Lewitt LCT 440 Pure - What a Contemporary Mic Should Be (Budget Microphone Review)
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- Опубліковано 8 січ 2022
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Today we check out the Lewitt LCT 440 Pure to hear just how Lewitt is making a name for themselves as a new company surrounded by audio giants. This budget microphone review will focus solely on the LCT 440, with a versus video coming some time soon :)
Making a contemporary microphone is no easy task, especially considering audio engineers affinity towards the "analogue" days and aesthetics. I think this is one way to get it right though.
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NT1 - amzn.to/2NUoBJK
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If this review helped you make your decision, here's the affiliate link as always my friends :)
Lewitt LCT 440 Pure - amzn.to/3imNwRh
I recently bought 4 mics (214, 440, NT1, & NT1A), and returned the NT1A. I found that the 440 & NT1A had a very similar sound, but the 440 was more refined and cleaner. So I kept the 440. The other mics have their own sound, and I love them all. Currently using the 214 to record female pop vocals for electronic synthwave, and it sounds slick and hi-fi.
214 and 440 for the win! Best mics for upper presence, especially in that price range
I love my 440 Pure. I think it punches way above it's weight. The small low drag integrated profile/pop filter design is fantastic for VO work. I can read copy easily while getting right up on the mic in a cramped DIY recording space. And the mic adds just a puff of high end structure to my barritone voice without any added sibilance or self-noise. For my needs, the Lewitt 440 Pure delivers stunning quality at a surprisingly affordable price.
Your guitar playing made both mics sound great! IMHO, if Lewitt charged $10K for the 440 instead of $269, everybody would say it was one of the best sounding mics ever made. Continue to love mine. Truth be told, price is the one spec that influences opinions more than any other, but there is no necessary linear relationship. I've had lots of expensive junk and as many cheap keepers over many decades. At present my best bang for the buck is a pair of old Shure 545 SD's I bought new in 1975, now running them through Fetheads (adds $89 per mic, sound great, build quality seems iffy but they've worked flawlessly 3-4 years so far). Huge gain now from the 545's, dead quiet, same old rock and roll sound. I would say that you just have to have the confidence to trust your ears and ignore the price and keep in mind the adage that "to have what you want, want what you have." The 440 is a no brainer, I think, but dynamic mics are also often a wise buy now - condensers ruled when tape was king, because they had the high end to overcome the hiss. This is no longer an issue with digital recording
Nice take! And definitely agree, I think Lewitt could really price the 440 higher and most would still think its worth it (although lewitt if you're reading this please don't lol)
I bought my Lewitt LCT 440 Pure back in 2018. The original plan was to start a podcast with a friend of mine, but things didn't work out as expected so I've used it mainly in Zoom calls.
It's a brilliant microphone and honestly I don't feel the need to "upgrade" to anything else as it ticks so many boxes: great sound, small and efficient pop filter, excellent and low profile shockmount, easy to drive by virtually any interface out there and a very solid build. I've heard side-by-side comparisons with the Neumann TLM-102 and, yes, I like the sound of the Neumann a bit better, but the differences are so small! Even in this video, if it weren't for the slight echo, the sound would be absolutely amazing and honestly doubt you can find anything that's obviously better for the vast majority of people out there.
As for the longevity of the microphone, the only issue I had is that the elastic on the shockmount needs to be replaced and there's a hairline crack in the shockmount base, probably because I keep my microphone sideways and I grab it my the shockmount whenever I want to move it, but that's a $30 replacement.
The only other issue is that it's a condenser microphone therefore it doesn't work well in noisy environments. I really wish Lewitt would make a broadcast microphone that might be an alternative to the SM7B or the EV RE20.
I recently bought one myself and it's actually great for game streaming applications as well. The rear rejection is really good for a condenser microphone and I barely have to eq it. I can't wait to use it for voice acting and singing too.
Yeah the noise rejection is really really good for a condenser!! Extremely impressive
i personally love my lewitt lct440 pure a lot, glad to see a mic reviewer that isn't so focused on bassy and mid range focused mics. (especially because those just don't work with every type of voice)
Absolutely! Different mic profiles for different people 100% agree
Thank you for the great review. I've recently picked up a 4:40 and I love it! It's everything you say it is and an amazing microphone at that price point.
It absolutely is!
Cheers, thanks for the nice review! 💚 Greetings from Vienna
Ey!! Lmk if you guys ever come to nyc :)
Lewitt & Austrian Audio are some of my favorite audio companies at the moment
Definitely some awesome mics!
Great information.
I look forward to your head-to-head with the Rode nt1
Very soon my friend :))
I really enjoyed your sincere review. I've been swirling around this microphone and I appreciate your matter of fact-ness and helpful background info, as I'm new to the mic world.
