Review LCT 140

Eric Carpenter hat das LCT 140 mit dem RØDE NT1 verglichen. 

Summary: "First up, I gave the LEWITT a quick one-on-one vs. the ever popular RØDE NT1. The Rode is in a similar price range and I would normally use these two spaced apart on two tracks for a nice stereo acoustic sound, but for now we’ll place them together about 10–12 inches away, just north of the soundhole heading up the neck. The guitar is a Blueridge BG-160 which has a really bassy tone as well as some nice highs that I try to tame with old strings. In this case, I found the LEWITT to actually have the tone that I would be seeking with a larger diaphragm condenser when aimed at the body. Aside from the fact that I should probably back it up about two more inches, you can hear the clarity of the mic in this soundclip. It actually makes the Rode sound quite cloudy and cluttered. The proximity effect of this mic is rather pronounced, so close mic’ing a bassy instrument is not the best use for this mic, but with proper placement and a little room for the sound to travel and you’ll get a natural and true tone without having to reach for EQ. I love when that happens!"

Speaking of bass, I played a little upright, moving the LEWITT (again paired with a Rode NT1 for comparison) about 16–18 inches away from the F-holes. I found that it was well up to the task. The clarity and full range of the instrument is well-represented. In a session, I would ever so slightly compress the track to get some dynamic control, but I would be happy to use this mic for the upright for certain. I wasn’t expecting that, and never liked SDC’s on this bass, but hey, I’ll take it!!

Next up, I did a quick test on my old Stella tenor banjo. I’ve been wanting to make some loops out of these old-timey banjo sounds, and the LEWITT LCT 140 was up to the task. If you are familiar with the Rode NT1, this is the type of sound that I like to use it on: old guitars, old drums, etc. It has that character. In a side-by-side comparison, I don’t hear that much difference between the microphones when the banjo is played with a pick, but as soon as I switched to fingers, the versatility and full range of the LEWITT was evident.

Of all of the SDC’s that I have gotten to try out lately, I found the LEWITT LCT 140 to be the most polished sounding, with the full sonic spectrum seemingly available immediately after plugging in and only really needing to show consideration for the proximity effect that can be prominent in bass-heavy instruments. Build quality, sound quality, ease of use are all top-notch, as well as some funky LEDs to boot. In just the short time that I got to use this one, it topped my other quick “go-to” mics almost all around. With an MSRP of $299, this is a definite consideration for not just an auxiliary piece, but one that can be solo’d out and stand on its own."