I Found The Best TUBE MIC Under $1000 - Lauten LA-320 Review

[@nosibalasi6869]

Bro, the way you break this down is amazing. Clear, precise and spot on! The la 320 v2 is my first TM.

[@BetterMixes]

🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@officialWWM]

I just bought one of these. It’s awesome. Works great on my voice and I love it on acoustic guitar.

[@BetterMixes]

Nice! I think you made a great call! In case it wasn't incredibly obvious from my video, I've been loving mine!

[@officialWWM]

@@BetterMixesthe problem is, now I want one of LAs upper end mics and they are lots more expensive 😂

[@BetterMixes]

Hahaha oh I know. I've used a Clarion as one of my main vocal mics for the past...8 years maybe? But with how much I like that and now the LA320, it's REALLY got me wanting to try the Eden! My wallet is not super crazy about that idea 😆

[@ShaneMiller1967]

I bought one a year ago and love it!

[@BetterMixes]

Nice! Yeah, it's an amazing mic!

[@nkozi]

Grabbed a b-stock v1 (only change is the badge/print) for like... $450 at the end of 2022. It's killer. 100% worth the full list price.

[@BetterMixes]

Nice find! Yeah, I honestly wasn't expecting the 320 to be THIS good considering the price. It DEFINITELY hits above it's price point!

[@businessenglishteacherus]

V1 is good - but not quite the same as V2 inside. Different capsule etc.

[@legacyShredder1]

I love Lauten Audio. Any chance I get to praise them I will. My studio proudly has all of their products including the more affordable mics. There are times where the budget Lauten mics beat out my multi-thousand dollar Neumann's.

[@BetterMixes]

Same! I've got a few of their mics, and I use them all over my sessions. This one really blew me away with how great it sounds at such a reasonable price. I'm definitely looking forward to trying out the rest of their mics at some point!

[@legacyShredder1]

@@BetterMixes They're well worth the investment. The LS series work miracles on drums and other instruments where bleed is a problem. Not only do they remove the bleed but they still sound great at the same time without any compromising.

[@BetterMixes]

Yeah I've got a pair of the 308s that live on my toms, but I've been curious to pick up a 208 for some live in the room recordings. Have you happened to try that one on vocals yet?

[@legacyShredder1]

@@BetterMixes I've only used it for scratch vocals when the whole band was live in the same room. Unless I'm in a situation that requires extreme rejection I usually stick to the Atlantis, Eden, Clarion, or U67.

[@BetterMixes]

Makes sense! I'm really curious to try the Eden. I'm sure it sounds gorgeous!

[@DaveSS-xi4pn]

Used to have a Lauten audio FC 357 and loved it! Regreted selling it. Now I think you've convinced me to marry again for keeps!!!!

[@BetterMixes]

The 357 is one of my all time favorites! Lauten clearly knows how to make a killer mic.

[@jamescassidy4045]

These look great! I actually just picked up an older Lauten LT-321 for a pretty sick deal, and it was basically mint. I guess buddy bought 2 of them almost 10 Years ago thinking he was going to start recording bigger sessions, and they just sat around mostly all of their life, so ended up being a pretty sweet deal! I would have bought the other one, but he had already sold it. That LA-320 sounds wicked though!!!

[@BetterMixes]

Oh nice! I came very close to picking one of those up a few times over the years, but never pulled the trigger as there was so little info on them online. If I find a good enough deal though, I'll definitely go for it! But yeah, I'm really impressed with the 320. I wasn't totally sure what to expect from it given the price, but I was VERY pleasantly surprised once I started using it.

[@legacyShredder1]

Hold onto that 321. They're going to be worth a fortune one day, and they're incredible studio mics.

[@jamescassidy4045]

@@BetterMixes Haha, ya man, there was hardly anything out there on them. I was a bit apprehensive too, but was just to good of a deal lol. I know Taylor Hawkins owned a pair, so that's pretty cool. I've still yet to really test it out, I just got it, so planning on a big test day soon, at least on Vox, and Elec/Acoustic guitars. Probably won't be awhile until I can do some drums, but thats actually what I'm most exited about!

[@BetterMixes]

Nice! Well if you remember, let me know what you end up liking it on!

[@jamescassidy4045]

@@BetterMixes For sure broski!!! No problem. Can probably send you some tracks too! I'll hit you up!

[@schlep4730]

Nice A - B. Really makes you scratch your head when considering return on investment.

