Lewitt Connect 6 Interview Review / Walkthrough / Explained

Software Walkthrough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbxzApR0_gg

Today I walkthrough, explain, test and review the new Lewitt audio interface which has DSP processing, I compare it to the Focusrite 18i20, I test the SM7b on this interface, play instruments on the D.I. inputs and walk through all the processing.

Note 1: The GUI in the software is not choppy like that in use. It is only choppy like that in the demo because my computer is old and struggles with screen recording.

Note 2: The mobile connection does not have an automatic mix minus, in order to achieve this you would need to send mix A or B to the mobile output, and then shut off the mobile input audio for that mix. This will eliminate any loopback to the mobile device.

Buy the Lewitt Connect 6 (Affiliate Links)
Amazon: n/a
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/connect6

Buy the Lewitt LCT440 (Affiliate)
Amazon: https://geni.us/lct440
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/lct440

Buy the Shure SM7b (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/shuresm7b
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/sm7b

00:00 - Intro / Pricing / Disclosure 
00:55 - Signal Chain for Testing
01:13 - What’s in the Box
01:44 - Build Quality
02:29 - Walkthrough of Features
03:58 - Specifications
04:59 - Shure SM7b Mic Test (No Cloudlifter or Fethead)
06:00 - Focusrite Scarlett vs. Lewitt Connect 6
07:00 - Preamp Gain Noise Test
07:38 - Line In Test
10:04 - Latency Test
10:43 - D.I. Instrument Input Test
11:34 - USB-C Mobile Connection Test
12:45 - 3.5mm Line Out Usecase
13:27 - 3.5mm Aux In Test
13:58 - Software / DSP Processing Walkthrough
20:32 - Pros & Cons
23:33 - Recommendation
25:30 - Outro

300,000 Subscribers

I was starting to think this wouldn’t happen because things have cooled off so much over the last year, but we hit 300,000 subscribers around 9:30PM on 4 NOV 2022.

Prior milestones
100,000 - 2019 APR 9 - Four Years to Gain 100k
150,000 - 2020 APR 8 - One Year to Gain 50k
200,000 - 2020 AUG 22 - 4 Months to Gain 50k
250,000 - 2021 APR 21 - 8 Months to Gain 50k

The reason I’m breaking down past milestones is to show the fluctuation in growth over the years. It took a long time to get growth kickstarted, then in 2020 there was explosive growth and growth has slowed back down. Still making videos and still rocking and a rolling and trying to have fun with it. If you are reading this, thank you so much for the support.

I know this seems self congratulatory, and it kind of is, but I find these posts interesting to go back and see to track these moments.

Shure SM81 Mic Review / Test (vs. KM184, MK012, M5, sE8, U87 Ai)

Today I review another industry standard small diaphragm condenser microphone, the Shure SM81. This microphone offers a crazy flat frequency response that sounds natural and realistic. It offers a tolerable self noise for an SDC at 16dBa and has 2 very usable high pass filters and a -10dB pad. The pad does have pops and crackles when engaging, the HPF dial/switch is a bit hard to maneuver, and it has a low sensitivity for a condenser. However, if you're looking for a neutral SDC studio workhorse, this thing seems like it would fit the bill well.

Buy the Shure SM81(Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/sm81
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/sm81

Buy the Focusrite 2i2 (3rd Gen)- Same Performance as 18i20 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/2i32rd
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/k6g4d

NOTE (FULL DISCLOSURE): As an associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info check my FAQ page links below.

00:00 - Intro / Price / Disclaimer 
00:19 - Setup
00:34 - What’s in the Box
01:06 - Build Quality / Walkthrough
01:38 - Specifications
02:12 - Polar Pattern Test (Tone / Rotation)
02:31 - Plosive Test
02:47 - Distance Test / Proximity Effect Test
03:07 - Background Noise Test 
03:26 - Untreated Room Test
03:42 - Overhead Boom & Under Boom
04:27 - Shock Rejection Test
04:46 - Mic Resonance Tap Test
04:58 - Windscreen Tone Test
05:25 - Pad Test
05:50 - High Pass Filter Test
06:26 - Intro to Comparison
06:55 - Rode M5 Comparison
07:20 - Sennheiser E614 Comparison
07:47 - sE Electronics sE8 Comparison
08:22 - Oktava MK012 Comparison
08:49 - Beyerdynamic MC930 Comparison
09:23 - Neumann KM184 Comparison
10:01 - Neumann U87 Ai Comparison
10:38 - Music Test
12:07 - Pros & Cons
13:38 - Overall Thoughts
17:16 - Recommendation
18:38 - Outro

Shure SM35 XLR Headset Mic Review / Test

Today I start my dive into head worn microphones that you see on stages for presenters when they don't have a mic in front of their face. This is the Shure SM35 which is an electret condenser mic and it does well with background noise rejection but suffers from a high self noise and a low sensitivity. It does not aggressively roll off all the bass like some headset mics do though.

