ROAD
TEST
Lauten Audio LS-208 & LS-308
Synergy Series Microphones
By Adam Gallant
U
p for a test this issue we have two condenser microphones
from Lauten Audio. Best known for their high-end, large-
diaphragm condensers, Lauten introduced this latest series
of mics in the fall of last year with the LS-208, followed by
the LS-308. Both mics are rugged and designed for a long
life on the road or to take a daily beating in music and broadcast studios. Their
predominant quality is isolation with great off-axis rejection, making them a
unique addition to most microphone collections.
LS-208
The LS-208 has quickly become a great replacement for my SM7 for track-
ing live vocals. It does an equally great job of isolating the voice from
acoustic guitars as well as all other types of instrument bleed. It also has a
similar heft in its weight and construction to the SM7. Much like dynamic
microphones, both of these Synergy Series offerings have really impressive
SPL handling and are right at home on a loud guitar amp, snare drum,
toms, and any other loud, close sources, all without the need of a pad. They
also don’t tend to need as much gain from my preamps to get a healthy
level – another plus that had me choosing the 208 over the Shure staple.
The LS-208 is supplied with a very trustworthy shockmount as well as
a hard mount, foam windscreen, and really well-built road case. On voice,
the LS-208 has notable off-axis rejection and clear mids. The frequency
response curve shows a boost around 6K that flatters the human voice
and doesn’t have any brittle or too-airy high frequency. On acoustic guitar,
it behaves almost like a 57 – no harsh top end and very directional.
LS-308
Again, another great microphone for isolating sounds in a live recording
environment or recording anything in a noisy space. The LS-308 boasts 270
degrees of off-axis rejection and rear rejection that attenuates sound by
up to 25dB. This mic has a unique look with its spaced, dual-capsules that
I suspect play a role in its rejection of bleed from unwanted sources. The
LS-308 also arrived with an extremely tough road case and pop filter, and it
has a built-on microphone mount with strong threads and trusty fasteners.
Much like the LS-208, it is heavy and built to last.
In Use
I was initially skeptical as to how much isolation I would be able to notice.
Luckily, these mics landed in our studio at a time when we had a live-
off-the-floor session booked with much-loved East Coats songsmith Al
Tuck. During this session, the LS-208 was used on voice and the LS-308
was close up on a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. The amount of isolation was
unlike anything I have ever encountered with a condenser microphone.
The guitar amp was a mere 3 ft. from a drum kit behind a small baffle and
the bleed was manageable to the extent where we could successfully
punch in sections of just the guitar without feeling like we were missing
the drum bleed. Also, during this session, the LS-208 handled a broad
range of volumes with ease and represented the full frequency spectrum
without any honkyness or harshness. It also doesn’t seem to suffer from
the proximity effect as drastically as I find with dynamic mics on vocals.
Similar to the LS-208, the LS-308 can handle sound pressure levels upward
20 C A N A D I A N M U S I C I A N
of 135dB without a pad and has the same gain-friendly output volume
and sturdy design.
The LS-208 and LS-308 share another unique feature: a switchable
low-pass filter. The filter attenuates at either 8 or 10 kHz at what feels to
be an 8dB-per-octave slope. I used both microphones on toms and was
surprised at how much cymbal bleed they rejected with and without the
low pass filters engaged. Also, these mics have a very usable high pass
filter, switchable from 120 to 50 Hz. I feel this capsule design could be
form-fitted to a side address mount and they would quickly become my
go-to tom microphones, replacing the ubiquitous MD 421.
Summary
The LS-208 and LS-308 mics are touted as having dynamic mic handling
with a high-end condenser sound and I believe that sums them up per-
fectly. At a time when we find many manufacturers emulating classic
high-end microphones, it’s great to have companies like Lauten Audio
designing unique features that defy conventions.
Adam Gallant has worked in all facets of digital audio production, from music
composition to location and post audio for television and film. He currently
owns and operates The Hill Sound Studio in Charlottetown, PE.