In this review, I’ll be taking a look at the Lewitt LCT 240 Pro condenser microphone. Lewitt is a great company, and I’ve come to expect some truly fantastic products from them over the years. Without further ado, let’s get started.
Final verdict on the LCT 240 Pro
The LCT 240 Pro is a great entry-level microphone, and can be used to great effect in a wide variety of applications. Its high-end boost can work wonders on the right vocalists and guitars. However, this same strength can prove to be a weakness in the wrong context.
Ultimately, this is an inexpensive microphone with a great performance.
What I like
- Great for guitars, good for vocals.
- High SPL level.
- Affordable.
What I don’t like
- High-end boost may not be great for everything.
Why you should trust me
I’ve worked with a diverse spectrum of gear over my decade spent in the field of audio production and engineering, both in the studio environments and on live productions.
Working with names such as Shure, AKG, Neumann, and Sennheiser, among many others, has lent me nuanced insights into the practical application of audio equipment, and what value it provides users ranging from novice to seasoned professionals.
Contents
Use these jump links to navigate to the desired section of the review.
Polar pattern and frequency response
The LCT 240 Pro is a pressure gradient condenser with a cardioid polar pattern, and a frequency response of 20 Hz – 20 kHz. The microphone has a maximum SPL of 142 dB and a dynamic range of 123 dB (A-weighted).
Overall, the microphone is fairly flat through its frequency response, showcasing a high-end boost starting around 2 kHz, and then peaking around 8 kHz by roughly 5 dB.
While this isn’t the best thing in the world, it can be quite useful when recording vocals or guitars where you’d like to be high-end forward regardless.
In most cases when using this microphone, I found that it actually lessened the work in post to get things to sit right in a mix, at least when used on the right vocalist or instrument.
Vocals (studio and live) 3.8
The LCT 240 Pro is rather colorful, and the highs are fairly hyped. I would still absolutely record vocals with this mic, but its performance is far less malleable than the LCT 440 Pure, for example.
Overall, it performs as well as any other budget condenser microphone, if not better. If this microphone works well for your vocalist, however, it will take very little effort in post-production to fit it snuggly within your mix.
Its cardioid polar pattern, as well as high SPL level, makes the LCT 240 Pro a solid candidate for live sound.
The microphone’s off-axis rejection, while perhaps not the greatest, should be good enough to cancel out any oncoming noise from the audience or other band members on stage.
It will need phantom power, so make sure whatever venue you’re playing at can support that (they should be able to but you never know).
Acoustic guitar 4.5
The brightness of the LCT 240 Pro is actually perfect for the acoustic guitar, and can achieve some ready-to-go results you may have not been expecting.
I figured that a low-budget microphone like this might have brought forth a little too much grit, but the end results turned out to be great.
Guitar amps 4.5
The LCT 240 Pro works perfectly for guitar amps, especially when you’re trying to capture more brightness and twang out of your amplifier.
It may be true that some microphones might work better for this application, but the LCT 240 Pro won’t make listeners think that the quality is “cheap.”
Bass amps 2.0
I wouldn’t recommend this microphone for recording bass guitar, at least not by itself. It could be used well as a character microphone in conjunction to another or a DI box.
If you’re only looking to capture the low rumble or ringing subs of the low-end, the LCT 240 Pro probably won’t deliver the results you had in mind.
Drums 3.5
The LCT 240 Pro is a perfectly capable microphone when it comes to recording drums and percussion. While it may not be as flexible a choice as some other higher-end microphones, its performance is satisfactory.
Its high-end boost might actually help when recording drums you’d like to cut through the mix a bit more.
Build quality 5.0
The build quality here is superb. The metal body is dense and heavy with an exceptionally solid basket. The capsule is a bit smaller than what you might see on the more expensive models, but this isn’t an issue, especially for a more entry-level microphone.
Compared to other microphones
While this Lewitt microphone is, without a doubt, one of the best condensers under $100 on the market right now, here are a few comparisons to think about in conjunction with the LCT 240 Pro.
LCT 240 Pro vs LCT 440 Pure
Despite looking nearly identical and sharing fairly similar specs, the LCT 440 Pure is certainly the better microphone between the two.
While its price point is a little over twice that of the 240 Pro (perhaps due to the included shockmount and pop filter), the results are worth the extra investment. The 440 Pure is cleaner, less boomy, and has a much more defined midrange.
See Lewitt LCT 440 Pure’s current price
LCT 240 Pro vs Audio-Technica AT2020
The AT2020 has a more credible reputation among many, myself included, but the LCT 240 Pro can hold its own in a side-by-side comparison. Ultimately, they’re both great entry-level microphones and you can’t go wrong with either.
Read the full Audio-Technica AT2020 review
LCT 240 Pro vs Rode NT1
The Rode NT1 is an overall decent microphone, and is trusted by many engineers. While its real frequency response isn’t nearly as flat as the LCT 240 Pro, its performance speaks for itself. But the NT1 is also at least two times more expensive.
Read the full Rode NT1 5th Gen review
Who is the Lewitt LCT 240 Pro microphone best suited for?
The LCT 240 Pro is best suited for beginner music producers looking for a solid budget microphone.
Its performance is bright and cutting, which can work in its favor more often than not, will most likely be outshined once you start adding more microphones to your arsenal.
There’s nothing wrong with its performance otherwise, and it is a great microphone. Perhaps just not a microphone you’ll be using forever.
Buy Lewitt LCT 240 Pro at: SweetwaterAmazonRecent updates
- Mar 6, 2024: Adjusted the scores since the microphone is now competing in a slightly different price range. Added a comparison against the Audio-Technica AT2020 and LCT 440 Pure. Minor changes in structure.
- Dec 7, 2023: Updated text for clarity. Fixed minor inconsistencies.
- Nov 1, 2022: Published original review based on the test results.
hi-pass filter.. or.. low cut filter… the 240 pro lacks this feature… ive found that beneficial because whenever such filters are activated on mics that have them…. it makes the mic sound unnatural and it makes the sibilant frequencies sound smeared… activating such filter on the mixer or further down the signal change will reduce the lows while leaving the mic unaltered