Buy the Shure SM35 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/sm35xlr
Sweetwater: n/a

Buy the Focusrite 2i2 (3rd Gen)- Same Performance as 18i20 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/2i32rd
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/k6g4d

NOTE (FULL DISCLOSURE): As an associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info check my FAQ page links below.

00:00 - Intro / Price / Disclaimer 
00:26 - Setup
00:55 - What’s in the Box
01:17 - Build Quality / Walkthrough
02:12 - Specifications
02:42 - Polar Pattern Test (Tone / Rotation)
02:59 - Plosive Test
03:18 - Distance Test / Proximity Effect Test
03:35 - Background Noise Test 
03:53 - Untreated Room Test
04:11  - Handling Noise Rejection
04:26 - Intro to Comparison
04:51 - Shure SM58 Comparison
05:24 - Beyerdynamic MMX300 Headset Comparison
05:57 - Audio Technica BPHS2 Headset Comparison
06:33 - Shure SM81 Comparison
07:05 - Neumann U87 Ai Comparison
07:37 - Pros & Cons
10:32 - Overall Thoughts
11:35 - Recommendation
14:00 - Outro

Behringer XM8500 Mic Review / Test

Today I review one of the best deals in audio, the Behringer XM8500 which is a budget microphone that goes for $25. It's certainly not the greatest sounding microphones but it functions, and it's certainly not the worst. The proximity effect is exaggerated, the top end isn't smooth and it suffers from handling noise and plosive issues, but it works.

Buy the Behringer XM8500 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/xm8500
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/xm8500

Buy the Focusrite 2i2 (3rd Gen)- Same Performance as 18i20 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/2i32rd
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/k6g4d

NOTE (FULL DISCLOSURE): As an associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info check my FAQ page links below.

00:00 - Intro / Price / Disclaimer 
00:24 - Setup
00:43 - What’s in the Box
01:03 - Build Quality / Walkthrough
01:40 - Specifications
01:57 - Polar Pattern Test (Tone / Rotation)
02:17 - Plosive Test
02:27 - Distance Test / Proximity Effect Test
02:54 - Background Noise Test 
03:17 - Untreated Room Test
03:32 - Shock Rejection Test
03:49 - Handling Noise Rejection
04:03 - Mic Resonance Tap Test
04:17 - Cup the Mic Test
04:39 - Intro to Comparison
05:09 - Behringer XM8500 Comparison
05:34 - Mackie EM89 Comparison
05:54 - Shure SM58 Comparison
06:22 - sE Electronics V7 Comparison
06:43 - Rode Podmic Comparison
07:08 - Audio Technica AT2040 Comparison
07:32 - Elgato Wave DX Comparison
07:55 - Lewitt MTP550DM Comparison
08:19 - Shure SM7b Comparison
08:51 - Neumann U87 Ai Comparison
09:09 - Music Test
10:24 - Pros & Cons
11:25 - Overall Thoughts
14:04 - Recommendation
15:45 - Outro

Elgato Wave DX Mic Review / Test

Today I review a streamer microphone from Elgato, the Wave DX. This mic offers a very bright and clear sound without much to support it in the lower frequencies. It does do a fairly good job at plosive rejection, but it suffers quite a bit from shocks and isn't able to reject those. If you're looking for a very bright sounding mic then this may be the right pick for you.

Buy the Elgato Wave DX (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: n/a
Sweetwater: n/a

Buy the Focusrite 2i2 (3rd Gen)- Same Performance as 18i20 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/2i32rd
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/k6g4d

NOTE (FULL DISCLOSURE): As an associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info check my FAQ page links below.

