Rode NT1 vs. Lewitt LCT440 vs. Aston Spirit Comparison
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- čas přidán 14. 08. 2024
- By request from a Top Tier Podcastage member, I compare the Rode NT1, Lewitt LCT440, and Aston Spirit to each other and share my thoughts on the mics.
Buy the Rode NT1 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: geni.us/rodent1
Sweetwater: imp.i114863.ne...
Buy the Lewitt LCT440 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: geni.us/lct440
Buy the Aston Spirit (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: geni.us/astons...
Sweetwater: imp.i114863.ne...
Buy the Focusrite 2i2 (3rd Gen)- Same Performance as 18i20 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: geni.us/2i32rd
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As an affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases
00:00 - Intro
00:23 - Rode NT1 Spoken Word
01:12 - Lewitt LCT440 Spoken Word
02:01 - Aston Spirit Spoken Word
02:45 - Rode NT1 Acoustic Guitar
03:10 - Lewitt LCT440 Acoustic Guitar
03:34 - Aston Spirit Acoustic Guitar
04:05 - Rode NT1 Singing
04:17 - Lewitt LCT440 Singing
04:30 - Aston Spirit Singing
04:45 - Conclusion / Outro
#MicComparison #MicrophoneSelection #HomeRecording
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The microphone is the ASTON SPIRIT. I misspoke and mislabeled it in the lower third of the video. This is the multi-pattern mic which is the ASTON SPIRIT. Sorry for the confusion.
Are you sure..?😉
Are you tired?
definitely the lewitt LCT 440 Pure brings the clarity, and comes out sounding great with minimal tuning in post but gives you the flexibility to make it sound however you like! much harder to bring back detail than it is to take it away
I have a Rode NT1A, but I really like that Lewitt LCT440, as it seems clear no matter what application it's put to. Thanks for the video!
Lewitt sounds amazing. So articulate and clean. Not to mention also the shock mount and magnetic pop filter was clearly well thought of
Just realized, that after I got myself gear I wanted with a help of Bandrew's videos, I stick around just for those music tests. Wonderful songs and lyrics every time.
I have two LCT 440 Pure and they are very good.The 440 is versatile and has a good sound that responds well to EQing. They provide great output and have really low noise.
For someone who knows how to record, i.e. knows the importance of placement and sound shaping it is a very professional tool. For the price asked it is a real deal.
I use it on vocals (my larynx removed and no vocal chords- so I have a very low voice), for drums overhead, percussion, guitar, etc. (sax to come soon once I figured out how to play sax with breathing through a hole in the throat and having to get the air trough to a voice prosthesis to my mouth)
I use other microphones only for having a different coloration and not because the LCT440 wouldn't provide a proper sound.
For me it's like a choir. You wouldn't want everyone in the choir to have the same voice timbre but rather different ones, in order to have a good mix, so I use different microphones to achieve that.
I'm recording real, hand-played music, using plenty of analogue outboard gear and recording it on a Yamaha AW2400. Aim is always to record in a way that as little as possible digital interference (EQ, compressor etc.) is necessary for the final sound.
Update on the sax front. Managed to play again and the LCT 440 Pure does a wonderful job on it. I play a Bauhaus Walstein Earth, a high grade Taiwanese Tenorsax with a B&S metal mouthpiece (from the old East German Republic) which sounds marvelous. A big warm sound and the microphone catches it superbly. No EQ required. I use a GAP Comp-3A (opto-compressor) for compression. Also a unit I really love to use, even on snare drum.
I really admire your adaptability! You are an inspiration.
@@ub59 Thank you - we humans have endless potential if we don't defeat ourselves in the mind.
Bandrew, I agree with everything you said...The NT1 is on my 'next mic' list.
Also purchase Blue baby bottle SL. I think you will be pleased.
wow, I was expecting more than Ashton, but honestly, Rode....Really good mic man really. Besides the price tag, it's totally a killer! And thanks for this comparision, that's a fair and great test!
Something i like about this channel, is that i don't get punched in the face on every video.
Hands up for this review with this really nice 3 microphones
I tried both the Spirit and the Lewitt. Both sound very nice. The Spirit was little bit smoother, sounded more round.
But the compact design and the accessories from Lewitt I feel were better.
