HELP PLEASE. idk why my new la320 tube mic is noisy compared to everything I've seen

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Bon_Ocean

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So about a couple of months ago i got a Lauten Audio 320 tube mic and from every video and review i saw of it there was very little to no noise at all but i can't seem to get my mic on the same level. I can't get a good signal without turning the gain way high. I tried getting new cords, i got a new vacuum tube but that didn't work. My preamp is a Focusrite scarlett. Do i need a better pre? or is there a way to get a stronger signal on my mic without increasing the noise?
 
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Bon_Ocean said:
So about a couple of months ago i got a Lauten Audio 320 tube mic and from every video and review i saw of it there was very little to no noise at all but i can't seem to get my mic on the same level. I can't get a good signal without turning the gain way high. I tried getting new cords, i got a new vacuum tube but that didn't work. My preamp is a Focusrite scarlett. Do i need a better pre?
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This
Lauten Audio LA-320 | Gives a good report on the mic so it should be fine. Testing the Scarlet is beer into water. Setup the mic and preamp and turn the gain up until you hear the noise. Unplug the mic's XLR from the pre. Noise goes? Mic is crm'cracked. Noise stays (v unliklely) pre is jiggered (I apologise for the deep, technical terms!)

The Focusrite SHOULD give very acceptable results with a dynamic, SM something. Does it?

Dave.
 
i tried unplugging it and the noise is coming from the preamp so its jiggered?(what does jiggered mean)
 
Bon_Ocean said:
i tried unplugging it and the noise is coming from the preamp so its jiggered?(what does jiggered mean)
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It is scatological, as in "Well, I'll be jiggered" meaning well, INTERFERRED WITH! Technicals as I said for broke.

Most unusual for Focusrite gear to go wrong. Can you post two MP3 clips? Nothing connected but one at minimum mic gain and one at max?

Dave.
 
However i tried it with my other condenser mic and it seemed to work fine
 
Bon_Ocean said:
However i tried it with my other condenser mic and it seemed to work fine
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Ah! So it probably IS the 320 that is buggered, delivering a low output. In fact I suspect it is getting next to nothing from the power supply. If you feel you can do it safely, run the mic dismantled and see if the valve is alight (if you have no experience, should be two ~1mm tips of reddish orange light) If there be light, next is to check the HT supply BUT! You need a voltmeter for this and enough nounce not to get a shock or short something vital. Any TV repair tech could do this for you.

Belay the two previous MP3s! Make one 'Mary had' with the GOOD mic and then plug in the suspect one. DO NOT ALTER ANY CONTROLS. Ten secs of 'Boy stood' Then let us have them.

Dave.
 
Oh dear! ANOTHER sound delivery system. I have to go out. ANY chance of posting the clips as MP3s? That way I don't have to record them first before I 'look' at them.

And sorry to be a forgetful old fart but. Why again can't we attach a few seconds of 16bit .wav? Can't be space? I can post 2meg pikkies.

Dave.
 
Sorry Bon, now that I am setup to record them I cannot get those clips to play again.

(what does 'embed' mean in this context? )

Dave.
 
ecc83 said:
Ah! Any TV repair tech could do this for you.

Dave.
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Are there TV techs around these days that still know what a tube is??? :) :)

Bon,

- Has the mic always been this way or was it OK when you first got it?
- The cable from the LA-320 power supply to the interface is an XLR to XLR, correct? Not XLR to 1/4".
- A tube mic does not need phantom power. Do you have phantom switched on by any chance? Shouldn't cause a problem, but ??????
- The LA-320 has a sensitivity of 14mv/PA and the AT2035 is 22mv/PA. The LA-320 will need a bit more gain than the AT2035, but the Scarlett should work fine with either mic and not have much noise.
- Different test than Dave's. Set the LA-320 for 'normal' recording level and then turn off the power supply for the LA-320. Does the noise go away or stay about the same?
- The 'back' of the mic should not pick up much sound. Try speaking/singing into the back and then the front. I don't know if there is a remote possibility if the casing of the mic with the logo could be placed on to the back side of the mic if someone had changed a tube at sometime.
- Is it particularly humid where you are? The LA-320 and AT2035, while both called condenser mics have different type capsules and the LA-320 uses a high voltage on the capsule which may be more affected by dampness in the air.
 
