Performance and build quality relative to the cost of the microphone.Luv my Lewitt mikes...the 440 is a great value relative to cost, performance and build quality. Warren I'm learning so much from your videos, wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the work you put into these videos and the music that accompanies the videos. Thank you.
Good and CHEAP! All my covers on my channel were made with a super cheap stagg Sdm50 for vocals, and I don't feel the need of any other microphone so far. I sing very loud and the sound doesn't get distorted or any thing. Tested a much more expensive mic before, and when singing a high note, the sound cracked. So yeah, back to my cheap Stagg Sdm50 and happy with it.
Who is the artist delivering this incredible vocal performance? I'm a bit surprised that she's not identified for credit. Thanks for featuring her, she's superb.
I’ve had the Townsend labs sphere since 2018 and I don’t say this lightly….it’s an absolute game changer in my studio. The mic on its own is incredible, but to be able to change mic emulations while mixing to fit the singer or instruments in the mix is an amazing tool to have at your fingertips. They are pricey yes but worth every penny if you’re looking to take your productions to the next level. Highly recommend and the extra ocean way and Bill Putnam mic plugins are worth adding!
Couldn't agree more. I have one of the early Townsend L22 mics (serial LAD 0450) and I'm still blown away by the sonic textures. It's so good - and so easy - it feels a little like cheating.
Just grabbed a Townsend L22 as it looks like they are on sale in many places to make room for the DLX. Basically the same mic with only a shorter cable and the knob is -20 and -10 selectable. I even got a deal where the UA Volt 2 with the actual plugin deal came almost for free in the bundle.
I have this mic since last June. I match it with a stereo preamp, the Neve 5211 (hardware), and the combo is great. You can modeling after tracking and this is the real big deal. Now I almost don't touch the eq anymore.
Another great demo by a great singer/player and Warren. What sets this emulation package apart is the fine-tuning you can do with controls like proximity, room sound, and having the option for stereo recording is nice, too. Thanks.
Many of the changes are very subtle because her vocal performance is very controlled and not pushing the microphones to their limits, which would bring out those differences a lot, but the switch from the Coles to the Sony was like turning on a light in a dark room. Both models are gorgeous, but represent her beautiful performance so differently. The cool thing about this microphone is that in the plugin you could blend a C800g with the Coles ribbon and get the best of both worlds. This mic really lets you get creative in ways that perhaps you wouldn't bother with otherwise, but could potentially be a great strength to the overall production.
All the emulations sound like the mic with no emulation but different post processing. What I mean is, they don't sound like different microphones, it sounds like the same microphone processed differently. I have most of the microphones emulated here and although the emulations seem to have similar curves to the emulated microphones, they are also missing a lot. For instance, the emulated Royer 121 is dark and has a figure 8 pattern as does a real one, but it doesn't have the detailed low mids and the punch the 121 has on a vocal. The 251 emulation is bright, but the real 251 soaks up the harsh hi-mids like no ones business and as a weighty low end. The biggest thing I've noticed about the two popular emulation microphone systems is that the sibilance sounds pretty consistent throughout emulations. This may be due to characteristics of the capsule they cannot yet figure out how to undo. The sibilance on the Slate mic really bothers me. The Sphere is a little better. With the progression of AI, plugins in the near future will "rebuild" the vocal rather than modify it. They will rebuild the vocal the same or as it was recorded with a different mic and hardware, different room, different performance or even a different singer. They'll be able to change the words too.
The mics you mention, do you have pairs of those mics? Do the pairs also sound the same? For example have you tried more than one 251 and do they both soak up the hi-mids and have a weighty low-end? Legitimate question.
@@tomashcroft7024 I don't have a 251 pair, but I have used many 251s and C12s (similar). These characteristics are common with most 251s (what they are kinda known for). I have multiples of U87, Royers and many others. Some are matched pairs, some are not. Even the unmatched pairs each mic has the characteristics that those models are known for.
Great video Warren & team. I own 3 of the original Townsend labs branded L22's, and they are without doubt the best mic emulation systems on the planet. So glad they are getting a reissue with UA ownership behind them. I expect they will get much more recognition with the weight and scale of UA's marketing dept behind them. Kudos though to Chris, Erik & later Julian, the origonal team behind it.
Explains why they were giving away a L22 with an Apollo last month. Had a feeling things were being reissued or upgraded or something. I like that they made a new one that’s ‘mono’ and one that is stereo. Best mic modeler I’ve ever heard, I’d like to buy one at some point when i have a space to record vocals again.
@@CreativeMindsAudio It looks to me like UA intentionally **disabled** stereo in the LX (which *also* has dual capsules, so should be capable of it). And the DLX is the same mic as the L22, other than a less flexible pad (only 20db for the DLX, both 10 and 20 for the L22). Whole thing screams marketing and, with the L22 selling a few weeks ago for $1200, pisses me off that the choices are a disabled mic or paying $300 over price for the non-disabled mic.