Glad I could help! Its a great mic, especially if you like a brighter sound :)
Nice review! I'm considering to buy AT2035 or add more to go for LCT 440 Pure. My room is not really treated, just a little bit acoustic foam here and there. I saw a couple of your videos recommending AT2035 over NT1 for better room rejection. Does LCT 440 Pure does better job for minimal to non treated room compared to AT2035?
Oh I personally think it does better than both! Very well designed mic, better for room rejection than the NT1 and 2035, but its also brighter, so you gotta like bright mics :)
"Bearing in mind this is an extremely reflective room." That said, you sound better and more professional than hundreds of other videos in ordinary rooms. I recently bought the LCT 440 Pure for broadcast projects and recording vocals at my beats studio workstation. I will not buy another mic this year. I will not buy another mic this year. I promise I will not buy another mic this year. Hahaha, we'll see.
I bought this mic 2 weeks ago and do not only a radio show from my home studio but also voice over for commercials all over the country. I have used an MKH-416 and a TLM-103 and for $700 less, this mic stands up to them. The only thing as he says is the effectiveness of the wind screen. Other than that, fantastic presence and clarity.
Glad you're enjoying it!
that melody on the guitar touched my soul did you come up with that or is that a sample of something else
Watching this with my limited Audiohaze t-shirt 😎
EYYYYY what a throw back!!
I like when a brand goes with a new design instead of copying the U87, U47, or C12. When the original Neat Worker and Neat King Bee came out, I liked the stupid black and yellow design since it was unique to Neat. The Blue Baby Bottle is less unique but I think it looks different enough from what's on the market.
Definitely! and yes that neat worker bee from the old generations was so cool!! I wish they'd go back to the silly design
I totally agree with you, it's a good thing, that Lewitt developed their own style, lookwise and soundwise.
On the acoustic guitar I'd prefer the Neumann, I found it more airy and smooth.
I actually may have preferred the Lewitt on the guitar in this position, although I think overall I prefer acoustic guitar on the TLM102, I would just position it probably in a brighter position :)
@@AudioHaze Interesting how different ears perceive different things
@@techmed-rainer Definitely, I think the mid-forward sound of the 102 is more desirable, but I still need that high end shelf
Mr. Haze, consider a comparison between the Lewitt 440, and the Austrian Audio OC16.
I used this mic for my EP. Sounded awesome! I also have the 240 that sounds killer too!
Nice! How do you think they sound different? Anything super noticeable?
@@AudioHaze they both sound excellent. The 440 just sounds fuller in my opinion. Podcastage has done a review on both. They’re great mics at a killer price!
Bro can u show me your EP, i really want to hear it :)
@@teymusic490 Love and Graffiti - Theory Is…
Available on all platforms!
for spoken word.. how would you compare the 440 Pure to the RE20.. i know the RE20 is one of your favorite mics
Should've ended on the 9, it was beautiful. Do it often enough and eventually, it will sound resolved. 😄
I came for the review but just like the cat at 1:02 I couldn't stop staring at the Firebird...
If you could respond this question for me, I would be forever in your debt. Is there a difference in the spectral response from the Lewitt 440 Pure and the Lewitt 441 Flex? I saw an review that says that the 441 had more body and low end than the 440, but all the specs that I could find would say that they are the same mic but with more polar patterns (441 Flex). I would love to buy one but since I'm from Brazil is difficult to get my hands on one to test it. I have to order from abroad. And I really need to know if I was getting a better sounding mic for the extras dollars (that make a big impact with my currency) and not only different polar patterns. Love the channel. Keep up with the great work.
From what I understand, they are the same microphone, although the flex has multiple polar patterns which MAY add more body depending on your proximity to the mic and the polar pattern you're using. But in my experience using both, they sound virtually the same :)
@@AudioHaze Thanks So much!
This is one of my dream mics. Someday… someday.
It doesn't appear to be very expensive.
@@seanwebb605 You're right, but other priorities are in the way.
@@_Looft Priorities suck. Let's buy cool microphones.
Eventually I'm sure you'll get there :) given enough time its attainable
That is not what the sensitivity spec means. It simply refers to the output voltage for a given input SPL, which in practice just translates to how much gain you'll need at the preamp. To see an impact in the ability of a mic to "pickup quiet sounds" you'd have to have a relatively insensitive mic with a relatively high noise floor, to the point where the background quietness was masked by the noise. If the noise floor is high enough to achieve this masking then it's going to be a bigger problem than any background reflections IMO.
