Tritonaudio FetHead - Studio Preamplifier

Product Information

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 Cloudlifter 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 Regardless of what type of microphone you’re working with, a Cloudlifter can be added at any point in your setup to help cut down on noise while raising your noise floor. FetHead vs Cloudlifter: A Side-by-Side Comparison

It has the capacity of reducing the impedance load on the mic, resulting in improved transient response and the range will be extensible. Now, with the FetHeads, I pre-amplify my mic, and I need just a slight gain from Scarlett, so the noise is gone! The sound is exactly the same as without the FetHead, just louder. I hear no distortion or noise. I'm using Lewitt small diaphragm mics that are especially noiseless, but I hope the others would behave the same. Yes you could pay double for a cloudlifter, but for me the none intrusive style of the Fethead did it for me. You could use an outboard preamp instead of a mic activator but unless you can find a used bargain, it’s likely that a mic activator will be more cost effective (and are more portable). When you think mic activators, two names spring to mind. The TritonAudio FetHead and Cloud Microphones Cloudlifter series are by far the most popular products on the market, yet they are worlds apart in both price and design. How did these two products come to be the go-to for anyone looking to boost the mic level, and why do some people pay more for the Cloudlifter?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: The preamps of yore, that’s the 60s and 70s to be precise, were built to dish out 70 to 80 dB of gain boost without flinching. Fast forward to 2021 and the abundance of high-output capacitor mics has eliminated the demand for them. The Durham MKII has a small footprint and is a more affordable alternative to CL-1. If 20 dB is enough gain for your needs, it has an excellent value-to-cost ratio and high-quality gain to offer.

In case you have mismatched equipment, you can squeeze out the volts of the computer by utilizing the phantom power of the interface with the help of a 48V button on the front side.When you add a mic activator or outboard preamp into the mix though, you can get a lot more clean gain meaning that the preamp on your interface can be turned down to a really low level, getting rid of a lot of the noise as a result. The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 will power the SM57 but the gain needs turning up close to max. By using an external preamp in combination with it, you can get much more clean gain. Do you Need a Preamp for the Shure SM57?

We noticed an improvement on all tested microphones. A Shure SM57 for instance, sounds more responsive over a broader frequency range. When mated with a high-end dynamic microphone like a Sennheiser MD441, or Shure SM7 our FetHead really shines.It’s worth noting here that the 48v phantom power will come from an existing preamp. This can be confusing – if you already have a preamp which is able to provide the phantom power for an activator to work, why would you need an activator in the first place. Keep reading, all will be revealed! What is an outboard microphone preamp? 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. As we’ve already covered, all microphones need a amplification from a preamp to bring them up to the correct level. We’ve also established that some mics output a stronger signal and that dynamic mics generally need more amplification than condenser mics. FetHead offers a strong signal without the needing to crank your preamp. In your search for solutions to passive ribbon or dynamic mics, you’ll likely come across many articles recommending preamps. These are honorable mentions, however, they are often too expensive for many newcomers to the music industry.

When compared to other preamplifiers with a similar cost, FetHead is noted for its low noise, crisp, and clear end result. The preamp has four JFETs, which improves the input impedance and will make the preamp equally suitable for small rooms. In addition, these are low-power components and consume less space in the circuit.

The Triton Audio FetHead is a stylish in-line microphone preamplifier that delivers powerful results at an entry-level price point. Many popular brands of microphones, both dynamic and ribbon, can benefit from attaching a FetHead. Even studio-ready mics such as the Shure SM7 can benefit when paired with this clever device. When the phantom power is toggled on, the Cloudlifter will transform the phantom power into 25dB of gain without adding any disruptive or cranking sound. There is some argument about what these devices actually are. They serve some of the same functions as a preamp, but many refer to them as mic activators. Either way, they add much-needed gain for artists with low output mics searching for slightly higher loudness.