Recording - February 2013 - 54

B Y PA U L V N U K J R .

In our February 2012 issue we introduced Austria-based Lewitt Audio, a then brand new microphone company marrying European design with Asian manufacturing. As I mentioned in that review, Lewitt sprang up out of nowhere and hit the ground running with a full product line of unique-looking, well built and versatile microphones in every category, from stage-flavored dynamics to studio-focused condensers and even mics of the wireless variety. Versatile indeed—the Authentica LCT 640 I reviewed last year is a largediaphragm studio condenser with 5 polar patterns, 4 levels of attenuation, 4 choices of low-end roll-off, and to top it off each of those controls is digitally controlled! And that was just the start... for this review we look at Lewitt’s flagship kick-drum mic, the DTP 640 REX, which continues the Lewitt versatility trend.

Lewitt Dual-Element Kick Drum Mic DTP 640 REX
Two capsules in one body equals a flexible mic for a variety of sources
Dynamic or Condenser? Yes! First up in the versatility department, the DTP 640 houses both a standard dynamic capsule as well as a small-diaphragm condenser capsule on top of it, with the two capsules in perfect phase alignment. Of course this is not a new idea; AudioTechnica shipped just such a mic a decade ago with the AE2500 (reviewed December 2003). But Lewitt has added to the basic concept with some interesting tweaks of its own for more versatility; the DTP 640 REX adds a unique character voicing or Enhanced Frequency Response switch and two levels of padding. Heavy and built like a tank With all of those electronics inside and weighing over 27 oz. this is one of the heavier kick drum mics I have seen. The DTP is also quite sizable at 6.22" in length and 2.80" in diameter. The closest mic in its size and appearance class would actually be Shure’s Beta 52A. In other words, if you plan on placing it
54
RECORDING February 2013

inside of a sound hole on a boom close to the drumhead, you will need a nicely counterweighted stand. This mic is over-built and rugged, and does not give away its overseas origin at all, which so far is another trait I admire in the Lewitt line. The mic is finished in a matte black with the Lewitt logo in silver and green embossed on its backside. The mic capsules sit behind a large domed double mesh, foam-lined windscreen. On top of the body are the pair of recessed 3-position slider switches for the voicings (more on that in a minute) and the pad selections of 0, –10, and –20 dB A built-in forward/rear pivoting mic mount sits on the bottom of the mic. It houses the XLR cable connection and mic stand threads, and is completed by a large knurled knob for positioning adjustments. The mic comes with your standard leatherette pouch and a special Y-cable that splits into separate outs for the two mic capsules—this mic takes up two input channels of your mixer or preamp, because it’s actually two mics.

Behind the dome Behind the domed windscreen we start with the dynamic microphone that makes use of a 1.25" capsule. It has a stated 20 Hz to 16 kHz frequency response with a healthy low-end boost centered from 50 to 70 Hz, a flat midrange, and top-end peaks of roughly 4 kHz and 12 kHz. The condenser element is a 0.88" cardioid capsule that is listed as having a 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response. It is gently rolled off from 20 to 100 Hz and then flat up to peaks at 2.75 kHz and a smaller one at 15 kHz. Combined, the mic has an equivalent noise level of 28 dBA and a max SPL of 170 dB when padded. As you can guess, the condenser element requires phantom power. Quite the character The frequency switches on top of the mic are marked =//= (FFR – Flat Frequency Response), +//= (Dynamic EFR – Dynamic Enhanced Frequency

Response) and +//+ (Dual EFR – Dual Dynamic Enhanced Frequency Response). The =//= is the flat and natural state of each capsule. In the +//= setting the cardioid capsule remains the same, while the dynamic gets an extreme bass boost and a moderate high-end boost akin to many modern kick drum mics. In the +//+ setting both capsules undergo an extreme makeover, if you will. The condenser mic boosts and focuses on 70 to 150 Hz, and the dynamic mic becomes just the opposite, focusing on 3 to 5 kHz. In use This mic offers a plethora of mixing choices and I have only just scratched the surface. Not only do you get the choice of the frequency settings, but also blending the capsules in a mix offers endless possibilities, because with any two mics a 2 dB change in relative level can yield big sonic changes. Here are some of my initial uses and impressions.
Recording - February 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - February 2013