RECORDING SETTINGS:
Interface: Focusrite 18i20 2nd Gen
Gain: ~4:00
Boosted in Post: 9dB
Bit-Depth: 24-bit
Sample Rate: 48kHz

00:00 - Intro / Price / Disclaimer 
00:26 - Setup
00:46 - What’s in the Box
01:19 - Build Quality / Walkthrough
01:48 - Specifications
02:03 - Polar Pattern Test (Tone / Rotation)
02:22 - Plosive Test
02:32 - Distance Test / Proximity Effect Test
02:54 - Background Noise Test 
03:14 - Untreated Room Test
03:35 - Shock Rejection Test
03:53 - Mic Resonance Tap Test
04:06 - Intro to Comparison
04:29 - Behringer XM8500 Comparison
04:48 - Mackie EM89 Comparison
05:11 - Shure SM58 Comparison
05:31 - sE Electronics V7 Comparison
05:51 - Rode Podmic Comparison
06:10 - Audio Technica AT2040 Comparison
06:41 - Lewitt MTP550 DM Comparison
07:14 - Shure MV7x Comparison
07:33 - Rode Procaster Comparison
07:59 - Shure SM7b Comparison
08:29 - Electro Voice RE20 Comparison
08:59 - Neumann U87 Ai Comparison
09:34 - Music Test
10:40 - Pros & Cons
12:23 - Overall Thoughts & Opinions
14:52 - Recommendation
16:45 - Outro

Logitech Blue Sona Mic Review / Test

Today I review a microphone from Logitech, the makers of webcams. This is an XLR dynamic mic with an inbuilt preamp and it offers a darker and smoother sound which is not what I was expecting from them. I think it sounds quite good if that's the sound you're looking for, and many people will probably enjoy the sound. If you're looking for bright and exciting sounding mic, this is more of a soft sound.

Buy the Logitech Blue Sona (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/bluesona
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/bluesona

Buy the Focusrite 2i2 (3rd Gen)- Same Performance as 18i20 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/2i32rd
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/k6g4d

NOTE (FULL DISCLOSURE): As an associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info check my FAQ page links below.

RECORDING SETTINGS:
Interface: Focusrite 18i20 2nd Gen
Gain: ~1:00
Boosted in Post: +8dB
Bit-Depth: 24-bit
Sample Rate: 48kHz

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Intro / Price / Disclaimer 
00:21 - Setup
00:42 - What’s in the Box
01:03 - Build Quality / Walkthrough
01:41 - Specifications
02:03 - Polar Pattern Test (Tone / Rotation)
02:22 - Plosive Test
02:32 - Distance Test / Proximity Effect Test
02:47 - Background Noise Test 
03:05 - Untreated Room Test
03:21 - Shock Rejection Test
03:41 - Mic Resonance Tap Test
03:55 - Windscreen Tone Impact
04:20 - EQ Switch Test
05:11 - Intro to Comparison
05:36 - Behringer XM8500 Comparison
05:54 - sE Electronics V7 Comparison
06:15 - Shure SM58 Comparison
06:31 - Rode Podmic Comparison
06:51 - Elgato Wave DX Comparison
07:11 - Audio Technica AT2040 Comparison
07:32 - Shure MV7x Comparison
07:54 - Rode Procaster Comparison
08:14 - sE Electronics Dynacaster Comparison
08:40 - Shure SM7b Comparison
09:02 - Earthworks Ethos Comparison
09:18 - Electro Voice RE20 Comparison
09:40 - Neumann U98 Ai Comparison
10:03 - Music Test
11:18 - Pros & Cons
12:25 - Overall Thoughts
14:42 - Recommendation
16:52 - Outro

Neumann KM 184 Condenser Mic Review / Test

Today I review an industry standard small diaphragm condenser, the Neumann KM184. This is well regarded for acoustic instruments, but I really enjoyed it for spoken word, singing, and acoustic guitar. It offers more of a neutral and smooth sound signature, so if you're looking for a hyper detailed modern sounding mic, this will not offer you that. But if you're looking for a more natural and realistic sound, I think it's a great option to consider.

Buy the Neumann KM184 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/km184
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/km184

Buy the Focusrite 2i2 (3rd Gen)- Same Performance as 18i20 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/2i32rd
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/k6g4d

NOTE (FULL DISCLOSURE): As an associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info check my FAQ page links below.

