Hello

I wondering does the fethead need to be directly after the microphone or can it be microphone out to cable into fethead out cable then into interface?

 

I only know that usually it's mic -> fethead -> cable but I've never tried if mic -> cable -> fethead is really worse.

 

I've always done it as you describe. Mic -> Short XLR -> Fethead/CloudLifter -> XLR -> Preamp

 

Doesn't matter.. after the mic, before the interface or anywhere in between

 

If we use a bit of logic i think preamp/audio inter > xlr cable > fethead > mic, so the mic would be at least theoratically feeding a "louder" signal through the cable, which will have "better" results because the fethead would not be amplifying the noise picked up by the cable, and this only the case if the cable is of a "lower" quality, because if you get a nicely shielded cable you wouldn't have to worry about the cable picking up unwanted noises.

 

Depends on the cable length, I think. But if you're not laying tens of meters of cable, it shouldn't make any significant difference.

 

https://podcastage.com/rev/fetheadmicint

 

Every time that I've used the FetHead that I have with older, less powerful mic preamps to boost the signal to power hungry microphones like my Electro Voice RE-20 on a vocal or the old reporter microphone from the 50's, an ancient Sennheiser MD 21, I have connected the FetHead directly to the microphone for no other reason that I didn't want it on the floor and also that I didn't wish to use a second cable. It seems that it is best this way as I've heard others say that it boosts noise from both the additional cable connections as well as any interference from the longer cable run itself.

Instead of having to crank up a preamp until it introduces hiss on a quiter source with a dynamic mic like on a stand up bass, a vocal or acoustic guitar, a FetHead let's you gain stage with less that tendency. You'll definitely not need one with an SM57 on a snare or when close micing up a guitar amp.

 

Just been looking at Triton Audios website and came across this video...yes you can place it anywhere

 

To me, nothing else but connecting it into the mic and connecting the cable into it makes sense. That is, when you know that the stronger the signal goes through the cable, the better the sound quality. Now I agree that the interference might be negligible in some studios, and it certainly depends on the cable length, but as they say "better be safe than sorry". Always do it the best way possible, unless for some reason you have to do it some other way.

I tend to think of FETHead as a "DI for the mic" and I use it that way. You wouldn't put a DI for your guitar near the mixer, wouldn't you? Because that kinda defies its purpose.

Hey, speaking of FETHead, does anybody use FETHead Germanium? I'm thinking of buying it, just to have another colour on the table to play with. Like, is the difference good or bad, and is it even perceptible? in other words, is it worth it if you already have the original FETHead?

 

But
1. Guitar outputs are unbalanced (most of the time), that's one reason why DI are needed.
2. Good luck connecting a Cloudlifter directly to a mic!