would recommend it to anyone who is in that situation with not enough gain to drive the mic, or just barely enough but getting lots of preamp noise. Cloudlifter alternatives include the Triton Audio FetHead, the Cathedral Pipes Durham, the Radial McBoost and the sE Electronics Dynamite DM-1. All are inline mic activators which provide a similar amount of gain for low sensitivity dynamic and ribbon microphones. This lightweight, portable, and easy-to-use activator adds gain without distorting the audio. If you have a low output ribbon or dynamic mic and an eye for simplistic, no-frills gear, FetHead should meet your needs and more. Cloud Microphones CloudlifterOn the test bench Hugh measured the DM1's gain at 29dB — which is slightly more than the specified 28dB — and unlike many similar 'cascade' gain devices, the Dynamite's gain remained consistent regardless of the destination's load impedance. The maximum input level is around -18.5dBu, delivering +10.5dBu at the output (with 0.5 percent THD). Hugh's measurements suggest that sE's quoted frequency response of flat (within 0.3dB) from 10Hz to 120kHz is a credible claim — he found that the frequency response was ruler flat from just under 12Hz (with a gentle 6dB/octave roll-off below that) right up to the limit (and beyond) of the test system at 80kHz. The DM1 introduced a very small amount of additional phase shift at the frequency extremes, but only a few degrees, which is insignificant. The unit is designed to provide a completely transparent boost meaning that it won’t change the sound of your mic in any way. Here is the full spec: FetHead is an ultra-low noise, high quality, in-line microphone preamplifier. It provides improved sound for ribbon and dynamic microphones. Small, compact, but, powerful, Fethead utilizes tried and true FET technology to deliver up to 27dB of clean boost. No more cranking your mic preamp and adding unwanted noise to get your microphone to an acceptable volume.Boost your microphone! When testing various microphones with the FetHead, TritonAudio noticed a significant improvement on every source. When paired with a readily available 57 you'll hear an increase in response and a broader frequency range. However, the FetHead really shines when matched with microphones such as MD441s and Shure SM7Bs. When it comes to boosters, the one that I always recommended for people was, of course, CL1 Cloudlifter. Which is a classic.