Rode NT1 vs. Lewitt LCT440 vs. Aston Spirit Comparison 

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.

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!

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.

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!

thanks, this was perfect for me. Got the 440, and you got a subscriber

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.

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.

Really informative and helpful comparison! Love your videos!

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!

Lewitt sounds amazing. So articulate and clean. Not to mention also the shock mount and magnetic pop filter was clearly well thought of

Thank you sooooo much for this video. Always love the stuff you did. Great job bro!

Excellent review -- and much appreciated.

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😅

Bandrew, I agree with everything you said...The NT1 is on my 'next mic' list.

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 !

Love your channel, if I’m not mistaking the description says Aston Spirit. But in your video it says Aston Origin. Kind regards

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.

Great Review. Your post is also great.

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!

I own the Aston Spirit partially because of bandrew's review on it. Now I really want to buy this 440Pure

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.

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

Super helpful. I was considering the Aston but now I know I don't like it. May go with the NT1

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.

Something i like about this channel, is that i don't get punched in the face on every video.

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.

BRO AMAZING VIDEO! question! what camera are you using ? looks really good

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

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 😉

Always great to have a bonus duce.

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.

I have Aston spirit and I got Lewit 441 yesterday. Both of them are quite good for me I thought. (I usually record Instrumental)

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!!

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?

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.

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.

Was going to get an aston...but the lewit kills it. More open and detailed sounding.

Great video ! The Aston Spirit it could be nice to record a acoustic gran coda piano ? Thank you in advance !

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.

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 ?

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!

3 good choices here. A talented artist would get incredible results from any of them.

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.?

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

Hey, Bandrew. Could you make another short comparison on spoken word for 3 mics: LCT 440 pure, sE 2200 and sE x1S? Thanks!

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!

Even ignoring the treble boost, the LCT440 does sound a bit more detailed than the other 2. Not by a lot though.

At least to my ears, the Lewitt mic sounds so much better, so much more details.

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

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.

Thank you

do you have some kind of room treatment around you ? I can barely hear the room ambience

On their own, Aston mics are usually too bright for my taste -, but man, they do sound nice in a full mix.

For pretty treated home studio as a rapper? Which one do i choose?

You voices reminds me of that character Cecil from Archer. 😄

um its the aston spirit right? not origin

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.)

Check the title - this was Aston Origin on video

🛡️ I'm not sure how people request mic reviews but i feel like you'll see it anyway. Can you review/test the

Bro that is actually the Aston Spirit right? You say Origin in the video and timestamps lol

I like the nt1

James, bring me my Aston! A phrase I thought I'd never be able to use!

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!!

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 RU-vid 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.

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.

What do you think about the presonus quantum series interfaces?

please make a review with Audio Technica AT4050 and if you could make another (at4050 vs nt1)

They're all great mics but the Aston Spirit is the sh*t imo 🔥

great song!!!

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

Thanks for the review! Which one would you choose for a high tenor voice? Thanks! :)

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 ;)

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!

Those than really know equalizer and compress, all of most microphone is well and good.

You are going to have to get the other mount for the NT1. The NT1 doesn't come with that mount anymore.

Yessssssssssss

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

They all sound good to me...

Bandy, my guy, how kind of you to post right when the edible kicks in

Holy smokes you have a SECOND CHANNEL?! IS IT CHRISTMAS ALREADY?

Nt1 sounds better in guitar, lewitt 440 sounds better in vocals, and Aston sounds great in both.

How do people define difference’s if they listen through crappy device speakers I wonder🤔

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

The title says Aston Spirit but I assume all these tests are on the Origin

The LCT 440 is by far the most detailed, especially on guitar.

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

Is that the origin of the spirit? You keep saying origin but the caption says spirit

Why does the Aston remind me of a scented candle?

I have a boomy low mid voice with high mids scooped but very sibilant, would the rodes be the best for me?

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!

The NT1 sounds noticeably better. The other two sound hollow.

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????? 😂😂😂😂.

Rode NT1 , Very easy to eq

My favorites are the NT1 (which I own so maybe I'm bias?), the Aston, then the Lewitt.

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..

Is it the Spirit or origin? The title says spirit and the description says origin

Nt1 more suite for me , sound smooth

Hi, Just curious what are the two screws doing at the 16th fret?

Rode nt1a is very good mic