But I do liked the design of the Spirit very much. But is a little minus that the Spirit was very sensitive against Pop, and they don't deliver a mount or a popfilter. So usability is limited little bit.
For its sound I would choose the Spirit
Sound 4,5/5
Quality 4,5/5
Accessories 3,5/5
Overall 4,5/5
For its build quality, accessories I would pick the Lewitt.
Sound 4/5
Quality 4,5/5
Accessoires 4,5/5
Overall 4,5/5
It's interesting you put the Spirit between NT1 and Lewitt
But confusing this Spirit /Origin mixing up😅
I use the NT1 for 2 years now (besides an Sontronics Orpheus) and I still appreciate how pleasing it sounds to my ears. Not harsh, not stressing even on long recordings or podcasts,… And: unbeatable for it's price. I guess just the TLM103 will replace it one day.
we have the same opinion, its weird but I`m in love with my NT1!
3 good choices here. A talented artist would get incredible results from any of them.
You're absolutely right. The main thing is having decent gear, great ears and a handle on the signal chain. Mediocre-to-adequate equipment can give outstanding results in the right hands and great gear can be rubbish handled poorly. There is no microphone that will do everything for everyone but even the most expensive mic won't save a bad engineer.
had to pause and comment on the lewitt 440 acoustic guitar... what a difference vs the rode. I can hear the separation of the strings and the added crispyness on the top is just right, not overbearing.
It is just your perception, there is nothing more captured with this microphone, it is just brighter. You can add that later, but can not subtract easily all the time when you do not need it.
@@BojanBojovic Lol how can you not subtract it? That's not true at all.
@@dbottiaux88 Recorded sibilants are very difficult to control if the microphone is hyped as many cheap modern microphones are. That is why U87 is so popular, very flat response with great ability to tweak it with the eq.
Other than than if the microphone is hyped in the high frequencies this is not done perfectly but the frequency response is very bumpy, so it is not possible to make it flat again if you need it, however a flat sounding microphone can always be hyped the way you like after you recorded the signal.
There are many examples, but this is in short why only amateurs like hyped microphones that "sounds right" without touching anything in the mix.
@@BojanBojovic I tend to agree that the out-of-the-box, unprocessed sound of the 440 works great on acoustic. Large diaphragms often sound jumbled and/or muddy on acoustic guitar -at least to my ears. The 440 is a bit of an exception. Smaller diaphragm mics are sometimes the better choice (even if you happen to own a U87) but for my money I think the 440 deserves serious consideration.
@@ontogeny6474 Sure, why not. My post was not about 440 as I like it on guitar as well, but hyped microphones in general as many people find them "detailed" and they can hear some "separation", whatever that means. The problem with those hyped mics is that they are most of the time "bumpy" in their frequency response so they can be good for some sources, but not for others and they are impossible to flatten with the EQ. I have few friends not liking the U87 just because it is a relatively flat sounding microphone.
thanks, this was perfect for me. Got the 440, and you got a subscriber
I liked the natural sound of the NT1 on your voice for spoken word, but slightly preferred the Lewitt for singing in a mix. The Aston mics have not turned my crank in any application so far. Also, a while back, you had a mic running into the UA Apollo, which seemed to sound more natural and slightly less grainy than the Focusrite. But I know your fan requested the Focusrite on this test, and they have a much larger user base than UA, so I do understand why you stick with the Focusrite. I bought the UA Apollo several years ago, and after hearing the comparison with the Focusrite, I'm glad I went with it. The main reason I chose it, tho, was the 65dB preamps and sweet converters. Thanks for the vid!
I thought Spirit was a Brighty MacBrighterson, but it turns out it can score quite in the middle of the road at times... A welcome discovery!
And a much appreciated video overall, too. It's fun seeing you in a more improvised format, feels... comfier, in a way.
The Lewitt comes across very bright compared to the NT1, which isn't exactly a dark mic to begin with. I think that the Spirit is pretty bright in absolute terms, but just not in comparison to the LCT440. I suspect that if the comparison had been ordered such that the Rode and Aston were consecutive the Aston would seem brighter.
Lewitt sounds really great here in your recording. Clarity and detail is amazing, as you've said, it's a modern sound. Thanks for this comparison.
