Recording - July 2019 - 36

REVIEW

Lauten Audio LS-308
This hammer-shaped mic offers high SPL
handling and impressive off-axis rejection
REVIEW BY PAUL VNUK JR.

I

n our March 2019 issue, we introduced readers to the first microphone in Lauten Audio's Synergy
Series: The LS-208, a front-address
cardioid condenser mic designed
for use on vocals and instruments.
The LS-208 is a mic that loves to be
used up close and personal, inches from a source. While it's well
suited for broadcast and dialog
applications, I also found it a great
choice for kick drum, snare, and
guitar cabinet.
The new LS-308 shares many
attributes with the LS-208 in
looks, styling, and tone-shaping
options. In addition to getting
up close and personal, the LS308 likes it loud, and it likes to
ignore everything around it.

Looks like a hammer

The LS-308 is literally shaped like a
hammer. Its body tube is 41/2" tall with
a 15/8" diameter. Perched on top is a
bulbous dual-mesh head basket assembly
that measures 31/2" long with a 17/8"
diameter. The body is finished in matte
black with the standard red Lauten enamel
family crest. On the bottom is a threaded XLR adaptor for use with the included
hard mic mount, or attached to the side of
the mic body is a retro-styled, detachable
swing-arm mount with 135º of movement.
The LS-308 comes in a kit with the
hard mount and a foam windscreen in
a compact aluminum case.

270 degrees of rejection

The LS-208 is a side-address condenser microphone with a 1" dualdiaphragm, center terminated capsule.
36 RECORDING July 2019

The two capsule halves are separated
by a 15/8" air gap. This air gap is a key
part of the LS-308's second-order cardioid pickup pattern. Much more hypercardioid than cardioid, it offers 270º of
side and rear frequency rejection.
This tight off-axis rejection makes it a
great choice for tracking musicians playing
together both live and in the studio. This
mic is a bleed-buster of the highest order.
The off-axis rejection, while super-tight, is
still very natural. The sound on the side of
the mic is tonally similar to the sound on the
front or the mic, just much quieter-about
25dB lower level, and in the distance.

Loud and proud

The LS-308 has a total dynamic range
and max SPL of 135dB without any electronic/inline pads. This makes it a great
choice on even the loudest sources. On the
flip side, its self-noise is low enough that it
will have no issues on quiet sources as well.
In addition to its tight polar pattern, it has
a nice proximity effect that can help add a
touch of fullness to quiet sources.

Cuts and filters

Just like the LS-208, the LS-308 has a
pair of 3-position/2-stage filter switches.
The highpass/lowcut filter offers cuts at
50 Hz or 120 Hz, while the lowpass/highcut filter offers cuts at 8 kHz or 10 kHz.
These are useful for controlling low-end

buildup and high-end harshness, respectively. As with my LS-208 review, both are
well implemented and natural-sounding,
and they never sound overdone.

Full and even

Whereas the LS-208 has a a gentle, yet
treble-forward modern condenser sound,
the LS-308 has a much more classic, mellow condenser tone in comparison. The
LS-308 is generally neutral across the frequency spectrum. Its high end is subdued,
and is gently shelved rather than rolled off.
Its mid range is broad and solid, with a
mild 1-2dB rise from 500Hz up to 4.5kHz.
Its low-mid range does the opposite and
scoops about 1dB from 500Hz down to
60Hz, where there is a nice bump that
gives the mic a controlled low end weight.
Recording - July 2019

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