Lauten Audio LS-308 Side-Address FET Condenser Microphone

The Lauten Audio LS-308 is a side-address FET condenser microphone built around a second-order cardioid polar pattern that provides 270 degrees of off-axis rejection—designed for situations where isolation is required but difficult to achieve through physical separation alone. The second-order pattern creates a tight frontal capture zone and rejects almost everything else, making it suited to close-miking electric guitar in live-drum environments, bottom snare, toms, and any loud source where bleed from surrounding instruments would ordinarily be unmanageable. A direct consequence of the extreme off-axis rejection is a high-frequency roll-off beginning at 7kHz, which produces a characteristically dark, ribbon-like tonal quality without the fragility or SPL limitations of an actual ribbon; the LS-308 handles SPL exceeding 135dB without internal padding. The signal path uses high-resolution polypropylene capacitors and resistors, a U.S.-made low-noise FET, and a custom-wound output transformer, and two onboard analog filters allow additional tonal shaping at the source. Note: the LS-308 is not recommended for use on vocals.

Key Features

• Second-order cardioid — 270 degrees of off-axis rejection — higher-order polar pattern than standard cardioid, hypercardioid, or supercardioid designs; rejects sound from 270 degrees around the microphone while capturing a tight frontal zone; suited to loud environments where conventional microphone placement would result in excessive bleed
• Dark, ribbon-like tonal character — the second-order rejection mechanism causes a high-frequency roll-off beginning at 7kHz, producing a naturally dark timbre that shares character with ribbon microphones; captures loud transient sources with the tonal quality typically associated with ribbons, without their fragility or SPL limitations
• >135dB SPL handling — no internal padding required — 135dB minimum dynamic range; handles SPL levels typically reserved for dynamic microphones without clipping or the need for an inline pad; self-noise below 15dB-A
• Internally shock-mounted condenser element — reduces mechanical vibration and handling noise transmitted through the stand or mount
• Onboard analog filters — two onboard filters for immediate tonal shaping at the source; analog filtering at the capsule stage affects the full sonic spectrum
• U.S.-made FET signal path with custom transformer — polypropylene capacitors and resistors throughout; custom-wound output transformer; transformer-balanced output
• Designed and tested in Silicon Valley, CA
• Not recommended for use on vocals — the LS-308’s second-order pattern and high-frequency roll-off are optimized for high-SPL instruments; recommended applications include electric guitar, toms, bottom snare, and any loud source where isolation is the priority
• Includes flight case, adjustable hard mount, and foam windscreen

Specifications

• Type: Side-address pressure gradient FET condenser
• Capsule: 35mm
• Polar Pattern: Second-order cardioid (270° off-axis rejection)
• Frequency Response: 20Hz–20kHz (roll-off begins at 7kHz due to rejection mechanism)
• Self-Noise: <15dB-A
• Dynamic Range: 135dB
• Max SPL: >135dB (0.5% THD @ 1kHz; no internal padding)
• Sensitivity: 10.5mV/Pa (–46dBV; ref 0dB = 1V/Pa @ 1kHz)
• Output Impedance: >150Ω
• Connector: 3-pin XLR
• Power: 48V phantom power
• Included: Flight case; adjustable hard mount; foam windscreen