[@BetterMixes]

Yeah, for sure! I mean, all those classic mics are great, but once you factor in the price, there are soooo many great mics nowadays at much more attainable prices.

[@conrow1157]

Nice video mate! Thanks

[@BetterMixes]

No problem 👍 Glad you liked it!

[@officialdiomer]

your vids are awesome! thanks for your insight! which is more versatile between this and the Vanguard V13 Gen 2? I mainly record vocals of different genres

[@BetterMixes]

Thanks so much! I'm glad you like the videos! I'd say the Lauten is probably a TOUCH more versatile because of the hi cut switch, but honestly, both can cover a lot of ground. The vanguard has a little bit more of a midrange push which can help it cut through a dense mix a little bit better (like for a big rock song for instance), but the Lauten being a tiny bit more scooped can be a little bit "prettier" sounding in a situation where it doesn't need to cut through as much (like a pop track). I really don't think you can go wrong with either!

[@TheSlim1]

lauten and 251 sounds alomst the same but the 251 more brighter

[@BetterMixes]

Definitely similar! The Lauten also has a much bigger low end if you turn the high pass filter off.

[@TheSlim1]

@@BetterMixes i was thinkin about the slate digital ml1 mic just to use the 251 but now i would go with lauten bigger sound also tube more warmth

[@BetterMixes]

I genuinely don't think you can go wrong with the Lauten. I have a tiny bit of experience with the slate mic, and it was pretty cool, but I would choose the Lauten over it any day, personally.

[@TheSlim1]

@@BetterMixes cool i like the sound if lauten cause it's close to 251 I wanna know what interface did you use I was thinkin about Apollo solo Or audient or RME Baby face Cause i wanna buy thr lauten withe interface

[@BetterMixes]

@@TheSlim1 For the shootout with the 251, it was going through Apogee converters. The rest of the clips in the video are through an Audient. I think any of the interfaces you mentioned would be great. I own an Audient and have used the other two quite a bit. All are excellent!

[@tskolits]

Great video!

[@BetterMixes]

Thanks so much! I'm glad you liked it!

[@Realite58]

Hi, is this mic similar to the SE5600a ii microphone? Which one is better?

[@BetterMixes]

I unfortunately haven't tried that mic, so I can't really say. I've used quite a few other sE mics, and most of them have been really good, but again, never used that particular one. Hopefully someone can chime in who has used it!

[@slimannaciri694]

Hey! How does this compare to the Lewitt Pure Tube? Which one would you recommend? Thanks and Merry Christmas !!

[@BetterMixes]

Good question! I haven't gotten a chance to try out the Pur Tube (yet), but I had a LCT640TS for a long time, and have used a handful of other Lewitt mics, so I think I have a decent idea of their "family sound." Between that, the sound clips I've heard, and even Lewitt's marketing material on the Pure Tube, it seems like the Lewitt probably isn't leaning into the color of the tube/transformer as much as the Lauten. They tend to be a little cleaner/clearer/more "pure" where the Lauten is probably going to be more colored with more rounded transients. I think the Pure Tube also has a bit of a low end roll off as opposed to the Lauten which has a MASSIVE low end (unless you apply the low cut switch). If you're recording vocals and acoustic guitars, this won't matter at all, but it might on bass or certain drum applications. I honestly don't think you could go wrong with either mic. Both brands make fantastic mics. Just depends if you want a little more of a clear, "pure" sound or a little more of a colored sound.

[@slimannaciri694]

@@BetterMixes thanks a lot for the detailed explanation ! You seem to be familiar with Lewitt mics. Do you think that one can get professional vocal takes with a Lewitt 440 ( providing the room is treated) or do you think this mic is only good for demos? I wonder how « pro » it is. Thanks !

[@BetterMixes]

The 440 is a really solid mic! It's not likely to be like...THE BEST mic in the world on most voices, but I absolutely don't think it would hold you back from making pro-sounding vocal tracks. I do think either the Pure Tube or the Lauten would be an upgrade on most voices, but again if someone sent me tracks to mix that were recorded with the 440, I wouldn't be mad at all.

[@cristopherjohansson1323]

How does the LA320 compare to the SONY C80? Just curious since you're using the C80

[@BetterMixes]

The C80 is super detailed, really really clean and neutral. It's probably more honest than the 320, but I find the 320 more pleasing on most sources. I personally enjoy the color, and the frequency response seems to be much more forgiving than the Sonys. I recently recorded cello and classical piano with the Sonys, and they were great for that, but for most pop and rock applications, the Lauten would be my first pick!

