Recording - January 2017 - 21

Now that this mode is set up, you can record each channel to a pair of mono
tracks if you wish. You can then adjust polar pattern settings manually by controlling
the phase and relative level of the two diaphragms, per the included instructions in
the LCT 640 TS manual.
If you're not devoted to doing things old-school, it's quite a bit easier to download
the free Lewitt Polarizer plug-in (Windows and Mac VST/AU/AAX). For this method
it's better to record your input signals to a stereo track in your DAW, or to bus the two
mono tracks to a stereo bus and pan the front diaphragm left and the rear diaphragm
to the right. Insert the plug-in, and you can now alter the microphone's polar pattern
between 9 set standard patterns as well as move in a fully variable fashion in
between... all complete with graphic representation as shown in the screenshot.

You can also use the LCT 640 TS for stereo recording without the plug-in. Using
the width/panning of the channels in your DAW, you can directly control the stereo
width of the track for ridiculously simple Mid/Side work.
In use
Sonically the LCT 640 TS is similar to the original model, faithful to the sound of
most of Lewitt's FET mics. It's a clean and natural sound that largely stays out of the
way-not a "clinical measurement" kind of clean, but more of a gently neutral flavor
with a great balance of fullness and a top end that is forward enough to be open
and clear but rolled off just enough to avoid being harsh or strident.
As for the post-tracking polar pattern control and stereo features of the mic... simply put, they are freaking awesome! This is the type of microphone that I would have
killed for, back in the days when I was doing sound design for Sony. This is a great
mic for clean, sample-library honesty; its ability to alter the polar pattern or record
stereo with ease puts it beautifully over the top.
Proximity effect lessens, off-axis rejection changes, the rear lobe gets open and natural in
figure-8 or omni, or it gets thicker and shrinks as the cardioid pattern shifts into hypercardioid
mode... all easily done in real time thanks to the Polarizer plug-in, which works perfectly.
This sort of control is great for clearing up proximity effect and bleed on vocals or
acoustic instruments, just as you would with conventional pattern switching. The difference is, here you can tweak the patterns to fit your mix after the fact.
These post-tracking pattern changes are also great for balancing multiple vocalists
gathered around a single mic. In groups of three or more, there is always one person who is too loud no matter how far they step back. Here you can change the pattern in the mix to lessen the loudmouth!
A fun use is as a room mic, where you can choose how tight the room sound is,
or even flip the front side of the cardioid capsule in post to the other side to highlight
rear room reflections. It's a neat effect, especially when heavily compressed, and
can make a small room sound bigger.

On the stereo side, I just finished tracking an atmospheric ambient album with
lots of bells, shakers, gongs, singing
bowls, and other bits of odd clattery percussion and voices. The LCT 640 TS was
the only mic I used for the entire project.
I loved the fact that rather than panning
sounds in the stereo field in the DAW, the
panning was done real time with the
sources moved around the mic.
When fully panned L/R, the LCT 640
TS is ultra-wide. As such it works in a
pinch on drum overheads, but it may be
too wide for live use. If the band is in

the room with the drummer, it may also
pick up too much reflection from the
walls. This is because rather than being
an XY, ORTF, or Blumlein stereo mic, the
capsules face hard left and right. As
such, on drums I preferred it more as a
front of kit stereo/room mic.
I have only one word of caution about
working with the LCT 640 TS. The mini
pins on the mic's secondary output jack
are fragile, so be slow and careful when
attaching the cable so they do not bend.
There is a notch on the adaptor, so if the
cable is not going in, don't force it! I
would strongly recommend a good cable
tie to bundle the two mic cables together,
so the secondary cable is strain-relieved
and not bearing any weight.
Conclusions
After reviewing and enjoying Lewitt
mics for about five years now, for my
work, this is the one I most want to own. It
sounds great on its own as a neutral studio workhorse, but its capsule-splitting abilities open up a whole world of flexible
applications. It's not only a cool mic for
stereo use, but it will most likely have you
playing with and using polar patterns
more than on a standard multipattern mic,
which in turn can lead to better-sounding
and more professional tracks... which is
sort of the idea, right?

Price: $899 * More from: Lewitt, www.lewitt-audio.com
RECORDING JANUARY 2017

http://www.lewitt-audio.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - January 2017