@@berkeleybernie good points! But I know that it was sold as $300 off for promotional reasons and all. Also dual capsule doesn’t always mean stereo. It is possible it is just a software limitation, but there could be other hardware limiting factors as well. In any case both are world’s better than slate or antelope’s offerings.
A little mistake there on the Beyer ribbon at about 9'30" in. You said it sounded "a little scooped". Of course it did. You left the filter activated at the 2 position. Unfortunately you left that filter on for several of the mics after that. Made for some pretty anemic sounds. Sorry. Do those again? I've owned and used the earlier Townsend version of this mic on multiple different instruments, amps and voices for about 10 months now and i find it an amazing and very useful tool. I a/b compared the models with my Neumann 87 and my vintage AKG 414eb with the brass yoke as well as some other mics from my collection. The simulations are deep and rewarding. Both the 87 and 414eb were nearly identical including off-axis response and proximity. I own and use the Ocean Way mic models from UA and love them and I love the characterful models in the Putnam collection too. Some of my gear-lust dreams have been finally realised. Great and useful demo!
I got myself a Sphere Lx. Then nulled the track with no emulation with emulated one. Truly, I may be wrong, as I am not too technical, but them mics are nothing more than a facy packaged eq curve. Yet I love the mic. Most flat and Faithfull I've ever had
Never thought I would hear a Wilco cover on this channel (by way of Woody Guthrie's lyrics), so this was such a cool surprise. Modeling mics are going to continue being very formidable, especially for home studios. It also makes for an easier way to compare the sonic characteristics of various mics. The base mic without the emulation sounds fantastic as well!
I'm fairly new to recording and engineering. I chose (2) Townsend L22 Spheres because of their versatility and have been absolutely thrilled with their performance.
I would like to hear UAD Sphere put it against Slate Digital mic in comparison , see what we could get from that. These two companies does the emulation mics doesn't it?
I had the Townsend version and it really is an amazing mic for so many reasons. You can use an emulation for monitoring only to make the singer feel comfortable without recording any color. Speaking of which, the mic clean is a beautiful balanced mic, he isn't kidding. I liked to double the vocals using two very different emulations like a LDC and an SM57 for amazing depth. So versitie.
Ive been dabbling in recording for 30 years. Got a pretty good idea on how to record different things the proper way. But the best recordings ive ever made were with an sm57 preamped from a line 6 guitar pod with a little reverb. Acoustic and vocal at same time. Side note I bought the Slate about a year ago and have not even plugged it in yet.
So you have a pair of RCA 77 and don't know they have pattern selector, even if the patterns are highlighted in the plugin showing what is available in the original? Yikes, anyway, the compressor or EQ settings you have in the mixed example at the beginning are extremely sibilant, what's up with that?
I just picked up the Slate ML-1 and absolutely love it. It made a huge difference on my vocal recordings. These mic emulators might be the best way to go for a budget studio. The technology is only getting better and better. I'll be picking this one up too eventually. Great video as usual Warren. Cheers.
I'm more interested in the pop shield there, anyone know what it is? As for the mic, I type this with youtube playing back in the background and I can't hear much difference. More choices, more distraction, more fluff, more bollocks. Give me a couple of decent mics that I know, plug in and go, job done!
Nice Video & nice voice!! Do you thing that is better option this mic than the Neumann TL103 + shure SM81 LC? I can’t decide which is better for my home studio for vocals and AC Guitars. Can you tell me your opinion? Thanks a lot!
Been listening to some shootouts made by other people and was surprised by how far off the Sphere is from some of the mics it is supposedly modeling. Another video compares the DLX to LX and shows how much internal mesh basket resonance/ambiance the DLX has. That's not something their plugin can remove. I guess that's why it costs 1/10th of many of the mics it purports to model.
Awesome video, thanks! Two questions, if i have an external mono preamp can i connect the front Mic cable to the external preamp and the rear one to the sound card or do I have to have an external 2 channel preamp and connect both cables there? I saw that dlx also has the mic shield simulation(es. Aston halo), is it also present in the lx? Thanks!
WOW Amazing ! I've seen a few mic's already but it really has already it's own awesome character . As an apollo twin-x user for my mobile recording solution it would be a dream combo for nomad artists like me :)
Hi Warren! Was surprised to not hear a conclusion of your thoughts at the end. What do you think of this modeling mic? I know you’ve worked with a lot of the real /vintage versions of what this is modeling. Will you make another video to conclude your thoughts? Would be much appreciated. Thanks for this in depth comparison video!! 😊
The best version of emulation that I personally have ever used was the Focusrite Liquid Saffire 56. I could actually tell the difference between the preamps. So much so that I did switch within sessions, depending on what was being recorded. I cannot use the LS56 anymore because it is a firewire interface. I wish they would make another. I wanted to get the Slate Digital VMS a try but I was getting out of music when that started to gain steam. This may be my next purchase. I will scour more reviews and listen with my headphones. UA may have another hit on their hands.
Great song, performance. Looking forward to tying this mic out. I have the Ml1 by Slate. The preamp is junk but the mic and the mic simulations are very good. I imagine this mic will take it to another whole level.