[@cristopherjohansson1323]

@@BetterMixes Thanks for the fast reply! Will see which one I get :)

[@BetterMixes]

@@cristopherjohansson1323 No problem! Both are solid mics, just quite different. I hope you enjoy whatever you end up with!

[@iamstacs]

Thinking about getting a 320 v1 what settings should I put on the mic? 120hz on? 12khz off? My style is rap, I want crisp, natural vocals not the classic warm feel

[@BetterMixes]

I think that would be a good place to start! I'd almost always recommend the 120hz high pass on this mic for vocals, and yeah, if you want a nice crisp, up front, modern sound, leaving the 12k low pass off would be the way to go.

[@iamstacs]

@@BetterMixes 120 on 12k off, thanks bro

[@BetterMixes]

@@iamstacs no problem!

[@astrangeandmysteriouspodca7168]

I bought this mic recently and noticed it is very sibilant on my voice. I don’t know if it’s a tube issue or my voice with this mic. Kind of disappointed.

[@conrow1157]

Have you ever get the chance to compare this with a Lauten Eden or Atlantis?

[@BetterMixes]

No, not yet. I have compared it with the Clarion if that helps though. I'm definitely looking forward to trying out the Eden and Atlantis at some point though.

[@vysventuri]

@@BetterMixeshow did it stack up against the clarion?

[@BetterMixes]

@@vysventuri I actually just posted a video yesterday comparing it to both the Clarion and Atlantis! kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHawYmuVebCknrc

[@vysventuri]

@@BetterMixes my fuckin guy!!!!!!! Thank you bro 🙏🏽

[@BetterMixes]

@@vysventuri No problem! Happy to help!

[@UncleT525]

You like it better than the Sony c80?

[@BetterMixes]

In general, yes. I'm borrowing the Sonys from a friend to try out, so I'm still getting to know them a bit, but for most applications, I like the extra color of the Lauten, plus it seems to be more forgiving. The Sonys are probably more honest, definitely more detailed, but the Lauten is generally more flattering to my ear.

[@ibrahimalsayad1]

If you could upload the raw files it will be great

[@BetterMixes]

For the shootout with the 251? I could upload those! I'll let you know once I do.

[@ibrahimalsayad1]

I will appreciate that, i just want to play with som eq on it in my daw.

[@BetterMixes]

Done! I just put a DropBox link in the description.

[@TheSlim1]

​@@BetterMixescool i will download them i want to see how the lauten take the eq and comp

[@AnwaarAliOfficial]

Is this mic better than V13 gen2?

[@BetterMixes]

I wouldn't say better or worse, just different! The V13 is a bit more "classic" sounding with a little more midrange push, and the LA-320 is definitely more modern sounding with a slight scoop and a fair bit of highs. I feel like the V13 might be a little more versatile, like I think it would work for almost any voice whereas the 320 sounds amazing on a lot of people, but can be a little intense on voices that are naturally harsh and shrill.

[@AnwaarAliOfficial]

@@BetterMixes LA-320 is actually a cheaper quality mic compared to V 13. Lauten Audio's website doesn't even list the type of components used in LA-320.

[@BetterMixes]

@@AnwaarAliOfficial It's also $600 cheaper. So yeah, those savings have to come from somewhere. But for me, assuming the build quality isn't BAD (which the 320 definitely is not), I pretty much just judge a mic based on the sound and not what brand of capacitors they use (that might be a valid way to judge things, but I don't personally know enough about electronics to make any judgments. Like I know people get excited when mics use WIMA capacitors, but I have no idea if that actually matters in the real world 🤷‍♂). At the end of the day, the 320 gives me a sound that I really like that's distinctly different than all my other mics, so it sticks around (if I don't find myself using a mic much, I'm pretty quick to sell it to try something different). Like I said before, I don't think you could go wrong with either of these mics. The V13 is probably the slightly safer choice, as I feel like it works on almost every voice. Like it's never going to be a bad choice. On the other hand, I have found a few people who the 320 didn't work for, but it sounds incredible on others.

[@workprod4025]

VS TELEFUNKEN TF29 ??

[@BetterMixes]

I haven't gotten the chance to compare them, and it's been quite a while since I've used the TF29, but from what I remember, it's a much more mid-forward mic, more in the general u47 family as opposed to the Lauten which has a leaner midrange, more in the 251 family.