FINALLY someone who actually shows concrete evidence o the impact the device makes. Everyone always just talks not shows. Thank you, you are brilliant.
Just discovered your channel today, and I've already enjoyed a good number of your videos - but this was shocking. I've been an audio engineer for a while, and I'd never heard of these Triton FetHeads. I just showed this video to a few of my colleagues and they'd never heard of them, and their instant response was a mixture of skepticism and wonder. We just put an order in for a few, and I gotta tell you, this is HUGE for me. I run a studio that relies on portable recording hardware, and the easier I can make it for my talent to operate, the better. This is brilliant. Thank you for taking the time to share this, man. This legitimately will make my work better.
it is rare that i see a youtuber plugging in a Fethead intoa Mic and its pure magic and entertainment. Your Voice is awesome as well as your persona. Kepp it up!
Based on this video, I picked up the Fethead Phantom -- added it to my setup last night and voila! hello gain and goodbye preamp noise--- my noise floor is awesome now, it was fine before, but now... I'm good to go! makes my Steinberg U44 work like a big boy preamp!! great combo with my Michael Joly modded Rode N1A --- Thanks Mike, great video as always!!
Hi, Mike. I really like your videos. They are very instructive and interesting. I actually learned a lot about audio and voice over on your channel. And You're such a fun guy. Thank you.
RedBearAK I was thinking the exact same thing. 🤔 I'd say it would be smart of the FetHead creators to change the gray ring to a red one to indicate power?
I thought the same thing, or maybe different colored logo badges. Otherwise you hafta read that 8 pt font on it to know. If these were mine, one would get some nail polish to indicate which was which
Can the Fethead Phantom be used with a dynamic mic that doesn’t use phantom power or would you need to go with the Fethead original without phantom power?
The FetHead Phantom passes phantom power to the mic, so it shouldn't be used with any type of dynamic mic, especially ribbon mics. The original FetHead still needs phantom power but doesn't transmit it to the mic. That's kind of the entire point of this thread.
Great video, great advice. FYI, often you can replace the interface cable (i.e. the 3.5mm / 1/8” one) with an impedance matched cable (e.g. Sescom, etc) and eliminate much of the “preamp noise”. I have seen this work wonders with the Tascam 70D, a Saramonics Smart mixer, etc. The 70D went from unusable (in my opinion) to up there with a Zoom F8 in terms of S/N levels. I am not just talking about a 3dB or similar reduction in noise, but more like a 12-18 dB S/N improvement. The right cable makes all the difference with those little output transformers and op-amps.
I dont hear any hiss, on any of your videos whenever you quiet down and say listen for it. You have some of the best audio I have ever heard on youtube. You sound like a professional radio show.
I recently purchased one of each of these, and holy crap! Very impressed. I have a U87 clone that suffered from a little self noise, but the Fethead Phantom cleaned it up nicely!
To anyone with a variety of mics dynamic/condenser, you might not need to buy both. According to Shure: "Any dynamic microphone with a low impedance balanced output, like the SM58, is not affected by phantom power. Phantom Power will not damage a professional dynamic microphone." So, good news! The Fethead Phantom should cover all of your needs, but be sure to check with your individual manufacturer first, just in case. Of course, if you use a ribbon mic, you will still need the original Fethead.
Cool, I didn't know about these, but I am defiantly going to get the Fethead Phantom version. I like to do wildlife sound recording and I am often in quieter locations and even using a mic like a Sennheiser ME66 which is quite sensitive and only 10db self noise, pointing it at the subject, I can still get some noise with my Tascam 701-D (which I find has good preamps) when I turn up the gain because of the distance between myself and the subject and the quieter surroundings, so being able to have clean natural sounds will be a big plus for me and it will be useful for my voice over recordings also.
Hi Mike, thank you for the great demo. According to the product page on Triton Audio's website, there is a bit of difference between the two devices: the normal FetHead has 27dB of gain while the FetHead phantom only 18dB.
