California-based, family-owned Lauten Audio takes the concept of specialty microphones to a whole new level with the introduction of its Snare Mic. This purpose-built microphone is explicitly designed for use on snare drums. Its compact 4.2” size and rugged construction is optimized to fit in small spaces, yet it delivers the impact, nuance and distinct sonic characteristics desired without the problems of conventional snare miking techniques.
Built around a hand-tuned 32mm condenser capsule, the Snare Mic’s wide 20Hz to 20kHz response and tight cardioid pattern easily picks up desired drum tone without a lot fussing around. A tightly controlled off-axis response keeps the snare sound clear and focused, minimizing the pickup of undesired sound from adjacent drums. Designed to replace a traditional (top/bottom) multi-mic setup, the Snare Mic’s natural three-dimensional sound response captures details from the snares and batter head reducing multi-mic phasing issues. Hear every nuance of a snare hit, from the initial stick impact to the drum head’s resonant decay.
For additional tone shaping, the Snare Mic’s switchable onboard high and low pass filters let engineers fine tune the snare sound without resorting to additional channel equalization. Unlike the typical low-cut on other mics, Lauten Audio has given some thought to the frequency points and how they tailor the sound. I like that the Lauten Audio manual provides a good starting point by telling you what each setting does and how mic position angle affects the sound.
Don’t let its compact size fool you, the Snare Mic is beefy. Built around a solid brass headframe, the mic incorporates a tough, wire mesh windscreen backed by a mildew-resistant dust filter that protects the Snare Mic from stick hits, dust and debris on stage or in the studio. The integral stand mount secures with a knurled ring to a threaded section on the rear of the mic permitting the mic to be rotated in the mount for easy access to the filter switches. A large lever arm is used to adjust the mount’s swivel. Similar to a lighting grip stand, pushing a small button at the base of the lever allows it to be positioned for maximum leverage. I found the mic easy to place and adjust even in a tight setup. Lauten Audio includes a 3/8” to 5/8” thread adapter but no drum mount clip. I prefer to minimize mic stands around a drum kit, so I used one of my existing drum clips and it held the heavier Snare Mic with no issues.
Let’s Make Some Noise
My sample arrived in an eco-friendly cardboard box with the mic nestled in a quality Cordera-neoprene carry bag. On the box lid was a QR code to register your mic along with a welcome note and e-mail address from Lauten Audio’s founder Brian Loudenslager. In today’s world of music mega-conglomerates, it was a nice personal touch.
Before taking it out on gigs, I wanted to see how the filters and placement affected the sound, so I spent an afternoon trying it out on a drummer friend’s snare collection. He brought a wood jazz snare, metal rock snare and a bright snappy piccolo snare. In each case, we achieved a good snare sound with minimal effort just by using mic’s filter switches. So, with my Snare Mic knowledge, I was ready for gig time.
The first gig was a jazz show with a very quiet drummer who played a lot with brushes and light sticks. Setting the Snare Mic’s filters in the flat position gave me a smooth, rich snare sound. Compared to a dynamic mic, the 32mm condenser capsule captured all the subtle nuances and detail of the brush work without sounding mushy.
From One Extreme to Another
The drummer for a local rock cover band plays his deep shell metal snare with a vengeance. It has a lot of in-your-face ring and overtone. Setting the LP filter at 12 kHz gave me the bite he wanted without excessive ringy overtones. I also positioned the mic a little steeper, taking advantage of the tight directional pattern, which gave me a solid low-end bottom. Even when the drummer pulled out the “rods” — beating that snare to an inch of its life — the Snare Mic did not flinch.
For my friend’s piccolo snare gig, we wanted his snare to pop in the mix without being overly bright, so I set the HP filter for 5kHz and positioned the mic at a much shallower angle to capture the stick crack and top head snap. Like other scenarios, using the Snare Mic’s filter switches and experimenting with the positioning gave me desired results with minimal console EQ.
All the World is Not a Snare
Yes, I know it is called the Snare Mic and the box predominantly states “Made for use on snare,” but l had to try it on other things. I work with a symphony orchestra that likes to step outside the classical box and do things like sending miked orchestral instruments through guitar effect stomp boxes. For this concert, they brought out a custom-made stringed tubular bell instrument. The artist wanted to capture a specific resonant point as he bowed the string and struck the bell with a small hammer. I tried the Snare Mic aimed at the resonant spot with the filters set at 140 Hz and 5 kHz. The narrow bandwidth setting captured the bell tone while minimizing pickup of nearby players. Perfecto!
It’s a Hit
After using it on a variety of snare drums and trying it on other things, I found myself reaching for the Lauten Snare Mic again and again to get the desired result with minimal effort. Its compact size makes it easy to position, while the robust construction can stand up to the punishment that drummers are known dish out. If I had a case of Snare Mics, I wouldn’t hesitate to put them on a host of other things. And I like supporting a small family business too. Check it out!
At a Glance:
Small and Mighty
Lauten Audio’s Snare Mic is compact in size, rugged in construction and has switchable onboard high and low pass filters that let engineers fine-tune the snare sound without resorting to additional channel equalization.
Lauten Audio Snare Mic
PROS
- Great snare sound with minimal effort
- Compact size
- Versatile filters
CONS
- A drum clip mount accessory would be nice
- Pricey
SPECS
- Type: End-address, pressure-gradient FET condenser
- Capsule: 32mm
- Polar Pattern: Cardioid
- Freq. Response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz
- Dynamic Range: 135 dB minimum
- SPL Handling: >135dB (0.5% THD@1kHz)
- Impedance: >150 ohms
- Sensitivity: -51dBV/Pa (0dB=1V/Pa 1kHz)
- Connector: 3-pin XLR-M
- Power: 48 VDC (Phantom Power)
- Dimensions: 4.4” x 2.79” (with mount)
- Weight: 14.36 oz (with mount)
- Price: $398/street
MANUFACTURER: Lauten Audio
CONTACT: www.lautenaudio.com