I've watched and listend to this video again and it's a great sounding and looking product, the mic, the visuals and sound. One thing I noticed, is that for instance on the 47 the sphere showed a hyper cardiod pattern while the pattern knob was showing cardioid. Why not program to automaticly change the knob to the default pattern of the mic?
What's a bit strange about the reviews of microphone emulation software (as with Acustica Audio's Lava) is that they never compare the sound obtained with the real thing. If you change the sound of the Sphere to that of a Neumann U47, you should compare it to the sound of a real Neumann U47 to check to what extent it lives up to its promises. What I see now are mainly reviews that show that microphone emulation (with or without a special designed microphone) can improve the sound (which is of course very positive in itself, but enhancing the sound can also be done with other processing), but unfortunately few people investigate if the sound of a virtual destination microphone corresponds with its real counterpart. So when you record with Sphere emulating a AKG451, you shoul be simulatanious recording with a real AKG451 besides it, and then compare both tracks.
@@timbrown7652 Haven't seen that one, but all the emulation software should be reviewed that way, as it is the only way to check to what extend it lives up to its promises.
@@Producelikeapro It would be great to have some 1:1 comparisons, especially with the currently available standards that many of us will have in their mic locker: SM57, SM7B, R121, U87ai. Comparison with vintage mics is a little problematic, as every copy tends to sound different...
I am Just wondering how you handle the recording process. Because the track is in stereo some things do not work. For vocals especially. If i have a lot of vocal tracks I have to put the plug in on every seperate track and group processing does not work. How do you go about this? I love the sound of the mic itself though but the processing confuses me 🙈
Warren I've noticed that some of my favorite recordings were made in the '50's and '60's (especially jazz) using only one mike. Could you do a video showing how this was done and what mikes were being used? I'm thinking especially of Teo Macero's recordings of Miles Davis and Lambert, Hendrick & Ross. Thanks!
reat demo and seems very very accurate. The C800 and U87 emus are spot on and that 421! They managed to show you just how horrible that mic is on vocals haha. Good stuff, Warren and wonderful performance!
As far as I know you dont need UA interface for this, the software is a plugin (VST / AAX). According to the "specs" with an UA interface you will have near zero latency
Hi Warren, I noticed that in the multitrack te voice is panned to the left but it isn't on your mix, I'm just starting to mix so I don't know what to do 😵💫
Great mics and great video! I own a pair of Townsends since they came out and I love them. Very versatile mics, very good mic models. Still would love to have an AKG D19c profile 🙂 Warren, maybe you can convince Chris and Erik to do a D19 🤩
I'd like to see a component comparison with their new mic (the LX). Other than the form factor, the disabling of stereo, and fewer included models, what's the difference? The L22 and DLX are the same mic (except for a change on the pad; the L22 can do 10 or 20; the DLX only 20). It seems to me that UA has **intentionally crippled** stereo (180 coincident) recording in the LX even though it has dual capsules as well, in order to push people to buy the DLX. Kinda hate that kind of marketing gimmick, tbh. Basically rebranding and offering a crippled mic at a lower price point. Feh. They had the L22 at $1200 a few weeks ago. Not going to pay $1500 for the same mic. And not going to buy a crippled mic.
I think the Darker tones mix better with the guitar, I really love the sound of the Sony C-800 but for the way the guitar sounds in this tone it doesn't work. Really nice. How does it compare to the Slate mic.
Would this mic do a dynamic close range recording just like an SM57? After all, it's still a very sensitive mic. Right? So how would you use it as a dynamic for low leakage applications?
New tools are great, but nice pleasant vocals or a mild acoustic guitar just doesn’t push the mic. Try some rock vocals and see if the results are worthy.
If I was starting out, this would be the first major mic that I would buy. First of all it's a really nice mic that you will never outgrow, with it's own sound that someone will probably emulate twenty years from now. : ) If you are going to spend KRAZZZY bucks on a holy grail microphone, Sphere will let you narrow down what you really want as compared to what you think you want. But most importantly for me, swapping emulations during mixdown underscores what I already knew. You can make a great recording with any decent/appropriate mic because people listen to music not microphones. A few DB of EQ used on most vocal tracks, makes more difference than the difference between a U47 and a C12. That said, I still want a damn C-12 because I can't help myself.