Does it handle screaming vo as well as the king bee?
i'm thinking about picking up either these or the warm audio clone of the c414. The c414 is my dream mic but way out of my price range
I really think the Lewitt will serve you better :) they aren't an overt clone, and I really think built off of what AKG was doing
Nice vid :)
Thank you my friend :)
So I might out myself as the idiot here, but I just got myself a 441 flex and the only real complaint I have is the shockmount as well. Am I the only one who cannot set it up upside down because it will just slip out of the shockmount, no matter how much the screw is tightened?
Also thank you for your videos! They are what convinced me to pull the trigger on the flex at black friday and soundwise I'm just really happy with it!
So glad you're liking it! And thats super weird about the shockmount? I just tested it and mine does not fall out of the shockmount like that, so I'm not really sure. I give it a few good shakes and it didn't seem to budge at all.
As a Lewitt user, I think it's a mistake using the pop filter on the Lewitt when you record the acoustic guitar, even though the filter is pretty sonically transparent, it does add a little colour and can ring at higher frequencies.
Thanks for letting me know! I'll do some testing and see what I can hear :)
If you’re farting into the microphone you need a pop filter
I like how the mic is square, reminds me of an ice cream bar
Lewitt LCT 440 vs Rode nt1 5 gen ??
Thanks!
Kitten! 🤩 Erm.... I mean: Oh my... here comes the one microphone in the price range of roughly 270 USD, that I am conflicted with. So I mentioned my bias to this microphone before. And given your approach of describing Lewitt as a whole, I am almost thinking, that you might be biased as well - not towards this microphone, but towards Lewitt as a whole, based on what you hear on this microphone. See, I watched the Videos of the Booth Junkie about both, the LCT 440 Pure and the LCT 540 Subzero. And based on what I heard there, I came to the conclusion: What you described as the contemporary Lewitt Sound, is on the LCT 540 Subzero much less apparent, as it is on the LCT 440 Pure. But since I never heard a side by side comparison between the two, maybe it is I, who is actually biased here, because the Booth Junkie always puts two microphones side by side. And he paired the Lewitt LCT 440 Pure with the Neat King Bee. And now that I look at the frequency responses while I write this, I cannot shake off the feeling, that I indeed might be indeed biased. The frequencies around 3kHz are noticeably elevated on the LCT 440 Pure, compared to the King Bee. BUT: Then there is the other video I saw, which was a comparison between the Lewitt LCT 540 S and the Neumann TLM 103. And the Frequency Response around 3 kHz with the TLM 103 is much more neutral as well. So just by looking at the frequency responses, what I hear with the LCT 440 Pure (on some recordings) cannot be explained properly. Honestly.... taking a look at both frequency responses side by side, I cannot really understand, why that is myself, but the LCT 540 Subzero seemed much smoother in the top end, compared to the LCT 440 Pure. And the same is true for the Neat King bee, the RØDE NT1 and the Neumann TLM 103 So throughout the spectrum of price ranges, there are a lot of microphones, that I'd prefer over the LCT 440, which sounds harsh to my ears. Just a little bit, but still... It feels like the mids to highs (2.5-10kHz) in human voice are rough on the LCT 440 Pure. But not on all voices. Your voice (and the guitar) for example sound very nice on it.
Interesting! So are you saying that the sound I characterized Lewitt as in this video does not appear as apparent towards the upper end of their price range? To be fair, I'm pretty much just well versed in the 440 and 441 models. Unfortunately that you find the tone of the 440 harsh though in comparison to some of the other mics you mentioned here, I think it personally (at least on my voice) hands high end very elegantly, but perhaps this may vary depending on the voice.
I have a Lewitt 440 that I've never been 100% satisfied with. It's good for dull vocals or darker acoustic guitars but almost everything else I find it to be harsh and overhyped. I think it might just come down to personal preference and not the microphone's fault though. I just prefer darker mics.
Its definitely quite bright though, I think it has some objectively useful characteristics, but if you don't enjoy bright mics, this won't be your cup of tea!
@@AudioHaze For sure! I think it's still cool and works if you wanna get some extra jangle out of acoustic guitars in a treated space, but I just bought an old C414 B-ULS that I'm much happier with! That thing sounds insane.
Great comparison on the guitar, but you should've taken the pop screen off of the Lewitt.
I would agree with you if this were a foam screen or even nylon, but a perforated metal screen (especially one this thin) is unlikely to make much difference to the high end :)
Danke!
Thank you as always Rainer! You will forever and always be too kind to me lol
Lewitt 440 or Austrian Audio OC16? Anyone want to weigh in?
BRO! Thank you so fuckin much🙏 Big ass help BROO, big ass help😅
im fairly new to recording vocd so im in an untreated room. i have been struggling to find the right mic to suit my voice. i saw the nt1a would be right for this, as well as for recording guitar but after watching this i feel as though this mic would be a good choice. i dont want to buy something and have made the wrong choice so which one would be better or what other mic would be better?
