Lauten Audio launches ‘world’s first’ Tom Mic

Lauten Audio has launched Tom Mic, what is believed to be the world’s first large-diaphragm FET condenser microphone built explicitly for use on tom drums.

Tom Mic has a tailored frequency response attuned to toms and utilises Lauten Audio’s newly designed supercardioid capsule and powerful dual-bias circuitry, providing up to 28dB of off-axis rejection. The result, according to the company, is crisp, high-definition sounds with minimal cymbal bleed for professional, mix-ready sounds on the stage and in the studio.

Tom Mic is tuned to elevate the key frequencies for tom drums and provide maximum impact, dynamics, and tone with minimal EQing. Its bleed-blocking head design and dual bias circuitry ensure minimal cymbal bleed; it also includes a pair of Lauten’s high and low-cut filter switches enabling users to musically rebalance the attack and body of any tom at the flip of a switch.

“Being a fly on the wall during studio sessions, we learned that big, large diaphragm condenser microphones on Toms are a recording engineer's dream,” said Lauten Audio founder Brian Loudenslager. “Typically though, they are limited to rooms in the studio with amazing acoustics and are unusable live due to bleed and the fact that they would get in the way of performing. We've made that dream possible in any situation. Tom Mic has that sound without the footprint or bleed. The most common feedback is that they're so easy and forgiving to get a good tom sound without any processing.”

Tom Mic’s compact size and flexible mounting options make it easy to fit on even the most crowded drum kits. Its newly designed capsule is hand-tuned and vibration-resistant to provide excellent tone while minimising overtones from neighbouring drums. Its solid brass headframe and mildew-resistant dust filter protect Tom Mic from stick hits, dust, and debris for a lifetime of road and studio duty.

“Tom Mic is three-plus years in the making, and much thought and effort went into making a microphone with this timbre, this much rejection, and in this size,” Loudenslager continued. “Tom Mic is also very different from our LS-308: a new large diaphragm pressure gradient supercardioid capsule, a new circuit, and a much smaller body; literally less than half its size.”

Tom Mic is available now for $398 US Street / MSRP $549.