Hi Warren, fantastic video as always. I am thinking of buying the DLX mic, I love to hear your personal opinion on my story so I can make the best decision. I am an professional opera singer and do my recordings at home. I have a apollo x4 and most of the UAD pre amp emulations and other good plug ins for vocals and mixing. I bought the Charteroak SA538 I think 20 years ago, it is that old, however, I didn't use it on a daily basis. The challenges I run into using this mic is that my voice sounds diminished, like it is locked up in a box and the power of the voice and also the clarity is not there - it sound completely different from what my real voice is. That means if I want to bring power in and clarity I have to do tons of processing to get the sound a little better, it is kinda frustrating for a 1700 euro mic. I made a vocal booth using professional materials hoping the sound would improve by getting rid of my living room over-acoustic frequencies. No difference on the power of the voice. There the vocal booth is closed with the professional blankets I get even more muddy sound. I recorded close by 3 inches, and 6 inches, 12 inches to see if it is because the mic cannot handle the operatic sound - the farther I stand away the thinner the sound becomes....I have no idea if it is the type mic I bought, or, that 20 years made it warn out although it always diminished my vocals. The DLX, do you think in your opinion and experience with the mic that it would be the solution for me and finally get my voice recorded as it is, or, do you think that the mic without any processing and even without the UAD different mic options, that it would capture my voice a lot better than what I described about the charteroak studio microphone! Mostly opera singers are recorded with 2 mics to get that wider kinda stereo field sound as you hear on classical albums, or Pavarotti's recordings. The DLX plug in does have a stereo option to record with and I wonder if that would mimic the way opera singers are recorded. What do you think? You can hear the vocals sound FREE and not boxed in and weak - I think you know what I mean...I think they probably not do a whole lot of wild processing on opera voices beside maybe some compression and reverb if it is not recorded in a hall - Hope you can shine some light into my recording world 🙂and looking forward for a positive reply hopefully that the DLX will make a big difference for my recordings...Thanks in advance...
I have three L22s. I don’t care who criticize them lol. These with Apollo and Ocean and Putnam and Townsend give me less guess works, so I’m happy and don’t care about anything else.
Don't know much about microphones... Yet my Behringer 8500 with vocoder and twidling the knobs wasn't great. Now my SE V7 (Billy Gibbons edition) is more forgiving (picking up more ambient).
I thought this was going to be a video about mic’s. But turned out to be about a mic that you need a vst for. Little bit misleadingly. Sounds awesome though and seems easy to use. But make it clear what you are reviewing please.
Wow. Nice voice, but the styling kind of ruined the song after about the second pass. I've heard the mic shot out against other mics with a reputation. It's definitely not bad mic, but usually lacks that certain something when side by side.
what is important to YOU when looking for a new mic? Please comment below!
Performance and build quality relative to the cost of the microphone.Luv my Lewitt mikes...the 440 is a great value relative to cost, performance and build quality.
Warren I'm learning so much from your videos, wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the work you put into these videos and the music that accompanies the videos. Thank you.
Durability and some level of versatility
Good and CHEAP! All my covers on my channel were made with a super cheap stagg Sdm50 for vocals, and I don't feel the need of any other microphone so far. I sing very loud and the sound doesn't get distorted or any thing. Tested a much more expensive mic before, and when singing a high note, the sound cracked. So yeah, back to my cheap Stagg Sdm50 and happy with it.
for me if its a vocal mic i always listen for proximity effect and then sibilance response!
oh and price lol
Who is the artist delivering this incredible vocal performance? I'm a bit surprised that she's not identified for credit. Thanks for featuring her, she's superb.
Mckail Seely
I’ve had the Townsend labs sphere since 2018 and I don’t say this lightly….it’s an absolute game changer in my studio. The mic on its own is incredible, but to be able to change mic emulations while mixing to fit the singer or instruments in the mix is an amazing tool to have at your fingertips. They are pricey yes but worth every penny if you’re looking to take your productions to the next level. Highly recommend and the extra ocean way and Bill Putnam mic plugins are worth adding!
Thanks ever so much for sharing!
@@Producelikeapro great content Warren and team. Always look forward to your videos!
Couldn't agree more. I have one of the early Townsend L22 mics (serial LAD 0450) and I'm still blown away by the sonic textures. It's so good - and so easy - it feels a little like cheating.
Just grabbed a Townsend L22 as it looks like they are on sale in many places to make room for the DLX. Basically the same mic with only a shorter cable and the knob is -20 and -10 selectable. I even got a deal where the UA Volt 2 with the actual plugin deal came almost for free in the bundle.
Awesome video. A great song, performed by an outstanding artist and recorded with a great microphone. Can't wait to listen to the multitracks.
I have this mic since last June. I match it with a stereo preamp, the Neve 5211 (hardware), and the combo is great. You can modeling after tracking and this is the real big deal. Now I almost don't touch the eq anymore.
My setup too!
Perfect combo! I love it
Unless you've already done it, a comparison between this and VMS might be great. Cheers!
Marvellous idea! Coming soon!
@@Producelikeapro As a VMS user I look forward to this!
I own ML1 and L22. I like L22 much much more
I wanted this microphone for years now. Ill get one one day. Its definately top of my list for my next microphone
Incredible performance. Listened 4x in a row.
Another great demo by a great singer/player and Warren. What sets this emulation package apart is the fine-tuning you can do with controls like proximity, room sound, and having the option for stereo recording is nice, too. Thanks.
Thank you! 😄
Many of the changes are very subtle because her vocal performance is very controlled and not pushing the microphones to their limits, which would bring out those differences a lot, but the switch from the Coles to the Sony was like turning on a light in a dark room. Both models are gorgeous, but represent her beautiful performance so differently. The cool thing about this microphone is that in the plugin you could blend a C800g with the Coles ribbon and get the best of both worlds. This mic really lets you get creative in ways that perhaps you wouldn't bother with otherwise, but could potentially be a great strength to the overall production.