It's really good to hear a clear example of a noisy preamp. I'm not even sure that "cheap" is a proper synonym for "noisy" these days since there are actually a lot of remarkably quiet preamps in very affordable hardware lately. But the other side of the coin is when your preamp simply doesn't have enough total gain, like the Zoom H-series. Even if the preamp is quiet enough when it's maxed out, if it doesn't have enough gain to provide sufficient volume then an inline-preamp like the FetHead or Cloudlifter can be a solution for that. So mics with very low output like the SM7B or large ribbon mics can really need one of these devices to work well, simply because the main preamp doesn't have enough total gain. Even the DBX 286S only has 59dB of gain. For some mics that just isn't quite enough. So the usefulness of these devices are not solely for reducing preamp hiss on bad preamps. On the other hand if you have a MixPre-6 with super-quiet Kashmir preamps and 76dB of gain, it's quite unlikely a Cloudlifter/FetHead would be beneficial with any type of mic.
beautiful! great travel setup! I currently use an sm58, a cloudlifter, and a tascam dr-44wl (for travel) but it's still bulky and it doesn't get rid of all the noise. it works ok, but not the best setup. I am glad i saw this. great video!
I just got a FetHead Phantom and I tried it with my Sennheiser MKH 416 and Tascam 701-D and I got no sound from it when the mic was plugged into the FetHead (I had 48v phantom power turned on the Tascam), but as soon as I disconnected the Fethead and just plugged the mic into the recorder, I was getting sound. I did find that it worked with my Rode NT1 and Tascam 701-D but its unnecessary due to the NT1s very low self noise anyway, so not sure what was happening since it was working on your MKH 416 and not mine.
I got my very first mic and interface a few days ago. The Rode PodMic and Scarlett Solo 2nd Gen. I have to set the gain on full for decent levels. After watching this video, I pulled the trigger on a Fethead. Hoping that solves my noise/hissing issues!
Allen for the save. The Klark Teknik in-line preamp supposedly for sale around $30. Can't find one. Hearing they will be available in April. Wait for Klark Teknik CT-1 or get a dynamite preamp for $120. delivered.
Fethead great when I took on a low output passive ribbon mic. Overcame pre-amp hiss and ingress of whistle from solar PV. Gives enough spare gain to insert a small passive boost EQ (if you choose to, for this kind of mic) ahead of your preamp or DAW. With the EQ, I get a floor minus 67dB, with my quiet voice at ten inches, set to peak minus 12 raw. Readily gateable - and advisable if you have clients who crank up high end and compression for their market! But for such guys, I revert to a super quiet NT1A condenser with enough output not to need boost.
Thank you! Withing 1 minute and a half you explained what I wanted to know. I wasted over half an hour to find the basic difference and why couldn't I just get the regular FetHead to work on both dynamics and condenser mics. Thanks booth junkie!
I must be doing something wrong. I got the Fethead to use with a Shure SM7B and a Zoom F6. When I plug the Fethead in, it completely blocks the signal. Phantom power is activated, so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Any help would be appreciated. 😪
Seems to me the parts without the FEThead are a few db louder than with the Fethead. Seems the adjustment to total gain wasn't correctly done. Giving a lower his with lower total gain on the parts with the Fethead engaged. Fetheads are for adding gain when you don't have enough. They can't really lower noise.
So could this benefit a scarlett solo gen 3? Or would it potentially damage the mic? Asking because it me my set up for on the go, Hopefully I hear back, I know you got super popular now.
hey I have a zoom H5 and H6. just wondering if you think one of these is advantageous for these or is the preamp already good enough in these recorders so that there would not be much of a performance increase?
Oho. Nice and quiet... That's an interesting use for one of those Fethead Phantoms. I couldn't figure it out through the fine print, but now that you've mentioned how terrible portable pre-amps could be, it makes a lot more sense.
Oh cool! I have a couple of mics that need ~90% of the gain knob on my 2i2. I have to be really careful to avoid the hiss that comes with cranking the gain. I thought it would be great to add a fethead, but the mics are both condensers, and need phantom power. I thought I was SOL, but this would totally scratch that itch!
If you need to put the gain that high you may want to get a dedicated phantom power supply because it sounds like your mics aren't getting enough power. Dynamics and ribbons will need that amount of gain with no powering.
Interesting. I had thought of this setup before and did a similar one with the saramonic 10. You need the right fethead for the mic though. I used my fet head with my tascam dr70, and rode ntg4+. Preamp is already good on the dr70 though.
Do you think this would work in the following chain: an audio-technica AT6550 into a 3.5mm to xlr adapter, into the fethead, into a saramonic sr-pax2 into a tascam dr-05? I know that introducing so many links into the chain could cause trouble but, I'm trying to squeeze out some hiss here.
