The Launcher harnesses the electrical prowess of Russian mic maestros, Soyuz. At Engineering the Sound, we were keen to see if this box could transform our mic collection.
It’s often the bane of engineers: putting your favourite ribbon or dynamic mic in front of a sound source, only to find that you need to crank up the gain on your preamp so high that you bring an unacceptable level of noise into your signal chain. The Launcher from Soyuz aims to remedy that.
Populated with a single transformer, this handcrafted Russian unit is a study in simplicity and sophistication. Does it do what it says on the packet? At Engineering the Sound, we were keen to find out.
The Launcher evokes the ‘Space Race’ — a time when Russian engineering and scientific know-how was lauded. Instead of sending cosmonauts into orbit, this Launcher injects dynamic and ribbon mics with rocket fuel.
It couldn’t be more simple to use: one end goes to your microphone, the other, to your preamp. Simply send it phantom power, and just like magic, headroom for days.
The level difference isn’t the end of the story. The Launcher lends microphone tone an unmistakable extra flavour to the tone of a range of microphones. A whole extra dimension of harmonic saturation, colour and character is imparted; you’ll have a lot of fun mixing and matching the Launcher with your favourite microphones and preamps.
To pick up your own, head over to Studio Connections.