Yes, your first sentence is very true
this song + performance + engineering would sound good with just about ~any~ mic over $100 :D
All the emulations sound like the mic with no emulation but different post processing. What I mean is, they don't sound like different microphones, it sounds like the same microphone processed differently. I have most of the microphones emulated here and although the emulations seem to have similar curves to the emulated microphones, they are also missing a lot. For instance, the emulated Royer 121 is dark and has a figure 8 pattern as does a real one, but it doesn't have the detailed low mids and the punch the 121 has on a vocal. The 251 emulation is bright, but the real 251 soaks up the harsh hi-mids like no ones business and as a weighty low end. The biggest thing I've noticed about the two popular emulation microphone systems is that the sibilance sounds pretty consistent throughout emulations. This may be due to characteristics of the capsule they cannot yet figure out how to undo. The sibilance on the Slate mic really bothers me. The Sphere is a little better. With the progression of AI, plugins in the near future will "rebuild" the vocal rather than modify it. They will rebuild the vocal the same or as it was recorded with a different mic and hardware, different room, different performance or even a different singer. They'll be able to change the words too.
The mics you mention, do you have pairs of those mics? Do the pairs also sound the same? For example have you tried more than one 251 and do they both soak up the hi-mids and have a weighty low-end? Legitimate question.
@@tomashcroft7024 I don't have a 251 pair, but I have used many 251s and C12s (similar). These characteristics are common with most 251s (what they are kinda known for). I have multiples of U87, Royers and many others. Some are matched pairs, some are not. Even the unmatched pairs each mic has the characteristics that those models are known for.
Great video Warren & team. I own 3 of the original Townsend labs branded L22's, and they are without doubt the best mic emulation systems on the planet. So glad they are getting a reissue with UA ownership behind them. I expect they will get much more recognition with the weight and scale of UA's marketing dept behind them. Kudos though to Chris, Erik & later Julian, the origonal team behind it.
Explains why they were giving away a L22 with an Apollo last month. Had a feeling things were being reissued or upgraded or something.
I like that they made a new one that’s ‘mono’ and one that is stereo.
Best mic modeler I’ve ever heard, I’d like to buy one at some point when i have a space to record vocals again.
@@CreativeMindsAudio It looks to me like UA intentionally **disabled** stereo in the LX (which *also* has dual capsules, so should be capable of it). And the DLX is the same mic as the L22, other than a less flexible pad (only 20db for the DLX, both 10 and 20 for the L22). Whole thing screams marketing and, with the L22 selling a few weeks ago for $1200, pisses me off that the choices are a disabled mic or paying $300 over price for the non-disabled mic.
@@berkeleybernie good points! But I know that it was sold as $300 off for promotional reasons and all. Also dual capsule doesn’t always mean stereo. It is possible it is just a software limitation, but there could be other hardware limiting factors as well.
In any case both are world’s better than slate or antelope’s offerings.
A little mistake there on the Beyer ribbon at about 9'30" in. You said it sounded "a little scooped". Of course it did. You left the filter activated at the 2 position. Unfortunately you left that filter on for several of the mics after that. Made for some pretty anemic sounds. Sorry. Do those again?
I've owned and used the earlier Townsend version of this mic on multiple different instruments, amps and voices for about 10 months now and i find it an amazing and very useful tool. I a/b compared the models with my Neumann 87 and my vintage AKG 414eb with the brass yoke as well as some other mics from my collection. The simulations are deep and rewarding. Both the 87 and 414eb were nearly identical including off-axis response and proximity. I own and use the Ocean Way mic models from UA and love them and I love the characterful models in the Putnam collection too. Some of my gear-lust dreams have been finally realised. Great and useful demo!
I got myself a Sphere Lx. Then nulled the track with no emulation with emulated one. Truly, I may be wrong, as I am not too technical, but them mics are nothing more than a facy packaged eq curve. Yet I love the mic. Most flat and Faithfull I've ever had
I recorded some vocals on this mic at the studio of an engineer friend of mine. Bought one soon thereafter. Don't record many vocals, but I love it.
Never thought I would hear a Wilco cover on this channel (by way of Woody Guthrie's lyrics), so this was such a cool surprise.
Modeling mics are going to continue being very formidable, especially for home studios. It also makes for an easier way to compare the sonic characteristics of various mics. The base mic without the emulation sounds fantastic as well!
Thanks ever so much Adam! I'm glad you enjoyed it! McKail ROCKS!
I'm fairly new to recording and engineering. I chose (2) Townsend L22 Spheres because of their versatility and have been absolutely thrilled with their performance.
Just a note on the competition form, the last option with subscribing to UA on RUclips, there is just a text box, not a link to subscribing.
Far out! What a performance!! Thanks for the share Warren! Love your stuff man!
Thanks ever so much for sharing!