Mike if you can get your hands on one, could you do a comparison between your sennheiser and one of the rode ntg shotgun mics? Would be nice to have a point of reference between the standard and maybe something a little less expensive.
So should I get a feathead for my Neumann TLM 103? I know I prob don't need it but it gives more headroom and lower the noise floor? any infos would be appreciated
I was thinking the same thing but with a super cardiod you can stand off the mic a bit more and avoid proximity effect. Sounds overly simplistic to think that's why it sounds so good -- is there something about the capsule on this mic that makes it sound better?
Hey Mike. Noticed from other videos we both use the Audient iD22 and a 416 and just like mine, the gain on the iD22 needs to be turned up quite high to get good signal from the 416. Question is do, or have you used the fethead phantom in this instance to boost the clean gain of the iD22 and lower your noisefloor? Possibly looking to pick one up if so. I also know you have an Avalon 737 pre so you might be using that and bypassing the audient pres.
its so weird i tried 2 different fetheats now, because i already sent one back because i thoughts its broken. When i use the fethead on my system i get so strong hiss and noise, waaaay more than only with my interface (on the same adjusted gain level). you think there is some interference from other electronics? Because the noise and hiss changes when i move the fethead around. Its driving me crazy.
I just bought a Cloudlifter CL-1 but it seems very prone to interference, I paired it with my sm7b and my dbx286s which I had for 4 years, I wanted to facilitate a little for my preamp. have you experienced interference in the cloudlifter cl-1?
So if I had a dynamic mic and condenser Mic plugged into a mixer could I use both if using the fethead? Or would I be better off having 2 of the same style mic?
Thank you for this Mike. I find I get quite a bit of hiss on my Scarlett 2i2 and CAD e100s. Sad story: I bought an Audient id22 to see how it compared (and hopefully fix the issue) but found the change to be negligible. Maybe I'm just doing something wrong. I dunno... I'll give the fethead a shot. EDIT: In case anyone asks, I did send my e100s in for repair thinking it might be that, and nope. They say it's fine. I tested on a Blue Spark and still have that same hiss.
You had preamp hiss on an ID22? It's gotta be the mic or something else -- like ambient noise. My ID22 preamps are absolutely dead silent at full gain.
I really don't know what it could be. My room is well treated (thanks to your Owens Corning suggestion), so I don't believe it's ambient noise. My only thoughts are it's the mic or possibly the mic cable (I'm using a fairly old cable). I'm dealing with it now by adding a noise gate in post. It's just wildly annoying.
@@PressStartToLaugh The source of the problem is the mic, I’ve tested this myself inside and out and self noise is an issue regardless for dynamic or condenser so that’s why this tool is perfect for fixing this issue Also, I’ve had multiple scarletts, even the 18i8, it doesn’t get better in quality, they have horrible headroom. Any RME USB audio interface will work perfectly fine like the Babyface for starters and go up from there. I got an RME Fireface 802 and it changed everything including the fact that I have a Rode NT2A so the self noise is pretty decent. But it’s everything working together to make the cleanest result but what I said above, the interface, and mic. Also, use wool instead of Foam, foam dampens high frequencies only while wool dampens all frequencies
May I suggest that when it gets 5:12 I suggest you move your head from side to side to follow Yes Fethead and No Fethead text, not for any sound reasons but because it's fun.
Not sure, but at least ONE has to be the phantom so it powers the one closest to the mic (since the normal one does not allow the phantom power to continue through it). But I can't see why you would need to do that.
@@thewhiskeycowboy-official Because most of the current and voltage is being consumed by the first FetHead in the chain, Anything passed onto the second FetHead would very very quickly run out of puff to be able to amplify anywhere above +25Db, And thus you'd introduce *loads* of distortion and clipping into your chain, Since the FetHeads and Cloudlifters are purely passive devices
a bit late but does anyone know of any similar portable recorders that could be used in its place with this? im not having much luck finding the one here
Hey mike I liked your video very much. I have sennheiser E945 vocal dynamic stage microphone and also I have rode ntg4 plus.my question is do I have to buy both Fethead and fethead phantom for each?Does fethead phantom should works on both or not?