00:00 - Intro / Price / Disclaimer 
00:20 - Setup
00:41 - What’s in the Box
01:00 - Build Quality / Walkthrough
01:19 - Specifications
01:45 - Polar Pattern Test (Tone / Rotation)
02:04 - Plosive Test
02:28 - Distance Test / Proximity Effect Test
02:51 - A Few Mic Position Tests
03:25 - Background Noise Test 
03:46 - Untreated Room Test
04:19 - Shock Rejection Test
04:37 - Mic Resonance Tap Test
04:52 - Windscreen Tone Test
05:14 - Intro to Comparison
05:37 - Rode M5 Comparison
05:57 - Sennheiser E614 Comparison
06:16 - sE Electronics sE8 Comparison
06:37 - Oktava MK012 Comparison
07:01 - Beyerdynamic MC930 Comparison
07:25 - Neumann KM185 Comparison
07:53 - sE Electronics RN17 Comparison
08:22 - Neumann U87 Ai Comparison
08:48 - Music Test
10:03 - Pros & Cons
11:40 - Overall Thoughts
13:57 - Recommendation
18:08 - Outro

Apogee Boom Interface Review / Explained

Today I walkthrough, explain, test and review the new Apogee Boom audio interface which has DSP processing, I test the SM7b on this interface, play instruments on the D.I. inputs and walk through all the processing, and software.

Buy the Apogee Boom (Affiliate Links)
Amazon: 
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/boom

Buy the Rode NT1 Kit (Affiliate)
Amazon: http://geni.us/rodent1
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/nt1

Buy the Shure SM7b (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/shuresm7b
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/sm7b

00:00 - Intro / Pricing / Disclosure 
00:29 - Signal Chain for Testing
00:50 - What’s in the Box
01:17 - Build Quality
02:00 - Walkthrough of Features
03:12 - Specifications
04:00 - Shure SM7b Mic Test (No Cloudlifter or Fethead)
05:03 - Preamp Gain Noise Test
05:47 - Line In Test
06:30 - Latency Test
07:22 - D.I. Instrument Input Test
08:56 - Complete Software Walkthrough
16:36 - Quick iPad Software Walkthrough
17:28 - DSP Processing Walkthrough
19:59 - Pros & Cons
22:49 - Recommendation
23:55 - Outro

Mojave MA-D Dynamic Mic Review / Test

Today I review the first dynamic mic from Mojave, the MA-D. This mic gives a very bright sound, but it handles that upper end very well. It also has a slightly pulled back midsection and a slight exageration in the bass and low mids which yields a V-shaped sound. As far as handheld dynamics go, it doesn't sound like any of the 17 other mics I compare it against.

Buy the Mojave MA-D (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: n/a
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/mojavemad

Buy the Focusrite 2i2 (3rd Gen)- Same Performance as 18i20 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/2i32rd
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/k6g4d

NOTE (FULL DISCLOSURE): As an associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info check my FAQ page links below.

00:00 - Intro / Price / Disclaimer 
00:26 - Setup
00:46 - What’s in the Box
01:06 - Build Quality / Walkthrough
01:31 - Specifications
01:51 - Polar Pattern Test (Tone / Rotation)
02:10 - Plosive Test
02:20 - Distance Test / Proximity Effect Test
02:41 - Background Noise Test 
03:00 - Untreated Room Test
03:17 - Shock Rejection Test
03:36 - Handling Noise Rejection
03:50 - Mic Resonance Tap Test
04:05 - Cup the Mic Test
04:30 - Intro to Comparison
04:48 - Behringer XM8500 Comparison
05:09 - Lewitt MTP250 DM Comparison
05:28 - Sennheiser E835 Comparison
05:49 - sE Electronics V7 Comparison
06:11 - Rode M1 Comparison
06:31 - Audix OM2 Comparison
06:49 - Shure SM58 Comparison
07:06 - Miktek T89 Comparison
07:27 - AKG D5 Comparison
07:49 - Audio Technica AT2010 Comparison
08:12 - Shure Beta 58a Comparison
08:36 - Beyerdynamic TG V70d Comparison
09:03 - JZ Mics HH1 Comparison
09:25 - Blue Encore 200 Comparison
09:52 - Earthworks SR314 Comparison
10:15 - Neumann KMS105 Comparison
10:49 - Neumann U87 Ai Comparison
11:12 - Music Test
12:31 - Pros & Cons
13:56 - Overall Thoughts
16:56 - Recommendation
17:41 - Outro