Can you do a part two, using the 180 plugin to do stereo, and also, you know you can mix two mics in the plugin right?
With such a beautiful voice, all microphones will sound fantastic.
Gosh, thank you so much!
@@McKailSeely1
It was my pleasure ❤️
Hi! Now i have a Blue Bluebird microphone, Dlx can be a huge difference? Thanks!
I would like to hear UAD Sphere put it against Slate Digital mic in comparison , see what we could get from that. These two companies does the emulation mics doesn't it?
I had the Townsend version and it really is an amazing mic for so many reasons. You can use an emulation for monitoring only to make the singer feel comfortable without recording any color. Speaking of which, the mic clean is a beautiful balanced mic, he isn't kidding. I liked to double the vocals using two very different emulations like a LDC and an SM57 for amazing depth. So versitie.
Hello Warren! I have a question, can we mix master song in Cubase and get quality like ProTools?
Ive been dabbling in recording for 30 years. Got a pretty good idea on how to record different things the proper way. But the best recordings ive ever made were with an sm57 preamped from a line 6 guitar pod with a little reverb. Acoustic and vocal at same time. Side note I bought the Slate about a year ago and have not even plugged it in yet.
So you have a pair of RCA 77 and don't know they have pattern selector, even if the patterns are highlighted in the plugin showing what is available in the original? Yikes, anyway, the compressor or EQ settings you have in the mixed example at the beginning are extremely sibilant, what's up with that?
I'm a huge fan of emulation mic and this one is pretty amazing. Good video as always and pretty good cover. Thanks and happy new year :)
Thanks ever so much!
Very useful to hear mostly the actual sounds plus clear commentary. Thanks.
Wow what a great singer! 😮
Thank yooou!
Agreed 100%!
@@McKailSeely1 you rock
Thank you for the share everyone!
Which is better the lv or dxl? I’m torn
I just picked up the Slate ML-1 and absolutely love it. It made a huge difference on my vocal recordings. These mic emulators might be the best way to go for a budget studio. The technology is only getting better and better. I'll be picking this one up too eventually. Great video as usual Warren. Cheers.
Are there uncompressed files to download? Kman
None of the files are compressed
thanks warren@@Producelikeapro
I'm more interested in the pop shield there, anyone know what it is?
As for the mic, I type this with youtube playing back in the background and I can't hear much difference. More choices, more distraction, more fluff, more bollocks. Give me a couple of decent mics that I know, plug in and go, job done!
No link to vocalist website or anything? Who is she?
McKail Seely! The new website is coming soon
❤❤ I just received the Sphere bc I bought the Apollo x6. Can anyone see/tell, is that a Martin?
I wish UAD would let you model on recordings made with a C414 XLS; that mic is so neutral it would easily lend itself to that
This is a great sound comparison video …. Many of these types of videos don’t do the different settings justice
Nice Video & nice voice!! Do you thing that is better option this mic than the Neumann TL103 + shure SM81 LC? I can’t decide which is better for my home studio for vocals and AC Guitars. Can you tell me your opinion? Thanks a lot!
Been listening to some shootouts made by other people and was surprised by how far off the Sphere is from some of the mics it is supposedly modeling. Another video compares the DLX to LX and shows how much internal mesh basket resonance/ambiance the DLX has. That's not something their plugin can remove. I guess that's why it costs 1/10th of many of the mics it purports to model.
What an awesome microphone!
Thanks ever so much
Amazing voice and brilliant song choice.
Thank you!
The mic itself with no emulation sounds great, maybe better than any other modeling on it.
Thanks ever so much Edward! Agreed we loved the mic
Awesome video, thanks! Two questions, if i have an external mono preamp can i connect the front Mic cable to the external preamp and the rear one to the sound card or do I have to have an external 2 channel preamp and connect both cables there? I saw that dlx also has the mic shield simulation(es. Aston halo), is it also present in the lx? Thanks!
if ever there were a time id really love to win a comp ... now would be that time! Jah bring me luck
WOW Amazing ! I've seen a few mic's already but it really has already it's own awesome character . As an apollo twin-x user for my mobile recording solution it would be a dream combo for nomad artists like me :)
Where do you win this mic?
Hi Warren! Was surprised to not hear a conclusion of your thoughts at the end. What do you think of this modeling mic? I know you’ve worked with a lot of the real /vintage versions of what this is modeling. Will you make another video to conclude your thoughts? Would be much appreciated.
Thanks for this in depth comparison video!! 😊
Nice vocal performance
McKail is an amazing singer!
Are you using Apollo interface directly ?
The best version of emulation that I personally have ever used was the Focusrite Liquid Saffire 56. I could actually tell the difference between the preamps. So much so that I did switch within sessions, depending on what was being recorded. I cannot use the LS56 anymore because it is a firewire interface. I wish they would make another. I wanted to get the Slate Digital VMS a try but I was getting out of music when that started to gain steam.
This may be my next purchase. I will scour more reviews and listen with my headphones. UA may have another hit on their hands.