What if there were a manufacturer who actually implemented that Fethead in a microphone's design (can be turned off by a switch of course..). That's a nice on-the-go package if you ask me!
Hi Mike: Really enjoy all of your reviews. I was wondering if you could recommend a USB mic that could be used for recording voice & guitar using the program Audacity? As a beginning guitarist, I am interested in monitoring my progress. I don't have a studio & would be recording in my family room. So, background noise may be a problem. Also, if you think that the way to go would be to buy an interface & use an XLR mic to record, I would be interested in what you have to say? Thanks in advance, Steve
Both the non-phantom and the phantom fethead need that 48v. And since the phantom fethead passes that 48v to the mic, it might cause some serious damage to your sm58. I wouldn't do it.
Under normal circumstances a properly wired dynamic mic (like the sm58) will not be damaged by phantom power. However, the normal FEThead provides 27dB gain while the FEThead phantom only 18dB. This is because a condenser has a much hotter output than a dynamic so will not need so much added gain. Which, on the other hand, means that the normal FEThead with its additional 9dB gain is a better option for a dynamic.
So how do you decide when to record with a portable recorder attached to the mic (zoom H5) vs. recording through your USB interface directly into your DAW such as Reaper?
It's now 2020 and I'm still here for the hair.
Did he read a comment on a 2 year old vid...
What microphone are you using in this video?
Perfect demonstration of the Fethead. Similar to my experience!
FINALLY someone who actually shows concrete evidence o the impact the device makes. Everyone always just talks not shows. Thank you, you are brilliant.
im here for the hair. Mike
same
ha! ha! ha! ha! ha!
I'm here for your D, Greg.
@@nick8841 O M G
Just discovered your channel today, and I've already enjoyed a good number of your videos - but this was shocking. I've been an audio engineer for a while, and I'd never heard of these Triton FetHeads. I just showed this video to a few of my colleagues and they'd never heard of them, and their instant response was a mixture of skepticism and wonder. We just put an order in for a few, and I gotta tell you, this is HUGE for me. I run a studio that relies on portable recording hardware, and the easier I can make it for my talent to operate, the better. This is brilliant. Thank you for taking the time to share this, man. This legitimately will make my work better.
it is rare that i see a youtuber plugging in a Fethead intoa Mic and its pure magic and entertainment. Your Voice is awesome as well as your persona. Kepp it up!
Based on this video, I picked up the Fethead Phantom -- added it to my setup last night and voila! hello gain and goodbye preamp noise--- my noise floor is awesome now, it was fine before, but now... I'm good to go! makes my Steinberg U44 work like a big boy preamp!! great combo with my Michael Joly modded Rode N1A --- Thanks Mike, great video as always!!
Hi, Mike. I really like your videos. They are very instructive and interesting. I actually learned a lot about audio and voice over on your channel. And You're such a fun guy. Thank you.
I really love that the FetHead and FetHead Phantom look EXACTLY ALIKE. That's a great feature. Good way to damage a very expensive ribbon mic.
RedBearAK I was thinking the exact same thing. 🤔 I'd say it would be smart of the FetHead creators to change the gray ring to a red one to indicate power?
I thought the same thing, or maybe different colored logo badges. Otherwise you hafta read that 8 pt font on it to know. If these were mine, one would get some nail polish to indicate which was which
Can the Fethead Phantom be used with a dynamic mic that doesn’t use phantom power or would you need to go with the Fethead original without phantom power?
The FetHead Phantom passes phantom power to the mic, so it shouldn't be used with any type of dynamic mic, especially ribbon mics. The original FetHead still needs phantom power but doesn't transmit it to the mic. That's kind of the entire point of this thread.
I was thinking the same. But can always put some color tape around one of them.
Just bought a fethead phantom. Great presentation of just how effective these little devices are.
Great video, great advice.
FYI, often you can replace the interface cable (i.e. the 3.5mm / 1/8” one) with an impedance matched cable (e.g. Sescom, etc) and eliminate much of the “preamp noise”. I have seen this work wonders with the Tascam 70D, a Saramonics Smart mixer, etc. The 70D went from unusable (in my opinion) to up there with a Zoom F8 in terms of S/N levels. I am not just talking about a 3dB or similar reduction in noise, but more like a 12-18 dB S/N improvement. The right cable makes all the difference with those little output transformers and op-amps.
