Recording - May 2013 - 19

–12dB/octave @ 40 Hz, –6 dB/octave @
150 Hz, and –6 dB/octave @ 300 Hz. All
controls are beautifully backlit, including
the dials with glowing red and white status
LEDs.
On the back of the power supply are
the cable connections for the multipin mic
cable input, a standard male XLR output,
and a standard power cable and power
switch. Note that the LCT 940 uses a special 11-pin audio cable due to the extra
switching options.
The LCT 940 comes in a large jampacked foam-lined flight case that houses
all necessary cables, the mic and power

website, as they all vary greatly due to the
various topologies and pattern choices.

supply, as well as a foam wind screen
and a larger and more robust version of
Lewitt’s standard shockmount.

pleasant top end that is not biting or harsh;
a thick, full low end; and very natural mids.
It’s well suited to acoustic instruments,
whether acoustic guitar, cello, piano, violin,
or even banjo. It makes a great front-of-kick
mic, is good for smooth tamed drum overheads, and even jazz and blues guitar cabinet. On voice, as in my previous review, I
found it well suited for crooners, jazz and
R’n’B vocals and even voiceovers, but not
so much for hard rock or any style that
needs a bright cutting forward thrust.
The tube side of the mic and the blending capabilities really surprised me. While
it’s not as aggressive as the tube blending
on UA’s 710 series preamps, it’s not a
subtle effect either! Moving from solid
state to tube offers a pronounced change
that fills out the sound like pouring warm
honey from a pitcher. It’s just a nice sheen
of sweetness that envelops the sound and
ultimately adds to this mic’s versatility and

Specs
The LCT 940 uses a dual 1" diaphragm
that is an externally-polarized pressure-gradient transducer. It features a 20 Hz to 20 kHz
frequency response that in its cardioid state is
fairly smooth, with a slight low-end boost at
30 Hz, a mid boost starting at 2 kHz and
sloping off at 6 kHz, followed by a high peak
from 10 to 20 kHz. Most of these are on the
subtle side and not drastic.
As the mic moves toward the omni side,
the low bump recedes while the high end
rises prominently around 10 kHz. The
reverse is true as you move toward a figure8 pattern, with a tighter controlled top end
and similar lows to cardioid mode. For its
other specs like sensitivity, self-noise level,
and dynamic range, check the company’s

In use
On the solid-state side, this mic is virtually
identical to its sibling. Although I did not
have them side by side, I will guess there
would be some slight sonic variations due to
the physical size difference between the two
mics, resulting in different body and grille
reflections and resonances. Having said
that, I found that my most of my previous LCT
640 recordings have the same sonic signature as the LCT 940. That makes the LCT 940
in solid-state mode a mic that has a smooth

tonal palette. And by the way, this is as
good a place as any to mention that this
is one of the quietest tube mics I have
used... the Lewitt website has the full story,
but I can note here that the LCT 940’s
rated self-noise is 12 to 13 dBA in tube
mode and only 8 to 9 dBA in solid-state.
Conclusion
In my LCT 640 review I stopped short of
labeling that mic a “workhorse” despite its
versatility, and I called it “too sonically
pretty for that designation”. As for the LCT
940? Thanks to its unique tube blending
capabilities, 9 polar patterns and many

pads and filters, rather than a workhorse,
I would instead label the LCT 940 as a
highly artistic mic with a wide range of
tonal variation that can be caressed and
carved to fit a plethora of applications, all
with a hint of beauty and sweetness.
At $1499 street price it’s not cheap,
but it’s in line with many other tube mics;
beauty this nice has a price. And no other
tube mic at any price has this level of
tonal variation.
Price: $1499
More from: Lewitt, www.lewittaudio.com; dist. in North America by
TruNorth Music And Sound,
www.trunorthmusicandsound.com
Paul Vnuk Jr. (vnuk@recordingmag.com)
is a recording engineer, producer, recording musician and sound designer living
and working in Milwaukee.
RECORDING May 2013

19
http://www.lewittaudio.com http://www.lewittaudio.com http://www.trunorthmusicandsound.com
Recording - May 2013

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