At least to my ears, the Lewitt mic sounds so much better, so much more details.
@@MontanaroPablo ok, if you own one, then you know it. Can't argue against that. 😁
@@MontanaroPablo Yes, thats 100% true. And thanks for your reply.
It is just our perception, NT1 is just flatter so it depends on what you are looking for. For me personally I do not like those hyped microphones, they may sound more detailed at first just very harsh later. With that being said this Lewitt is bright but not very harsh like other cheap microphones.
Yes. I believe so it. Sounds better for his kind of voice. But that mic will be terrible on my Voice
@@MontanaroPablo The grass looks greener on the other side 😉
Rode NT1 IMHO was almost as good as the more expensive Aston Spirit, whilst the Lewitt was too brilliant in the top end for my liking. In the interests of transparency I have both the Rode and Aston in my Mic Locker amongst others, but I won't be buying the Lewitt after this mic shootout. Podcastage2 Rocks like a Rock God!
On their own, Aston mics are usually too bright for my taste -, but man, they do sound nice in a full mix.
I've used one in the past as lewit and for mix I finish to enjoy more the se 2200 last edition
Bro that is actually the Aston Spirit right? You say Origin in the video and timestamps lol
Lewitt sounds very radiophonic to me, really nice but it would be IMO for quite specific type of recordings. Spirit sounds the best IMO, NT1 idk it's very similar to the later but I there are some notes that don't sound so well I'd say. Spirit is the smoother more natural imo again
Ah Brother, what should i tell you about this video, its pure gold! I did think i found the NT1 to be the best amongst these guys, i think they are so comparable, that if u got one, u don’t need the others (unless u r a freak like me😉😆) Love ya!
The Rode seems to have more bottom end, which is great if that is what you are going for. The Aston tends to have a duller/softer sound than the other mics! The Lewitt seems to the brightest of the 3. Again It depends on what sound you want in a particular song. Overall, they sound close enough in sound quality that it doesn't matter which you choose!
Nowdays rode doing cheap work. Rode using low quality sm6 kit. Which is round pop filter & looks so bad. The old nt1 kit is worth. But today rode didnt care of their customer
um its the aston spirit right? not origin
Love your channel, if I’m not mistaking the description says Aston Spirit. But in your video it says Aston Origin. Kind regards
Hey man, I appracite that! I was considering between NT1 and LCT440, but you just verified my thoughts ... I'll be choosing Lewitt this time :) Thanks !
How do people define difference’s if they listen through crappy device speakers I wonder🤔
Even ignoring the treble boost, the LCT440 does sound a bit more detailed than the other 2. Not by a lot though.
Hey dude, I've been coming to your channel for a while to watch mic reviews, it's a great resource with a wealth of info, thanks! I hope you're doing alright, since you seem a bit down in the latest videos, no more "doobly doo to see what I diddly did" and general low mood. I really wish you the best man, hope everything is or will be alright.
Too bad, the NT1 doesn't cease to amaze me time and time again. Having the ultra compact set of a shock mount and pop filter on the LCT 440 Pure is really nice. And the NT1 (no matter of you get the old set bundled with the SMR lyre shock mount and a metal pop filter or the newer, cheaper bundle with the SM6 shock mount + fabric pop filter) simply is quite big.
How good is the original NT1 complete recording kit from Rode? Such a shame they went back to using old stock for shock mount and pop filter.
I like my Lewitt Pure a lot. Your review is quite on the money, thanks a lot for it. I did not bought it because of the (usually real good) reviews, but from the advice of the seller who also is a very good sound ingeneer. I was looking for the best quality/price ratio for a versatile mic and I am very satisfied. I was also very interested in the NT1 because I thought it has a very good reputation and the kind of mic I was searching for.
Hey thank you Bandrew! Perfect comparison! The NT1 is incredible for its price! It's a pity that there isn't a multi polar pattern version! And all of them seam to be well suited in the chain with the scarlett preamps!
In your opinion which one of these behaves best in a not well treated room?
