Lewitt LCT 140 AIR

Great Little Mic

I've been struggling for some time with getting a realistic acoustic guitar recording. It always seems to turn out dull, boomy and nothing like I am hearing it in the room. This mic seems to be the answer. It sounds crisp and clear but not overly bright and there is no boominess. My thanks, also, to Warren Huart for the tip. His video on recording acoustic guitar is so helpful.

Super sensitive mic

The mic can pick up my kid talking two floors down (also bad insulation). I had trouble to control my breathing to ensure it is not in every recording, which is a good thing, because it gives such a detailed sound of my acoustic guitar. It would probably work very well with singing if you add a pop filter. This mic is IMO one of the best money can buy in this price range.

Lewitt LCT 140 AIR

I did not expect this level of performance for such an inexpensive microphone. Will be getting a few more units.

A very modern sound

Used on its own the sound is maybe even too modern for my taste. But mixed with a ribbon I find it just right to get that full acoustic sound.

Not too shabby

Excellent bang-for-buck SCM.

As small condenser microphones go, this is an excellent all-rounder.

Pro:

At this price point, it's decently low self-noise.

Pad

High pass.

High shelf.

Build quality is exemplary.

Storage pouch is nice and well padded.

Con:

None that I can see now.

Other thoughts...

Lewitt doesn't offer the LCT 140 Air in matched pairs, which I think is unfortunate, but, I'm loving this microphone, and will acquire a few more, and will try to match a pair to use as mic overheads.

Acoustic Guitarists look no further

Step one buy this mic.

Step two body mic your guitar.

Step Three be amazed that you achieved that nice a sound with one super light microphone. Absolutely great bang for your buck

Great overall mic

Does the trick for acoustic guitars but not only. I use this as well when recording guitar amps at "bedroom levels". The phantom power boost makes it strong enough (compared to 57) and I like how focused it is compared to any regular-sized condenser mic.

Solid Small Diaphragm Mic

I ended up buying this mic on a whim to have another option in the mic closet, but I was pleasantly surprised by what I received.

Just like most people, I certainly have my preferences when it comes to which mics I put on which instruments, but this one came to me highly recommended (and for what it costs, I figured I might as well give it a shot).

For several months I had this on a stand and ready to go whenever I had a stringed instrument part to play in. At the end of the day, I personally prefer a bit more body on my acoustic guitars, but it's up front about its 'airiness' and this could be exactly what you're looking for (especially on other stringed instruments like ukulele or mandolin).

Positives: Delivers on the "air" promise, adds a brilliant/bright color to a recording, quite affordable, good build quality

Negatives: In same/similar price point as other more reputable mics, some unexplained noises at times (hums/hiss)

In summary: This mic certainly deserves every bit of attention that it gets. As stated, you really can't go wrong here for what you're paying. Great choice for a starter studio.

Awesome, affordable mic

Context/Use:

I was looking for a mic to give me a great recording for my acoustic guitars. I had used in the past large condensers but, given the limitations of my home studio, they would catch weird resonances than then I would try to fix "in the mix" (requiring a lot of time and guess work from my side). As you may know, while in some cases you can enhance some things in post-production, the best approach is to get the right sound "at the source".

Clarity:

Enter the Lewitt LCT 140 AIR. The recordings (the source material) it gives me are massively better than what I would get with a single LDC. This is because, the LCT 140 AIR being a small diaphragm condensers, captures better the transients/dynamics of the strings and also has a narrower polar pattern (so, my - not awesome - room does not play such a big role anymore).

Furthermore, the AIR function of this mics gives you something that sounds "like a record" already, without the need to do much work in post/in the mix.

Pros

- awesome sound, with the AIR function it "like a record"

- AIR function can also be deactivated (in case you are looking for a less bright/present tone)

- high-pass filter- in case you want to eliminate some rumble and your interface does not offer this or you don't have an external EQ or can't/don't want to do it in post-production)

- simple to use (the AIR and high-pass filter are easy to understand and enable/disable)

- comes with a mic holder and bag

Cons:

- none really. If you want to be super picky, because the mic is so light, it might not work on a spring arm (like the Rode PS1). Not a big deal though, you can use a standard mic stand (even the cheap ones will hold it, since it's so light).

All in all, I'm very happy with this mic. I doubted for a couple of months whether to buy it or not. I'm happy I did.

This is the one mic you need to record an acoustic guitar the way it should be

I'm amazed! This little feather-weight condenser mic sounds like a miracle. It makes you feel like you just got away with a huge bargain, or maybe the guys at Lewitt made a mistake and put a much more costly diaphragm in this one.

No, seriously, you have to give it a chance. A huge thanks to Warren Huart at Produce Like a Pro for the hint.

I previously used a Rode Nt1 or an Aston Origin for recording acoustic guitars. I've also tried a SM57. However, after trying virtually any position on those three mics, I could never come up with a sound that I actually liked.

The reality is: you CAN record an acoustic with a large diaphragm mic, or with SM57, and I'm sure it can be done rather well, especially if you posses a very expensive mic, but a small diaphragm is especially made for this purpose. The fact is: this sorts of mics don't pick up much bottom-end, so it's virtually impossible to get bass booming, unless you place the mic directly in front of the sound, a few inches away, I guess.

This little wonder also has an high pass filter, however, just to make sure. You can disable it if you don't need it. It can also be used with drums and there's an attenuator for that purpose, which takes off 12 Dbs "for distortion-free recording of high SPL instruments" (says the instruction manual).The sound function lets you switch between "Air" (a little boost on the high frequencies) or "FLAT" (as in flat Eq).

I'm not going to elaborate further on the quality of sounds this little things is capable of, because, really, it's stunning. Comes with a mic clip, a bag and a little windscreen.

Pros

-Unbelievable price/quality ratio

-Clear, crisp sound and Acoustic guitars

-Lightness

Cons

-None

Pros