LCT 540 SUBZERO

Better than human hearing

Cutting-edge microphone for ultra-detailed sound images.

Rediscover sound

Experience all details

The engineering of this particular piece of cutting-edge audio technology asked for a forward-thinking approach towards capsule and circuit design. As a result, a way of experiencing sound at infinite depth and absolute precision came to life; its name, the LCT 540 SUBZERO. Get involved with tone and sound in ways unheard and bring your recordings to perfection by capturing all the fine-grained characteristics that constitute each moment of your performance. Rediscover your instrument and voice on a whole new level of musical detail.

// 1" true condenser studio microphone with cardioid polar pattern

// Developed in close cooperation with world-renowned producers and audio engineers

// First and foremost designed to be an outstanding vocal microphone.

// Naturally, thanks to its specifications, it is suitable for almost any application.

LCT 540 SUBZERO with shockmount and pop filter

Better than human hearing

Unique self-noise architecture

To see how good our hearing is in a purely technical way we can look at the threshold of hearing. Bear in mind that our hearing threshold is very frequency dependent. Human hearing is less sensitive towards low and very high frequencies and most sensitive around 2 – 5 kHz. Comparing the hearing threshold to the self-noise values of the LCT 540 SUBZERO, you can clearly see that our microphone is always below the threshold of hearing. The entire frequency spectrum is important, here, because looking at a microphone’s self-noise as a single value just isn’t detailed enough when discussing high-end sound transducers. More detailed information: Better than human hearing

Push it to the limit

With 9900 pounds of measurement

The better the microphone, the more difficult self-noise measurement gets. You need a place where no outside noise will interfere with the measurement result. This is especially difficult for lower frequencies. To measure the self-noise of the LCT 540 SUBZERO, we needed to build a unique measurement device that is more than ten times more massive than conventional ones, weighing over 4500 kg or 9900 pounds in total. It heavily dampens frequencies up to a 1/10,000th of their sound pressure. The whole frequency range of a microphone from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz is dampened by 60 dB, up to 80 dB on the higher frequencies.

The tip of the iceberg

Why is low self-noise important?

When you climb a mountain, and the weather is clear, your reward is a fantastic view. If it is partly cloudy or foggy, the payoff is profoundly reduced. The same goes for recording. Some peaks stick out of the noise floor (fog), but if you remove as much noise as possible, you will be rewarded with details that were buried before. This microphone can pick up the subtlest details in vocals or instruments, an almost inaudible whispering can be pushed up and sound crystal clear. Many noise issues only reveal themselves in post-production. Once you start compressing the signals a previously inaudible noise floor can appear; not with the LCT 540 SUBZERO.

The beauty of unlimited detail

Infinite depth - Absolute precision

// Unique self-noise architecture

// Dynamic range of 132 dB, Max SPL of 136 dB

// Ultra-resolution sonic images

// Excellent transient response

The LCT 540 SUBZERO captures every sound source with absolute precision - because it is built with absolute precision; not even the tiniest detail of your recorded source will get lost. To guarantee its ultra-resolution sound and first-class sonic imaging, every 3 μm gold-sputtered, 1" Mylar diaphragm underlies the strictest quality controls.

Function and design

Useful features - Great flexibility

// Integrated Clipping Indicator

// Automatic Attenuation

// Clipping History

// Low-cut filters

// Pre-attenuations

Perfect Match technology

Every single LCT 540 SUBZERO undergoes a series of measurements followed by adjustment of the polarization voltage to achieve the same sensitivity in every LCT 540 SUBZERO we will ever produce. Pair up any two and create balanced stereo and surround recordings.

Artist: Casey Abrams
Studio: Sound Factory Hollywood
Recording chain: Microphones on Latchlake Audio King 2200 stand using Klotz 20’ XLR microphone cable to Custom A.P.I. Console with Flying Faders® automation (36 x 16 x 38) converter: Avid 192 to ProTools 11 HDX
Engineers: Gabriel Angerstein

Artist: Sy Smith
Studio: Hybrid Studios - Recording Studios & Sound Stage
Recording chain: Microphones on Latchlake Audio King 2200 stand using Klotz 20’ XLR microphone cable to API 3124+ to Avid HD I/O 16x16 converter to Pro Tools HD 10
Engineers: Gabriel Angerstein, Michael Peterson

Artist: Nathan Alef
Studio: Serenity West Recording
Recording chain: Microphones using Klotz 20’ XLR microphone cable to Neve 8048 32ch to Avid 192 converted to Pro Tools HD10
Engineers: Michael Peterson, Gabriel Angerstein

Artist: Erick Walls
Studio: Hybrid Studios - Recording Studios & Sound Stage
Recording chain: Microphones on Latchlake Audio King 2200 stand using Klotz 20’ XLR microphone cable to API 3124+ to Avid HD I/O 16x16 converter to Pro Tools HD 10
Engineers: Gabriel Angerstein, Joshua Brooks

Reviews

“Overall its technical ability is sublime; it sounds warm, clear (not yet clinical), smooth and dynamic. I would look forward to further using a pair for a live classical recording - lessening the need for noise reduction tools in the mix stage. Thank you to LEWITT for pushing innovations and setting new benchmarks for microphone manufacturing.”

Ross Simpson, Audio Media International

Reviews

“This cardioid condenser shows its quality right away, sitting effortlessly next to a mic more than twice its price across a range of sources. For vocal work it ticks all the boxes, possessing great clarity along with an easily worked proximity buildup, a smooth high end and all the low-end richness you need for voiceovers or in-your-face breathy vocals. The condenser mic HF lift is subtle and free from phasey peaks, keeping sibilance natural and easily controlled.”

Robbie Stamp, musicradar.com

Reviews

“It’s not too crisp, has zero muddiness, and is best described as detailed, full, and musically honest. [...] Also, due to its clean nature, the LCT 540 SUBZERO makes not only an incredibly detailed vocal mic, but also a great closeup/intimate mic on the quietest of sources.”

Paul Vnuk Jr., Recording Magazine

Reviews

“Given that it is a mid-priced mic with a somewhat lower price tag than I expected from its performance, the LCT 540 SUBZERO represents extremely good value and is capable of taking on a wide range of recording tasks.”

Paul White, Sound on Sound

Produce Like a Pro

“What better way to test out a new mic than to record a full song using ONLY THIS ONE MIC! The song we recorded only using the Lewitt LCT 540 Subzero is called “Nothing I Can Say.” I wrote this song with Buck Johnson, Aerosmith’s keyboard player (before he was Aerosmith’s keyboard player!) In this version of the song we have Matt Starr (Mr. Big, Ace Frehley) on drums and myself playing the rest of the tracks!”