Great song, performance. Looking forward to tying this mic out. I have the Ml1 by Slate. The preamp is junk but the mic and the mic simulations are very good. I imagine this mic will take it to another whole level.
What a voice!!!
...those ribbons are kinda wild on her voice, super vibey. However, the Neumann emulations sound super pricey.
And which one would you prefer the Slate MS1 or the UAD Sphere condenser Mic ?
I've watched and listend to this video again and it's a great sounding and looking product, the mic, the visuals and sound.
One thing I noticed, is that for instance on the 47 the sphere showed a hyper cardiod pattern while the pattern knob was showing cardioid. Why not program to automaticly change the knob to the default pattern of the mic?
What's a bit strange about the reviews of microphone emulation software (as with Acustica Audio's Lava) is that they never compare the sound obtained with the real thing. If you change the sound of the Sphere to that of a Neumann U47, you should compare it to the sound of a real Neumann U47 to check to what extent it lives up to its promises. What I see now are mainly reviews that show that microphone emulation (with or without a special designed microphone) can improve the sound (which is of course very positive in itself, but enhancing the sound can also be done with other processing), but unfortunately few people investigate if the sound of a virtual destination microphone corresponds with its real counterpart. So when you record with Sphere emulating a AKG451, you shoul be simulatanious recording with a real AKG451 besides it, and then compare both tracks.
Hi Bart, I do have a U47 and I did the comparisons with the Slate and my U47.
Warren's review of the Slate compared his U47 to the Slate VMS
@@Producelikeapro Oh, i haven't seen that one, but looking at all the reviews would make it impossible to be recording anythig of course.
@@timbrown7652 Haven't seen that one, but all the emulation software should be reviewed that way, as it is the only way to check to what extend it lives up to its promises.
@@Producelikeapro It would be great to have some 1:1 comparisons, especially with the currently available standards that many of us will have in their mic locker: SM57, SM7B, R121, U87ai. Comparison with vintage mics is a little problematic, as every copy tends to sound different...
What the function of this microphone "LD-414 Brass"? For Kick Drum? For the voice? or...etc? Thank You ~ Cheers Rudi from Indonesia👌🇮🇩🙏
I love it on everything! Very versatile mic
What a singer 😍
Marvellous! Thanks for sharing
I am Just wondering how you handle the recording process. Because the track is in stereo some things do not work. For vocals especially. If i have a lot of vocal tracks I have to put the plug in on every seperate track and group processing does not work. How do you go about this? I love the sound of the mic itself though but the processing confuses me 🙈
Warren I've noticed that some of my favorite recordings were made in the '50's and '60's (especially jazz) using only one mike. Could you do a video showing how this was done and what mikes were being used? I'm thinking especially of Teo Macero's recordings of Miles Davis and Lambert, Hendrick & Ross. Thanks!
Love this idea 👍
What preamp was used in this recording?
reat demo and seems very very accurate. The C800 and U87 emus are spot on and that 421! They managed to show you just how horrible that mic is on vocals haha. Good stuff, Warren and wonderful performance!
It looks and sounds pretty amazing, but aren't they simply adjusting the EQ curves for each model and wrapping it all up in a pretty package?
speaking of mics that can do it all, can you record a band using only sm57s?
Isn't that what Elliot Smith did? I'm sure his first album is entirely SM57s.
Maybe I missed it, but it the software available as native, too?
As far as I know you dont need UA interface for this, the software is a plugin (VST / AAX). According to the "specs" with an UA interface you will have near zero latency
@@renereuscher6881 Good to know, thanks.
Yes, we didn’t record this with a UA interface
Hi Warren, I noticed that in the multitrack te voice is panned to the left but it isn't on your mix, I'm just starting to mix so I don't know what to do 😵💫
Pan them on top of each other
Or just use the left
The mic works by recording front and back and then is able to create the different polar patterns
Thanks man! It worked
Can you do a similar review on the LX version which I believe has 2 mono capsules?
So get this sphere dlx ur a one year old U87ai for about the same price?
Great mics and great video! I own a pair of Townsends since they came out and I love them. Very versatile mics, very good mic models. Still would love to have an AKG D19c profile 🙂 Warren, maybe you can convince Chris and Erik to do a D19 🤩
More great content warren and crew :-) Never tried this modelling mic but i do have the Antelope Duo which is a very similar product and love it :-)
This was a lot of fun. :)
Thanks ever so much
I'd like to see a component comparison with their new mic (the LX). Other than the form factor, the disabling of stereo, and fewer included models, what's the difference? The L22 and DLX are the same mic (except for a change on the pad; the L22 can do 10 or 20; the DLX only 20). It seems to me that UA has **intentionally crippled** stereo (180 coincident) recording in the LX even though it has dual capsules as well, in order to push people to buy the DLX. Kinda hate that kind of marketing gimmick, tbh. Basically rebranding and offering a crippled mic at a lower price point. Feh.
They had the L22 at $1200 a few weeks ago. Not going to pay $1500 for the same mic. And not going to buy a crippled mic.
