Interactive Guitar Magazine - Review LCT 640 TS

We want to thank Andy Picker for the release of a very revealing video review in Interactive Guitar Magazine.

Summary: "First things first - check out the case this new Lewitt mic comes in. Review gear can have a hard life getting shipped around, and sometimes manufacturers and distributors will invest in high grade cases for their kit on the basis that it’s always good if it actually works when it reaches a reviewer. Well, Lewitt has packed the LCT640TS in a very impressive mil-spec shipping case, along with a shock-mount, pop shield, soft carry case and foam wind shield: the good news is that your mic will come in one too! That’s the “Best packed mic” award won then!"

What you have is a multi pattern LDC (Large Diaphragm Condenser) microphone, with a 1” capsule and fairly normal specs for noise, sensitivity, maximum levels etc – take a look at the details at the end of this review if you need that stuff. Soft-switching gives you three levels of pad, three levels of low-cut and five different polar patterns, so I guess they have a reason for not wanting to use old-world switches. Power the mic down and it will remember how you had it set, blast it with too much noise and the status indicator will flash red to warn you (and in case you miss it, it’ll remember so you can check later in the session). Get it just the way you want it and you can lock the settings so it doesn’t get adjusted when you move it. Oh, and if you need a pop shield, there’s a rather good perforated metal one that fastens onto the mount with a magnet.

What the LCT 640 TS does is to allow you to record the output from both signals individually, which means that you can add them however you like, after recording, so you can change the polar pattern of the mic. 'Fix it in the mix'? Yes you really can!

It’s not difficult to combine the tracks manually in a DAW, but Lewitt has produced a 'Polarizer' plugin for PC and MAC based DAWs that provides a simple interface to fine tune the patterns. You can even record stereo images with a single mic, with the obvious limitation that you can’t vary the angle of the capsules. 

That’s all very clever but what’s it like to use? Once you get it the right way round (hint – the switches go towards the source, which is the only way you can reach the secondary output socket when it’s in the cradle - ahem!) it’s got a very satisfying tonal balance, with enough weight to capture body, and enough brightness for bite and sizzle, but without the harsh/spitty top end that some modern condenser mics have.

Now it’s time for a confession; when I first heard about this mic I thought the adjustable polar pattern thing was a gimmick, something to stand-out from the crowd but not really of much use. Wrong! The ability to select the polar pattern in the context of a mix is absolutely brilliant – bear in mind that this isn’t some DSP trick, it’s the real thing, just like adjusting the mic at recording time but without the artist getting bored while you try to choose the best setting. Different polar patterns alter the sound as proximity and off-axis effects have more or less impact, but the Lewitt maintains its own identity throughout and presents a sound that’s somehow a bit polished.

As always with microphones, if you’re after something for a specific purpose, you need to check it with your source, but as a general-use mic for all sorts of studio jobs I think it’s an excellent piece of kit. Oh, and if you need a pair, you can just buy another one; Lewitt claims that their 'Perfect Match Technology' enables them to match all mics straight out of assembly!

This really is a genuine 'do it all' mic and it absolutely kicks ass – superb stuff!"