I dont hear any hiss, on any of your videos whenever you quiet down and say listen for it. You have some of the best audio I have ever heard on youtube. You sound like a professional radio show.
HOLY CRAP THAT SOUNDS AMAZING AND THE HAIR IS AMAZING TOO! Great video, really never even knew about the phatom version. This has be wonderful.
Best explanation of these devices and great production quality. I wish you much success, sir.
I recently purchased one of each of these, and holy crap! Very impressed. I have a U87 clone that suffered from a little self noise, but the Fethead Phantom cleaned it up nicely!
omg...this was exactly the solution I needed for my studio setup. Thanks, Mike!
Question, im confused now, witch one in need for my shure sm7b?
To anyone with a variety of mics dynamic/condenser, you might not need to buy both.
According to Shure: "Any dynamic microphone with a low impedance balanced output, like the SM58, is not affected by phantom power. Phantom Power will not damage a professional dynamic microphone."
So, good news! The Fethead Phantom should cover all of your needs, but be sure to check with your individual manufacturer first, just in case. Of course, if you use a ribbon mic, you will still need the original Fethead.
"You're not here for my hair"
That's where you're wrong, Mike.
Cool, I didn't know about these, but I am defiantly going to get the Fethead Phantom version. I like to do wildlife sound recording and I am often in quieter locations and even using a mic like a Sennheiser ME66 which is quite sensitive and only 10db self noise, pointing it at the subject, I can still get some noise with my Tascam 701-D (which I find has good preamps) when I turn up the gain because of the distance between myself and the subject and the quieter surroundings, so being able to have clean natural sounds will be a big plus for me and it will be useful for my voice over recordings also.
I just ordered mine... HOLY CRAP!!! No noise at all. Really great review!
Hi Mike, thank you for the great demo. According to the product page on Triton Audio's website, there is a bit of difference between the two devices: the normal FetHead has 27dB of gain while the FetHead phantom only 18dB.
It's really good to hear a clear example of a noisy preamp. I'm not even sure that "cheap" is a proper synonym for "noisy" these days since there are actually a lot of remarkably quiet preamps in very affordable hardware lately. But the other side of the coin is when your preamp simply doesn't have enough total gain, like the Zoom H-series. Even if the preamp is quiet enough when it's maxed out, if it doesn't have enough gain to provide sufficient volume then an inline-preamp like the FetHead or Cloudlifter can be a solution for that. So mics with very low output like the SM7B or large ribbon mics can really need one of these devices to work well, simply because the main preamp doesn't have enough total gain. Even the DBX 286S only has 59dB of gain. For some mics that just isn't quite enough. So the usefulness of these devices are not solely for reducing preamp hiss on bad preamps. On the other hand if you have a MixPre-6 with super-quiet Kashmir preamps and 76dB of gain, it's quite unlikely a Cloudlifter/FetHead would be beneficial with any type of mic.
I’ve got the Phantom Fethead. It’s an excellent product. Highly recommend.
PS - nice salad Mike 👍🏼
beautiful! great travel setup! I currently use an sm58, a cloudlifter, and a tascam dr-44wl (for travel) but it's still bulky and it doesn't get rid of all the noise. it works ok, but not the best setup. I am glad i saw this. great video!
We are here for the hair... wait... this isn't hair junkie?
hair and make up mike...hair and make up :D
As long as it isn't pubic hair junkie, I will stay.
I had no idea they made inline preamps like this. Gotta pick up one of these.
Black Warrior Lures do they eliminate background noise?
@@daddydiesel7910 That's what I'm hoping.
is there a fethead for 3.5mm connections? maybe with aa couple of AA batteries inside?
I just got a FetHead Phantom and I tried it with my Sennheiser MKH 416 and Tascam 701-D and I got no sound from it when the mic was plugged into the FetHead (I had 48v phantom power turned on the Tascam), but as soon as I disconnected the Fethead and just plugged the mic into the recorder, I was getting sound. I did find that it worked with my Rode NT1 and Tascam 701-D but its unnecessary due to the NT1s very low self noise anyway, so not sure what was happening since it was working on your MKH 416 and not mine.
I'm here for the hair Mike, and I like it.
Omg mike!!! I was wondering what this was this afternoon and why I was hearing that hiss in the background!!! Thank you so much!!!