I think the Darker tones mix better with the guitar, I really love the sound of the Sony C-800 but for the way the guitar sounds in this tone it doesn't work. Really nice. How does it compare to the Slate mic.
Good sounding mic there. With several permutations to it. Great review, thanks very much.
what a voice....lovely stuff
Would this mic do a dynamic close range recording just like an SM57? After all, it's still a very sensitive mic. Right? So how would you use it as a dynamic for low leakage applications?
It is not a dynamic mic thus it probably would not work the same. It is more about the sound than about physical qualities....
Another fantastic video. Thx!!!
Thanks ever so much
Transformative technology. The world is changing 😊
New tools are great, but nice pleasant vocals or a mild acoustic guitar just doesn’t push the mic. Try some rock vocals and see if the results are worthy.
If I was starting out, this would be the first major mic that I would buy. First of all it's a really nice mic that you will never outgrow, with it's own sound that someone will probably emulate twenty years from now. : )
If you are going to spend KRAZZZY bucks on a holy grail microphone, Sphere will let you narrow down what you really want as compared to what you think you want. But most importantly for me, swapping emulations during mixdown underscores what I already knew. You can make a great recording with any decent/appropriate mic because people listen to music not microphones. A few DB of EQ used on most vocal tracks, makes more difference than the difference between a U47 and a C12. That said, I still want a damn C-12 because I can't help myself.
Hi Warren, fantastic video as always. I am thinking of buying the DLX mic, I love to hear your personal opinion on my story so I can make the best decision. I am an professional opera singer and do my recordings at home. I have a apollo x4 and most of the UAD pre amp emulations and other good plug ins for vocals and mixing. I bought the Charteroak SA538 I think 20 years ago, it is that old, however, I didn't use it on a daily basis. The challenges I run into using this mic is that my voice sounds diminished, like it is locked up in a box and the power of the voice and also the clarity is not there - it sound completely different from what my real voice is. That means if I want to bring power in and clarity I have to do tons of processing to get the sound a little better, it is kinda frustrating for a 1700 euro mic. I made a vocal booth using professional materials hoping the sound would improve by getting rid of my living room over-acoustic frequencies. No difference on the power of the voice. There the vocal booth is closed with the professional blankets I get even more muddy sound. I recorded close by 3 inches, and 6 inches, 12 inches to see if it is because the mic cannot handle the operatic sound - the farther I stand away the thinner the sound becomes....I have no idea if it is the type mic I bought, or, that 20 years made it warn out although it always diminished my vocals. The DLX, do you think in your opinion and experience with the mic that it would be the solution for me and finally get my voice recorded as it is, or, do you think that the mic without any processing and even without the UAD different mic options, that it would capture my voice a lot better than what I described about the charteroak studio microphone! Mostly opera singers are recorded with 2 mics to get that wider kinda stereo field sound as you hear on classical albums, or Pavarotti's recordings. The DLX plug in does have a stereo option to record with and I wonder if that would mimic the way opera singers are recorded. What do you think? You can hear the vocals sound FREE and not boxed in and weak - I think you know what I mean...I think they probably not do a whole lot of wild processing on opera voices beside maybe some compression and reverb if it is not recorded in a hall - Hope you can shine some light into my recording world 🙂and looking forward for a positive reply hopefully that the DLX will make a big difference for my recordings...Thanks in advance...
She’s awesome 💙
Thanks ever so much!
Awe, thank you!
@@McKailSeely1 you rock!!
This Voice!!!
McKail is incredible!
@@Positive_Tea great singer
Warren, what email can someone use to communicate with you?
Warren@producelikeapro.com
@@Producelikeapro Marvelous! Thanks Warren.
Just got mine absolutely adorable ❤
SUPERB song choice. Tweedy
Glad you like it!
Great voice! Forget the mics. Thanks Warren for letting us hear this great singer @McKailSeely1
Great Video again 👍🏻
I have three L22s. I don’t care who criticize them lol. These with Apollo and Ocean and Putnam and Townsend give me less guess works, so I’m happy and don’t care about anything else.
Don't know much about microphones... Yet my Behringer 8500 with vocoder and twidling the knobs wasn't great. Now my SE V7 (Billy Gibbons edition) is more forgiving (picking up more ambient).
Who is this amazing artist??
Today i've learned: If you take the completely wrong Mics, the Performance is still awesome!
Nice, i'm surprised that is not that expensive.
I just got a Golden Age FC3 ✨️ going to see what happens 😅 cheers ✌️ Great video
Love mine since I got it as an early adopter. Stunning build.
I thought this was going to be a video about mic’s. But turned out to be about a mic that you need a vst for. Little bit misleadingly. Sounds awesome though and seems easy to use. But make it clear what you are reviewing please.
Wow. Nice voice, but the styling kind of ruined the song after about the second pass. I've heard the mic shot out against other mics with a reputation. It's definitely not bad mic, but usually lacks that certain something when side by side.
Very Nice Thank you 👌😁
LOVE VIDS LIKE THIS!