The nt1 is the stupidest mic to eq EVER it’s shit
@@requiem4442 lol Polo G and Migos use this mic sometimes when recording lol you clearly just are SHIT at eqing
@@jaywazzon8147 you probably see them rapping on a Neumann
@@Datsdutch yeah, this neumann 87
You are going to have to get the other mount for the NT1. The NT1 doesn't come with that mount anymore.
i saw this the other day and honestly im kinda glad. i think i genuinely preferred the nt1-a shockmount as the rycote one had this clicky clacky sound and after using that double mesh pop filter and the $70 stedman proscreen and they add a VERY miniscule amount of ring and imho they destroy the sound of a nice P as you hear the air bouncing off the metal. Without a doubt, in my mind at least, the stock shockmount is a massive win for the new comers and pros
Comparing 3 high quality condenser microphones like these over youtube audio quality is really pointless...please post links for uncompressed files so we can actually hear the subtle differences between these mics
Very handy comparison, though I'd already made my choice (Aston Spirit). I like a good bit of brightness and Lewitt wins voice for me through clarity. I found Rode and Aston too nasal here, but that could be a flatter, more honest response (with no offense to Bandrew). Aston was also dull for spoken word, which I've found first hand. I've found the built-in high pass switch helps a lot here and the result is pleasantly relaxed, while Focusrite's 'air' feature can add a little more tone (aka harmonic distortion) to make voice more interesting.
For the acoustic guitar, the Lewitt seems too thin and brings out the high open E too much. Meanwhile the Aston extends deeper and has a great balance of each string and the impact of the pick. I don't know what the guitar sounds like in real life, but the Aston makes me think more of studio produced, high quality guitar and less of home recording on a more modest instrument. I suppose I wanted it for acoustic instruments so I can be happy with my choice.
That was a good review. I was interested in all 3 of those mics. You got me down to the Rode or Lewitt. Thanks. The Rode might end up the winner.
My favorite is the NT1 which I own after following a funny guy's advice. The name's Bandrew, he enjoys making videos much more than the guy in this video 😉
BRO AMAZING VIDEO! question! what camera are you using ? looks really good
They're all great mics but the Aston Spirit is the sh*t imo 🔥
Why does the Aston remind me of a scented candle?
I'm with you there. :D
I own the Aston Spirit partially because of bandrew's review on it. Now I really want to buy this 440Pure
Really informative and helpful comparison! Love your videos!
What makes this review video great? The unhyped way of doing the comparison. And the time links! Very well done, thank you!
Even though I'm just 30 minutes away from Lewitt here in Vienna - and hence should be more patriotic - I'm a bit worried that the 440 could take my signals to a point where I have to dial back the highs to avoid having everything upfront. I prefer a balanced high band to create a general balanced mix and then bring things forward by pushing the highs a bit. So I go with the NT1 (which I own and love. A true workhorse) Although the Lewitt sounds really great.
Nt1 sounds better in guitar, lewitt 440 sounds better in vocals, and Aston sounds great in both.
Thank you sooooo much for this video. Always love the stuff you did. Great job bro!
Super helpful. I was considering the Aston but now I know I don't like it. May go with the NT1
out of these three, I like Aston Spirit's sound the most.. and the Lewitt 440 the worst This is true to me for spoken words and ac guitar
Lewitt wins to my ears. Its got top end sparkle the other two don't.
I am happy I saw this because I almost pulled the trigger on the Lewitt, but now I think especially since the Aston already sounds kinda overly crisp IMHO, I think the lewitt sounds waaaay too crisp
Was trying to decide between the Rode and Lewitt, decided to get the Aston. That acoustic guitar tone stopped me in my tracks. (I guess the comments also show how much the 'best' is in the ears of the listener.)
100% and that’s why I always include samples when making videos because what I like other folks might not like, so why would I try to force my opinions on other people. Let y’all hear the samples and make your own opinions.
@@Podcastage2 And that's why we love you. Personally, I appreciate and give some weight your well-informed opinions too - I just don't take them as God's truth, knowing we all hear things differently.
as a new singer and voice actor starting a home studio with the Audient iD 14 mll that want to get a great mic fos singing as a baritone and do fun and detailed animation roles reading in scripts as well but with the foremost focus on singing what do I get out of the LCT 441 Flex vs if I choose the 440 Pure!?
Any and all inputs will be highly welcomed!
😊 thanks guys
Check the title - this was Aston Origin on video
Excellent review -- and much appreciated.