The fethead i got was super noisy, i may have gotten a faulty unite, but i feel the cloudlifter is quieter.
I got my very first mic and interface a few days ago. The Rode PodMic and Scarlett Solo 2nd Gen. I have to set the gain on full for decent levels. After watching this video, I pulled the trigger on a Fethead. Hoping that solves my noise/hissing issues!
Please answer quickly. I have Shure MV7 and it has some noise, so the sound is low. Will it help in this case TritonAudio FetHead Filter ?
I've learned a TON of useful stuff from you. Thank you again and again and again :)
Also, I just love your sign-off!
Fanboy: out!
Great video as always Mike, keep it up, your videos are the best.
This is exactly what I have been looking for. Thank you!
YOu're welcome!
Allen for the save. The Klark Teknik in-line preamp supposedly for sale around $30. Can't find one. Hearing they will be available in April. Wait for Klark Teknik CT-1 or get a dynamite preamp for $120. delivered.
Absolutely love my fetheads - have used them for years.
Fethead great when I took on a low output passive ribbon mic. Overcame pre-amp hiss and ingress of whistle from solar PV. Gives enough spare gain to insert a small passive boost EQ (if you choose to, for this kind of mic) ahead of your preamp or DAW.
With the EQ, I get a floor minus 67dB, with my quiet voice at ten inches, set to peak minus 12 raw. Readily gateable - and advisable if you have clients who crank up high end and compression for their market! But for such guys, I revert to a super quiet NT1A condenser with enough output not to need boost.
Thank you! Withing 1 minute and a half you explained what I wanted to know. I wasted over half an hour to find the basic difference and why couldn't I just get the regular FetHead to work on both dynamics and condenser mics. Thanks booth junkie!
I use a condesor tube mic into a Scarlett 2i2. White "hiss" when im over 50% gain. Would a fethead help?
Thanks for this video! I got a fethead and just used it. I'm getting a much better signal to noise ratio.
You remind me so much of that guy from the old good neighbor stuff videos "This is how we trip"
I must be doing something wrong. I got the Fethead to use with a Shure SM7B and a Zoom F6. When I plug the Fethead in, it completely blocks the signal. Phantom power is activated, so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Any help would be appreciated. 😪
Thanks for making this. I'm going to get one for my low-output Shure SM7B.
The answer to my first question: it adds 18 dB of gain.
If you only plan to use it on the SM7B then I suggest buying the normal Fethead as that will provide 27db of gain.
Can these be used on a Focusrite interface and will it make a difference? Thank you, Mike!
What about interfaces with dual preamp systems and then being creative with that?
Seems to me the parts without the FEThead are a few db louder than with the Fethead. Seems the adjustment to total gain wasn't correctly done. Giving a lower his with lower total gain on the parts with the Fethead engaged. Fetheads are for adding gain when you don't have enough. They can't really lower noise.
Yes the fethead does lower the noise becuase it takes less gain from your preamp or interface to get a good level. Thats the whole point.
So could this benefit a scarlett solo gen 3? Or would it potentially damage the mic? Asking because it me my set up for on the go, Hopefully I hear back, I know you got super popular now.
so the fet head wont work with my condenser mic?, I have to buy a phantom?
hey I have a zoom H5 and H6. just wondering if you think one of these is advantageous for these or is the preamp already good enough in these recorders so that there would not be much of a performance increase?
Whazzat first mic? Shotgun?
Oho. Nice and quiet... That's an interesting use for one of those Fethead Phantoms. I couldn't figure it out through the fine print, but now that you've mentioned how terrible portable pre-amps could be, it makes a lot more sense.
What if.... u connect mic>frethead>frethead phantom> audio interface....wouldnt it be nice?
is fethead phantom useful when using a condenser mic on zoom h6 ??? is it good for zoom h6 or h5 or not??
can i use the condenced mic powered by battery then connect the fethead for dynamic mic using the phantom power from the micpreamp?
Whats the difference between the Fethead and the Cloud Lifter other that price?
but what happens if you use 2 mby 3 fethead phamtoms at the same time?? 75db noiseless gain??????
Thank you so much for this review!!! I needed to see a proper test of this baddie
You are amazing! Thank you, your videos really helped me
Oh cool! I have a couple of mics that need ~90% of the gain knob on my 2i2. I have to be really careful to avoid the hiss that comes with cranking the gain. I thought it would be great to add a fethead, but the mics are both condensers, and need phantom power. I thought I was SOL, but this would totally scratch that itch!