"
Are there TV techs around these days that still know what a tube is??? "
Yeah, well Mark I hope there are a FEW people still left in the world that know how to wield a voltmeter on something hotter than 48 volts! Just the first name of a bloke/trade that came into my head!

Your further tests are welcome. The brief snatch of the clip I got was a goodly sight more than the ~4dB diff in mic sensitivities!
Did you or anyone else manage to grab the clips and can put them up as MP3s?

Dave.
 
I live in a humid area but the noise was high from the start. If it is the humidity is there any way to fix this maybe with a dehumidifier or something? and the la320 does require phantom power.
 
ecc83 said:
Oh dear! ANOTHER sound delivery system. I have to go out. ANY chance of posting the clips as MP3s? That way I don't have to record them first before I 'look' at them.

And sorry to be a forgetful old fart but. Why again can't we attach a few seconds of 16bit .wav? Can't be space? I can post 2meg pikkies.

Dave.
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Hey Dave, if you click the links provided, then right mouse click on the player, click "save audio as" and you can download the audio to your hard drive. It will be in a mp3 format. Here are both files analyzed by the Orban meter. The input level is extremely low. When I brought the audio up to -13LUFS the noise floor was a -22dbs. Very loud.

View attachment 100230
 
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Bon_Ocean said:
I live in a humid area but the noise was high from the start. If it is the humidity is there any way to fix this maybe with a dehumidifier or something? and the la320 does require phantom power.
Click to expand...

- A dehumidifier may help if it's moisture on the capsule, but don't do that until your sure it's moisture.
- A tube mic has a separate power supply, usually with a 5,6, or 7 pin cable to the mic and an XLR to the interface or mixer. This is not 'phantom power'. Phantom power is a single voltage that may range from as low as 15vdc up to about 48vdc. The LA-320 requires its own power supply, but not phantom power.


What country are you in and is the power supply mains voltage selected for what your mains outlet supplies?

"The LA-320 comes fully equipped to get you recording with great results fast. Each microphone includes a classic inspired spider shock mount to isolate the microphone from vibrations, a quality 5-pin tube microphone cable, custom, stable, dedicated power supply with a selectable mains voltage for use in all countries (100, 115v, 230v etc.), and a durable hard case to keep your microphone safe and clean when not in use."

Lauten Audio >> Series Black LA-320
 
Well, I know of a few tube mics that don't appreciate phantom power, or rather their power supplies do not. Make sure you have the right voltage, no phantom power, and turn all the filters off, hi and low. If you still have the problem it is covered under warranty, but be smart and play dumb on the phantom power situation. In other words, don't admit to having it on, and strongly deny it if anybody asks. As in"What, you think I am stupid? I remember my uncle ruined his Rode Classic that way, and I am super careful always...... Always try to buy microphones from Amazon, as their return policy is "gee, let me send another right away, in the meantime put the old one in a box, we'll send somebody to fetch it". My kind of policy......
 
jjinvegas said:
Well, I know of a few tube mics that don't appreciate phantom power, or rather their power supplies do not. Make sure you have the right voltage, no phantom power, and turn all the filters off, hi and low. If you still have the problem it is covered under warranty, but be smart and play dumb on the phantom power situation. In other words, don't admit to having it on, and strongly deny it if anybody asks. As in"What, you think I am stupid? I remember my uncle ruined his Rode Classic that way, and I am super careful always...... Always try to buy microphones from Amazon, as their return policy is "gee, let me send another right away, in the meantime put the old one in a box, we'll send somebody to fetch it". My kind of policy......
Click to expand...

+1 ^ It should not matter a bugger whether phantom power is on or off and so it is not, IMHO immoral to be 'economical with the truth' here since it would be V poor design to make such a thing liable to damage in that way.

Dave.
 
Not sure if this was ever solved or not, but low /noisy output from an LA-320 usually means that the voltage switch on the power supply was set to the wrong voltage. If that is not the case, then the tube may have failed. If you ever have an issue with your Lauten Audio microphones, please email us and we will assist ASAP. CRM at LautenAudio dotcom (Sorry for the late reply, but this thread was just brought to our attention)
 
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