Bandy, my guy, how kind of you to post right when the edible kicks in
Please provide an update!
@@Podcastage !^^^
So it's going well?
Great video ! The Aston Spirit it could be nice to record a acoustic gran coda piano ? Thank you in advance !
Great great video !!!!
It will be either the Spirit or the LCT440, I'll be using it exclusively for my voice for hip hop songs...
Any recommandations on which one would be better ?
They all sound good to me...
Could u do a review of the akg c3000?
And I would love to see a comparison between the neat worker bee, the akg p220 and the røde nt1-a thank youuuu!!
Thank you for this very helpful and informative review. Other pros also have good reviews of the Lewitt 440. Warren Huart just released another "one mic, all instruments" video with wonderful singers on the Beatles 'Don't Let Me Down' using only the 440 and it passed with an A+. Cheers
The title says Aston Spirit but I assume all these tests are on the Origin
It is a Spirit. The Origin is shorter in length and does not have polar pattern switching. Go to 6:35 in the video, Bandrew corrects himself.
I have Aston spirit and I got Lewit 441 yesterday. Both of them are quite good for me I thought. (I usually record Instrumental)
The LCT 440 is by far the most detailed, especially on guitar.
James, bring me my Aston! A phrase I thought I'd never be able to use!
Thanks for another great mic comparison. I think the "Austrian" sounding Lewitt LCT 440 sounds best to my ear. It seems to have slightly less self-noise than the Rode or Aston, as well. It would work well in my less-than-perfectly treated recording space for voiceovers and music recordings. Boring = good! Keep up the good work and where can we find your original music (singles, "albums;" etc.?
Rode NT1 is one of the worlds quietest cardioid condenser mics...fact.
4:51 is a more equal positioning of the Rode compared to the Lewitt & Aston in terms of height. In the earlier actual spoken word comparison segment of the video, the Rode was not picking up as many of "ssss" silbiance sounds because of the higher positioning (these type of sounds stray downwards from the mouth). That led to a more comfortable, favorable listening experience.
The guitar comparison showcases the difference in captured tone of the three mics better. Lewitt shines, Rode sounds thin and the Aston paints a darker picture, being the only one to show the lower notes some love, capturing a full body. These differences are not consitent throughout the tests because of the spoken word comparison being affected by the height difference there (actually the height differences are even bigger in the singing comparison). Thanks for the test though, it is useful!
For pretty treated home studio as a rapper? Which one do i choose?
Thanks! I love your channel. But could you please confirm the Aston model tested in this video; is it Spirit or Origin? In the title it’s written “Spirit” same goes with the affiliate links they refer to the Spirit. However, inside the video you are mentioning the “Origin” as well as the lower thirds. The thumbnail shows Spirit 😅 and thanks again for the wonderful and useful content.
Hey, Bandrew. Could you make another short comparison on spoken word for 3 mics: LCT 440 pure, sE 2200 and sE x1S? Thanks!
Was going to get an aston...but the lewit kills it. More open and detailed sounding.
Great Review. Your post is also great.
I like the nt1
The NT1 sounded real even and clear. Then the Lewitt came and sounded really bright to me. It probably made the Aston sound a bit dull...
So I conclude that the order of hearing the results may even relult in a different point of view 😉.
But I prefer the NT1. And that's why I would love to see and hear a SHOOT OUT between the Rode NT1, the Shure KSM32, the Blue Baby Bottle ..and the Sennheiser MK4.
Keep up the great work!
I'm a bit confused. Your title shows "Aston Spirit". During the video you mostly (but bot always) you say "Aston Origin" and looking at the mic it seems to be the Spirit ;)
🛡️ I'm not sure how people request mic reviews but i feel like you'll see it anyway. Can you review/test the
Is there a reason why you dont generally review pencil condensers?
I've heard that some of them might be a good middleground between dynamic and large(ish) diaphargm condensers in terms of quality and background noise rejection
aren't they for instrument recording rather than podcast and vocal use?
@@jacksonhall3151 most of them are marketed as such, but if you search for some reviews many say that this is marketing for the most part and that some are good for vocal work too. I mean, shotgun mics are a sort of pencil condensers. In fact some people, like Ian Craig, use pencils as boom mics for their entire videos.
