Recording - May 2011 - 50

B Y PA U L V N U K J R .

Lauten Clarion FC-357 Microphone
A powerful solid-state contender shines on many sources
In August of 2007 we introduced you to Lauten Audio’s microphones with the launch of the Horizon largediaphragm tube mic, then in October of 2009 it was the small-diaphragm tube-based Torch, and now the story continues with Lauten’s first solid-state/FET offering, the FC-357 or Clarion for short. So far we have found Lauten mics to be sonically and visually unique, and they are beyond-Tonka tough. The Clarion is a largediaphragm FET-based condenser microphone with a choice of cardioid, figure-8, and omni polar patterns. It features not only a 10 dB pad, but a 10 dB boost as well. This allows the mic to capture very quiet sources with very low self-noise, which in turn allows you to place more distance between the mic and the source while your preamps can stay out of the way by not working so hard. Physical and specs Like its predecessors, the Clarion is solidly built with a thick metal body, and should you drop it I would be more concerned with your floor than the mic. The body is 8" from stem to stern and it is 21/2" in diameter. The thick mesh grille houses a customdesigned 28.25 mm dual-diaphragm capsule, and the mic features a custom-wound transformer. It comes in a custom aluminum flight case with a wooden box, shock mount and foam windscreen. The Clarion has a stated 25 Hz–20 kHz frequency response, a 120 dB dynamic range, a 130 dB maximum SPL, a selfnoise level under 15 dBA, and a Sensitivity of 16 mV/Pa OR 36±2 dB (0 dB=1V/Pa at 1000 Hz). Looking at the frequency graphs, in each instance you will see a slightly enhanced low end that then slopes slightly and evenly downward all the way to a slight high-end peak around 10 kHz which then rolls off. In figure-8 mode the mic loses its presence peak. Instrument tracking sessions My session results tracked these plots quite accurately. I found this to be a very smoothsounding mic with nicely soft highs and a subtle touch of warmth. Its low end has a sub-sonic thickness as well, and as such the Clarion has a very vintage, almost tubelike sound, but it is still a nice clear tone. My first Clarion experience was on a Yamaha Baby grand piano for a solo classical session. I used it as the center mic with a pair of Telefunken AR-51s in stereo and it was absolutely gorgeous. It filled in the low end beautifully and added a nice weight to the AR-51’s air and depth. Next came a few acoustic guitar sessions which ran the range from a bright Taylor to warm Martin to a cheap jangly composite 12-string, and in each instance it excelled. Thanks to its full bottom end, the Clarion is a wonderful front-of-kick mic,

and it works equally well on low-end sources like djembe and bass cabinet. It also works well on drum overhead (I only had one) to tame trashy cymbals and is a great choice to tame tambourines and the like. The vocal quandary Vocally speaking, I am up in the air with respect to the Clarion. On the male folk vocal sessions I was tracking, it just did not cut through the mix enough for my taste. On spoken word and dialog, however, it is one of those instant “radio” voice mics, and the +10 dB switch is a real bonus here. I often encounter quiet speaking voices and with the Clarion’s 10 dB boost engaged I did not have to add noise from cranking my pre amp. I very much agree with my colleague Paul J. Stamler here, that sometimes a mic marries to the right voice and leaves you in awe. As powerful an instrument mic as the Clarion is, I’m betting that it needs just the right voice to knock your socks off. Conclusion The Clarion continues Lauten’s tradition of unique and awesome sounding microphones. It fills a nice sonic void in my mic locker and it is possibly my favorite Lauten of the bunch... which says a lot, as experienced readers will remember that I couldn’t bring myself to let go of either the Horizon or the pair of Torches. Just for what it does for acoustic guitar, dialog and kick drum alone, this mic is worth auditioning. Plus, if you do any piano recording of any kind, then you need to hear this mic! Another solid and unique winner from Lauten Audio! Price: $799 More from: Lauten Audio, www.lautenaudio.com; distributed in USA and Canada by Audio Plus Services, www.audioplusservices.com.

Frequency responses for the Clarion’s polar patterns (Figure-8, Omni, Cardioid), courtesy Lauten Audio.
50
RECORDING MAY 2011
http://www.lautenaudio.com http://www.audioplusservices.com
Recording - May 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - May 2011
