Lauten Audio have generously donated their unique Eden LT‑386 three-in-one valve microphone to the lucky winner of this SOS competition (prize worth €2,669$3,299).
The Lauten Audio Eden LT-386 is essentially three distinct tube microphones packed into a single, hand‑finished enclosure. Developed in close collaboration with Grammy Award‑winning producer/engineer Fab Dupont, the Eden makes picking the right microphone for any sound source as easy as flipping a switch. From the modern, tight and bright sound of Cardi B’s ‘Bodak Yellow’, to the smoky vintage velvet of David Crosby’s ‘Lighthouse’, the Eden offers an analogue abundance of mix-ready sounds in a single microphone.
Three unique signal paths are readily available for effortless sonic selection. The Gentle option is warm and intimate with a vintage character. It’s strongly reminiscent of a German classic, but with a bit more clarity (and at a third of the price). The Neutral selection is classy and balanced with a smooth top end, which is perfect for acoustic instruments like acoustic guitar and piano. The Forward selection is bold, present and modern, but never thin or harsh — this is the quintessential sound of today’s pop, hip-hop and R&B, but with a balance and density that many recordings lack.
Developed in close collaboration with Grammy Award‑winning producer/engineer Fab Dupont, the Eden makes picking the right microphone for any sound source as easy as flipping a switch.
Extending the versatility of the Eden is a three-position low-cut switch, which actually sits first in the signal path. Set to flat, the Eden Allows the full‑frequency spectrum to be passed directly to the multi-voicing circuitry, the tube and the output transformer, for maximum density and harmonic saturation. The mid position gently reduces murkiness and overbearing low frequencies, while also resulting in a cleaner, more contemporary sound. The max selection shifts the timbre of the microphone entirely, bringing a clean, modern focus and articulation to the mid and high frequencies, and is ideal for use in combination with the Forward voicing selection for pop and R&B vocals.
The capsule of a microphone captures music’s most meaningful moments and converts them into electricity with unforgiving results. Lauten’s precision-crafted 38mm capsule is an original design, and one of the largest microphone capsules in the world — tuned by hand, Lauten say, to capture “the spirit, soul, and wonder of a performance with unprecedented authenticity and realism”. An added benefit of this unique design is that it excels on harsh and traditionally challenging sound sources.
The Prize: Eden LT-386
Each Eden is designed and crafted in Silicon Valley, California, by the Lauten Audio family — and this month, we’re giving you the chance to win one! To enter the competition, simply answer the questions on the right, dream up a tiebreaker, and submit your entry by Friday 3rd December 2021. Good luck!
Prizes kindly donated by Lauten Audio.
Competition Rules
- Only one entry per person is permitted.
- In entering this competition, you confirm that you are aged 18 years or older.
- By submitting your entry, you agree to supply Sound On Sound and the Prize Donor with a photograph of you and the prize(s) plus some words about winning the prize. This may be used on each company's website, email newsletter announcements and/or social media channels. Your name will be abbreviated to first name last initial and your town/city/country, eg. Peter G of Tokyo, Japan.
- Please DO NOT ENTER if you do not agree to these terms.
- Employees of SOS Publications Group, Lauten Audio, Synthax UK, and their immediate families are ineligible for entry.
- No cash alternative is available in lieu of the stated prize.
- The competition organisers reserve the right to change the specification of the prize offered.
- The judges' decision is final and legally binding, and no correspondence will be entered into.
- No other correspondence is to be included with competition entries.
- Please ensure that you give your DAYTIME telephone number on your entry form.
- Prize winners must be prepared to make themselves available in the event that the competition organisers wish to make a personal presentation.
- The winning entrants name and county/state will be made available upon request.