Those than really know equalizer and compress, all of most microphone is well and good.
Hmmm...interesting. I’ve been looking at those three mics. 🤔 Wait...have you been viewing my Google search history? Wait...does that mean that YOU ARE working for the Men in Black????? 😂😂😂😂.
I plead the fifth.
do you have some kind of room treatment around you ? I can barely hear the room ambience
I just can’t find myself liking any lewitts microphones, they are basically the exact same as a akg c214 just a tad bit upgraded but not enough to fix the issues of them being overly bright, the Aston just has an annoying top end, you can hear the mesh from how bright it is, that rode nt1 is just phenomenal….. specially squashing vocals with compression making commercial sounding vocals it just works
What do you think about the presonus quantum series interfaces?
Hey Bandrew, rando with an idea and a keyboard wanting to be loud lmao. I was wondering if you could do a comparison with NW700, SM57, Rode NT USB, AT2020 USB, Blue Yeti, AT2035, Rode NT1a, SM7b, RE-20, C414, TLM 102, MKH 416, TLM 103, (and the 87 ai because more screen time) so people who are streamers/video content creators of all budgets can see a shootout with popular voice recording microphones for podcasting/recording/video content creation. You do the most comprehensive mic reviews and tests on CZcams so who else would be better to do this than you. It's a lot of work to do I'm sure that is why its just a suggestion and you can more than happily respond to this by saying what a ridiculous suggestion this is.
The NT1 sounds noticeably better. The other two sound hollow.
Always great to have a bonus duce.
please make a review with Audio Technica AT4050
and if you could make another (at4050 vs nt1)
Thank you
You voices reminds me of that character Cecil from Archer. 😄
Hi Bandrew! Thanks for your great videos. I am testing the Lewitt 540 for voiceover but not sure it's any better than the 440 pure which I tested last month. Can't find any comparisons. I feel like I can save money and get same sound quality with the 44O pure. Advice? Thanks!!
I did a direct comparison and they are pretty much the same as far as my voice goes. Not worth spending extra on 540. I have 441 and it's a killer sounding mic.
@@mik1533 You are right and I unfortunately bought the more expensive one without thinking. Just gone pretend it's the 440 LOL
@@margagomezcomedy i mean 540s still blows most mics at that price out of the water, Its just 440 or 441 is even better bang for your buck.
Rode for voice, Lewitt for Guitar
The Rode NT1 microphone offers flexibility by allowing you to adjust each frequency during post-processing because it has all neutral frequency response line. Lewitt sounds more fresh because the high frequencies have been adjusted from the factory.
Baby blue bottle. Where does it rank now in 2021 ?
The two other mics are so unbelievably thin compared to the NT1 it's such a shame cuz the LCT is stylish and compact and I was eyeing it for a while, but seems to be really shitting on voices like yours (mine is not so far off). I won't mention de Aston that looks like an outdoor heater.
Edit: The LCT sounds pretty well when you're singing on that song altho it's still fairly unatural
What's cuz? Do you mean because?
@@stephenfell4338 yes sorry lmao
Thanks for the review! Which one would you choose for a high tenor voice? Thanks! :)
I have the nt 1a, and I would say this one is mightly better for you?
Lewitt 440 for high tenor. If you wish to capture the voice. The nt1 won't capture the higher frequencies as well. Both are great mics. Wish you could test on your voice.
Holy smokes you have a SECOND CHANNEL?! IS IT CHRISTMAS ALREADY?
Calm down
great song!!!
Is that the origin of the spirit? You keep saying origin but the caption says spirit
Is it the Spirit or origin? The title says spirit and the description says origin
I have a boomy low mid voice with high mids scooped but very sibilant, would the rodes be the best for me?
what mic did u get? and is it good for you? because my voice is deep too #deepvoicegang
@@TheSecondC2 got the rode nt1, seems to work the best at that price range
Is anyone able to confirm whether this is in fact the Aston Origin or the Aston Spirit?! The title of the video suggests Spirit, the chapters suggest Origin, the links in the description suggest Spirit, but the Origin is mentioned throughout..
It is the Spirit.
@@Podcastage2 thanks! Really good review btw!
Yessssssssssss
love the nt1 but its soooo danm big and clunky