If you are in an untreated room, start with a dynamic mic, like an SM58. A condenser mic is going to pick up all of the room echos/reflections. If you have a nice closet with clothes to suck up sound, you can/should try a condenser mic in there.
Hey! I agree with John, untreated room I wouldn't get a condenser, I would go for something like a SM58/SM57, or if you'd like to spend a little more, the RE320 is killer and very "condenser" like with the noise rejection of a dynamic. That being said, I will say the LCT 440 is honestly a great condenser in terms of room rejection, I was shocked
thanks alot :)
I would save on the mics and would do a simple acoustic treatment
Okay. I'm probably not going to buy this microphone because I already have a Neumann TLM102 that is doing the same job. Maybe you can help decide on another product though. I'm sitting on the fence about buying a Sennheiser MKH416 Shotgun Mic. The case for buying it is room noise rejection when shooting videos in my living room rather than in my treated space. I need more room for the backdrop supports, lighting and such. And I would prefer the microphone to be off camera for this use case. But it is possible that my intention to buy the microphone is a combination of retail therapy and delaying actually producing the video and content that I intend to work on.
Can we start with your thoughts on the Sennheiser MKH416 Shotgun Mic? It's an expensive microphone. Are there others that will do the same job for less money? What exercises can I do to avoid retail therapy? If I don't buy this microphone I'll have the money for a better camera without depleting my cash reserves. I'll be asking someone else at work about the merits of the camera. lol
Hmmmm, well I don't have any experience with that microphone specifically, so I can't answer about that exact model. But from what I do know with your collection, it sounds like it would be a great addition. Whats your gain like on your interface? Do you have any other condensers besides the 102 that perhaps requires less gain? A condenser with low self noise and relatively low sensitivity, and that isn't gain hungry, could work in the exact same way (slightly off camera) if you combine is with a de-noise plugin like izotope RX. But thats sort of a work around I guess :)
@@AudioHaze My intention is to record into my Sound Devices MixPre3 and send a reference signal to my DSLR and then swap out the audio in post. When recording directly into my computer I have a third generation Focusrite and a Zoom H6. My only other condenser microphone is an Apex 435B. In the nicer weather I would also like to be able to record some stand up introductions outdoors.
@Sean Webb If you're going for a shotgun mic, maybe you step down to the Sennheiser MKE 600 instead. It will probably do the job for you. I'm really pleased with it. Otherwise maybe you want to try a dynamic mic like the RE20 or, for more versatility and with an optional build in preamp the Aston Stealth, which prevents you from needing to much gain.
@@techmed-rainer I was tempted by the Sennheiser MKE 600, but hadn't seen many reviews for my use case. It is less expensive and I think it is in stock at a store I use locally. Hmmmmm.....
@@seanwebb605 ua-cam.com/video/oVdArwi41gk/v-deo.html
It's in German, but maybe helpful nevertheless. I would really recommend trying the MKE600. Or consider the Aston Stealth, it's an amazing mic for a reasonable price.
AKG is basically a tuning house now
Tuning house?
@@Leo9ine Yeah, Its a pleace where they tune the drivers to sound how they want, think of Drop and the Sennheiser HD6XX's. Drop was the tuning house, and Senheiser is the manufacturer.
Is Lewitt LCT 440 , good for recording acoustic Guitar ?
Oh 100%, its one of my favorites. Its super sparkly :)
@@AudioHaze Thanks so much for sharing your views 🙏🏻. I ordered one just now😊
Bro, free plugin video when?
Haha I dont know, I did make a similar video a while ago: ua-cam.com/video/8GiIBnyeMPY/v-deo.html
What is the best way to contact you for business inquiries?
By email! realaudiohaze@gmail.com :)
I love mine, the only thing which I would like more is a bassier sound
Ah gotcha, how does it handle EQ boosts in the low end?
@@AudioHaze sort of good, but no that much, boosting the low frequencies gives an "inconsistent" sound
@@Angelo-vb6dg dang okay good to know
@@Angelo-vb6dgwhy EQ when you can saturate??
👍
lewitt vs RE 20?
ooooh super different mics, depends on the room, use, etc.
The popscreen is less effective because there’s too little distance between the screen and the mic.
One thing that kinda sucks is that every comment section on every mic review on every channel is flooded with questions / answers / opinions regarding podcast, gaming, spoken word, voice overs, etc.
Where are all the musicians & music studio folks in these threads lol ?
whenever I hear AKG I always thing people are talking about Asian Kung-Fu Generation
lol this may be a personal problem my friend 😂
They're for the children!
Kitten.
Good 'ole Bly being a great studio assistant
NTI is better.
yes
It's rude to talk about someone else's hole.
:0