TritonAudio FetHead Germanium

... you don't have a high-end preamp/audio interface.

TL;DR:
- This preamp deliver a solid 29dB gain with low noise.
- You should buy it if you have a low-end preamp/audio interface and you want to reduce the amount of noise you get in your audio signal.
- You should not buy it if you have high-end preamps, except if you want its "muffled" sound, especially good on ribbon microphones IMHO.

Let me explain how I tested it. For each microphone, I tested the two following processing chains:
- Microphone -> FetHead -> UA Apollo 8p (default preamp)
- Microphone -> UA Apollo 8p (default preamp with 29dB of additional gain relative to the gain I applied on the first processing chain)

I tested it on a dynamic microphone (SM 7 B) and a ribbon one (sE X1R). I always had a higher noise level when using the FetHead.
This is completly acceptable considering the very different nature and pricing of those 2 products, but it's something worth to know.

The FetHead (and probably the Cloudlifter too) will give you less noise if you use a low/mid-end preamp/audio interface, this is why so many people review this thing as a "magical" device to put between the 7B and your preamp. But it's not better than a high quality preamp 😉

That being said, this preamp also gives a color to your sound.
When using the FetHead you end up with a warmer and a bit "muffled" sound. The high frequencies are attenuated, and I think it's a perfect match for a ribbon microphone (very subjectively, I loved how it sounded on my sE X1R) as it's already something you expect from such a microphone.

Also, if you like to have a little "retro" analog sound, rather than "pristine crystal clear", this should help you in your journey to get that sound.

Even if I won't use it for it's "gain" purpose, this is definitely a nice tool to have. But don't listen to the YouTube reviews: it's not a magical device that makes your sound unbelievable. It's a great device, but nothing magical.

Utilisé pour Booster un SM7B avant de rentrer dans une Focusrite.
Je n'ai jamais testé de vrai préamp donc je ne peux pas comparer mais je suis environ à 1/4 sur le préamp de la carte son donc ça fait le taff.
Certains parlent de souffle mais je n'ai pas ce problème.
Pour la qualité de fabrication il ne faudra pas s'amuser à débrancher et rebrancher car je doute que ça tienne longtemps.

Acheté à la base pour booster un micro ruban, la coloration du germanium s'est révélée trop présente et dénature trop le timbre du micro. Par contre je l'ai utilisé sur mon micro de grosse caisse (AKG D112) et là c'est un régal ! Des basses profondes, et la sensation d'avoir les qualités d'un micro dynamique et d'un statique avec un seul micro !

Testé également sur micro chant, et voix parlée, le germanium rajoute de la chaleur sans être baveux dans le bas du spectre.