What kind of condenser mics are you using that needs that much gain?
Rode M3 and Focusrite CM25.
Did you buy a fethead my 2i2 is like that also buy I have a mxl 990. I might buy one of these fetheads
If you need to put the gain that high you may want to get a dedicated phantom power supply because it sounds like your mics aren't getting enough power. Dynamics and ribbons will need that amount of gain with no powering.
Same, I'm using a Steinburg UR12 and I really have the crank that gain high.
Interesting. I had thought of this setup before and did a similar one with the saramonic 10. You need the right fethead for the mic though. I used my fet head with my tascam dr70, and rode ntg4+. Preamp is already good on the dr70 though.
Do you think this would work in the following chain: an audio-technica AT6550 into a 3.5mm to xlr adapter, into the fethead, into a saramonic sr-pax2 into a tascam dr-05? I know that introducing so many links into the chain could cause trouble but, I'm trying to squeeze out some hiss here.
Mike if you can get your hands on one, could you do a comparison between your sennheiser and one of the rode ntg shotgun mics? Would be nice to have a point of reference between the standard and maybe something a little less expensive.
Does it make any difference if I connect the fethead mic side or interface side?
So should I get a feathead for my Neumann TLM 103? I know I prob don't need it but it gives more headroom and lower the noise floor? any infos would be appreciated
Not that I would, but I am curious, can you chain them together? Would 2 in line give you more of a boost?
Thanks. Great video.
Is the Triton Fethead able to filter electronical noises from my smartphone or other stuff near my mic ? Greetings from Germany.
That Shure mic sounded better than I was expecting!
I was thinking the same thing but with a super cardiod you can stand off the mic a bit more and avoid proximity effect. Sounds overly simplistic to think that's why it sounds so good -- is there something about the capsule on this mic that makes it sound better?
Any updates? Is it just as impressive now as it was two years ago?
Hey Mike. Noticed from other videos we both use the Audient iD22 and a 416 and just like mine, the gain on the iD22 needs to be turned up quite high to get good signal from the 416. Question is do, or have you used the fethead phantom in this instance to boost the clean gain of the iD22 and lower your noisefloor? Possibly looking to pick one up if so. I also know you have an Avalon 737 pre so you might be using that and bypassing the audient pres.
its so weird i tried 2 different fetheats now, because i already sent one back because i thoughts its broken. When i use the fethead on my system i get so strong hiss and noise, waaaay more than only with my interface (on the same adjusted gain level). you think there is some interference from other electronics? Because the noise and hiss changes when i move the fethead around. Its driving me crazy.
I just bought a Cloudlifter CL-1 but it seems very prone to interference, I paired it with my sm7b and my dbx286s which I had for 4 years, I wanted to facilitate a little for my preamp. have you experienced interference in the cloudlifter cl-1?
what about the FH,SM58 and the focusrite scarlett solo? should be a good combo?
Yes, I hear these preamp boosters make an SM58 sound like a much more expensive mic.
Hello Mike can you please do a comparison with Triton Audio FetHead In-line preamp vs the FetHead Germanium. Pleeeaseee.. thanks :D
So if I had a dynamic mic and condenser Mic plugged into a mixer could I use both if using the fethead? Or would I be better off having 2 of the same style mic?
Thank you for this Mike. I find I get quite a bit of hiss on my Scarlett 2i2 and CAD e100s.
Sad story: I bought an Audient id22 to see how it compared (and hopefully fix the issue) but found the change to be negligible. Maybe I'm just doing something wrong. I dunno... I'll give the fethead a shot.
EDIT: In case anyone asks, I did send my e100s in for repair thinking it might be that, and nope. They say it's fine. I tested on a Blue Spark and still have that same hiss.
You had preamp hiss on an ID22? It's gotta be the mic or something else -- like ambient noise. My ID22 preamps are absolutely dead silent at full gain.
I really don't know what it could be. My room is well treated (thanks to your Owens Corning suggestion), so I don't believe it's ambient noise. My only thoughts are it's the mic or possibly the mic cable (I'm using a fairly old cable). I'm dealing with it now by adding a noise gate in post. It's just wildly annoying.
Most likely is your mic cable. Try it and let us know!
