Recording - October 2009 - 23

How do they sound? your-face-fidelity of the Neumann, The first adjective that comes to but it was (again using the previous mind is ‘sweet’, and I do not mean that adjective) sweeter. It has a warmth in teenage slang terms. The Torch’s and a pillowy low end that I have not sonic imprint is smooth and full with a heard in a small-diaphragm consoft sparkly high end. To illustrate this denser before, almost more felt than in practical terms I did some side-by- heard. side comparisons with two common Looking at the cardioid response studio workhorses, the Shure SM81 graph again helps explain the Torch’s Wrap up and the Neumann KM 84. sound: The 50 Hz bump gives the Torch Obviously, to say I enjoyed the set of Both the SM81 and the KM 84 are its unique low end that is boosted, but Torches is an understatement, and the flat, full-range pencil conmain reason is that they offer densers. Both mics have more Tech Specs a new and unique flavor that I of an extended high-frequenhave not heard in a smallFreq. Response 30 Hz–20 kHz cy response than the Torch, diaphragm condenser mic although neither micro- Dynamic Range 117 dB minimum before. If you spend any of phone’s low end is as extend- Impedance your time in the studio record< 200 ohms ed, and neither mic features Max. SPL ing acoustic instruments or 0.5%THD @1 kHz: 132 dB as much, if any, similar freneed a set of exquisite drum Self-noise level < 15 dBA quency tweaks on either end overheads, you need to hear 14mV/Pa OR -38±2dB (0dB=1V/Pa, 1 kHz) these mics. of the spectrum. I have used Sensitivity both those mics for years and each mic is great at capturing a full, ultra-realistic yet musical sound, especially the Neumann. Many readers will be familiar with the still great-sounding and much more affordable Shure, which Paul J. Stamler frequently uses as a benchmark in his mic tests not boomy, and the 10 kHz peak and In a sea of microphone imports and because it’s such a well-established and the cut above that gives an accented clones, Lauten continues to impress well-known mic among our readers. high-end minus the hiss and spit. with microphones that are unique and Comparing the three on acoustic The trend of the past decade has different, but still versatile enough to guitar, hi-hat, snare and violin, I found seen mics get brighter and brighter. not be “one-source ponies.” that the Torch made the SM81 seem Most have a presence peak around 12 mid-heavy, and while it was closer to k that levels off and extends out to 20 Price: $1499/pair the KM84 (especially the omni cap- k. The Torch starts peaking around sule), it was definitely the warmer of 8–10 k and then does the opposite by More from: Lauten Audio, the two, with a slightly scooped sound. dipping significantly around 12 k, and www.lautenaudio.com. Distributed Essentially it lacked the punch and even though it does still have a 20 k in the USA by Summit Audio, www.summitaudio.com. brightness of the SM81, and the in- range, it drops fast. RECORDING OCTOBER 2009 In use It took me some time to get used to the sound of the Torch compared to my usual standbys, but once I did I found it offered very pleasing results on many of the folk-based instruments that I spend a lot of time working with. It excelled on violin, acoustic guitar, and mandolin. I loved what it did on upright bass, where its low end was quite nice! As you might guess, the Torch also made an excellent pair of drum overheads in a classic 4-mic drum configuration, with a Lauten Horizon on the kick and a Shure SM57 on the snare. The sound was quite full and even with almost a vintage gloss. The song was in a 1960s pop/folk vein and so it really worked well in that instance. The Torch is also a nice choice for hihats where it captures the meat of the hats while taming the trashy bite. About the only sources where I did not find the Torch to my taste at all were electric guitar cabs, where it just doesn’t have the requisite mid-punch. I found acoustic guitar uses to be very instrument- and composition-specific; I loved the Torch on a solo, fingerpicked punchy Taylor, but found the KM84s a better choice for a poppy strummed Takamine where I need the highs to sing and cut through the mix better. 23
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Recording - October 2009

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