@@PressStartToLaugh The source of the problem is the mic, I’ve tested this myself inside and out and self noise is an issue regardless for dynamic or condenser so that’s why this tool is perfect for fixing this issue
Also, I’ve had multiple scarletts, even the 18i8, it doesn’t get better in quality, they have horrible headroom. Any RME USB audio interface will work perfectly fine like the Babyface for starters and go up from there. I got an RME Fireface 802 and it changed everything including the fact that I have a Rode NT2A so the self noise is pretty decent. But it’s everything working together to make the cleanest result but what I said above, the interface, and mic.
Also, use wool instead of Foam, foam dampens high frequencies only while wool dampens all frequencies
I too am here for the hair
May I suggest that when it gets 5:12 I suggest you move your head from side to side to follow Yes Fethead and No Fethead text, not for any sound reasons but because it's fun.
I have the MXL Mic Mate USB Dynamic adapter. How does that compare? I found it doesn't help much. It has too much noise.
Her for the hair, definitely, the hair....and the wisdom. Then the hair again.
Hi Mr, can I use this product with the Rode Ntg-2 ? Thanks very much.
it does not seem to work with the Phantom one to do so according to this other video at the 6 minute mark: ruclips.net/video/Z8WtN01T16U/видео.html
5:13 - 5:25 No fluttering effect. But I hear a crinkling noise (not as loud though).
ZOOM H5 also provides phantom power, doesn't it?
Question: If I daisy chain two og these, could I basically get double the clean db output? So 44 vs 22 extra db? Would it work?
Not sure, but at least ONE has to be the phantom so it powers the one closest to the mic (since the normal one does not allow the phantom power to continue through it). But I can't see why you would need to do that.
@@thewhiskeycowboy-official Because most of the current and voltage is being consumed by the first FetHead in the chain, Anything passed onto the second FetHead would very very quickly run out of puff to be able to amplify anywhere above +25Db, And thus you'd introduce *loads* of distortion and clipping into your chain, Since the FetHeads and Cloudlifters are purely passive devices
I got this and the dbx to go with my sm7b i dont do voice-over though i might id mainly use it in my studio
Thanks for the video. Helped a lot.
sounds like there is less low end when the fethead is on
a bit late but does anyone know of any similar portable recorders that could be used in its place with this? im not having much luck finding the one here
Hey mike I liked your video very much.
I have sennheiser E945 vocal dynamic stage microphone and also I have rode ntg4 plus.my question is do I have to buy both Fethead and fethead phantom for each?Does fethead phantom should works on both or not?
Fantom for condenser microphones. +18db
Wow! You sold me! I'm getting a Fethead lol
Okay the phantom one is great, i'd need that with for the heil fin if I want it to light up.
What condenser mic is that
Hello, does fethead phantom work with rode ntg4 plus without battery powered from zoom h5? :)
What if there were a manufacturer who actually implemented that Fethead in a microphone's design (can be turned off by a switch of course..). That's a nice on-the-go package if you ask me!
Hi Mike: Really enjoy all of your reviews. I was wondering if you could recommend a USB mic that could be used for recording voice & guitar using the program Audacity? As a beginning guitarist, I am interested in monitoring my progress. I don't have a studio & would be recording in my family room. So, background noise may be a problem. Also, if you think that the way to go would be to buy an interface & use an XLR mic to record, I would be interested in what you have to say? Thanks in advance, Steve
Can you use a fethead phantom in a shure sm58... Instead of buying fethead... Just Incase ill upgrade on a condenser microphone
Both the non-phantom and the phantom fethead need that 48v. And since the phantom fethead passes that 48v to the mic, it might cause some serious damage to your sm58. I wouldn't do it.
StringStorm ohhhh..... okay thank you for this info
Under normal circumstances a properly wired dynamic mic (like the sm58) will not be damaged by phantom power. However, the normal FEThead provides 27dB gain while the FEThead phantom only 18dB. This is because a condenser has a much hotter output than a dynamic so will not need so much added gain. Which, on the other hand, means that the normal FEThead with its additional 9dB gain is a better option for a dynamic.
stgzoomh4 thank you this is so helpful
You are welcome!
So how do you decide when to record with a portable recorder attached to the mic (zoom H5) vs. recording through your USB interface directly into your DAW such as Reaper?