The correction for the reflection filter isn't supposed to emulate a filter, but correct for if you're actually USING the reflection filter. Also, townsend says you can use colored pres if you want the coloration of the pre. The processing of the mic itself isn't thrown off by using a colored pre.
In regards of your second point. On their manual it says different. But I am gonna give it a shot and run it through my analog chandler 1073 and see how I like it. Thanks for the info though.
if you have two of the same preamps or a two ch. pre you can use the townsend labs , that's what the cal. switch for on the back to match to a external pre.
I would love and i think alot of people on youtube will love too see how you put the plugins in while using the microphones and differences with vocals i know you said piano and guitar but please add vocals cause lot of us are using this as a main vocal mic i only need it for vocals so do you think i hear a difference from my slate or you think its gonna be close main reason is vocals for me
I am working on a new video with audio comparison using both Mics with audio files, it just takes bit more time but stay tuned and I will make sure it has vocals in it, not just instruments.
Great video! Was looking for this comparison. I only have the Townsend Sphere. It sounds great through my wa273 even though it’s colored it’s very smooth but I like it through my Neve 5211 even better. Long as you match the levels exactly which is easy through the 5211 because they have stepped pots. Also it works fantastic through a symphony desktop which I tested on my channel. Any interface wheee you can link the inputs would work. And it’s low latency using the plug-in directly in your DAW. I do have the Apollo x4 as my main interface. It’s definitely better with that because of the ua plug-in. I’ve done a comparison between the Apollo and Symphony Desktop on my channel and I used the Sphere as my test mic if your interested.
Great comparison. One question though, and please correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding of the UA Isosphere mic shield feature is that it is a compensation that can be applied to a recording that used a mic shield behind the mic to adjust for EQ and other issues that mic shields can cause, it is not a method for emulating mic shields. So, if you use it when no mic shield was there in the original recording at all, it would most likely lead to unwanted results.
Maaaan! this was really usefull, im about to buy the sphere l22 and this vid helped me a lot to take the final decision, just a question, if i wanna use any of the UAD preamps, do i need to use on the Unison place or after the sphere plugin?
Awesome man. I am glad this is helpful. And to answer your question, you use the pre not in unison. You can either add it as an insert in the console after the plugin or add it later as a plugin inside your DAW. You can’t use it in unison as it will color the mic before it hits the sphere plugin for accurate mic emulation. Any coloration or processing is after the plugin and not before.
Idt the isosphere function is to emulate a isobooth. It’s the opposite. When you use an isobooth, you use isosphere to make it sound less like it’s in the isobooth.
Honestly, if I only have one channel available in my interface than that may be the case otherwise, for vocals, my big go to have been my Neumann. Also, I do use it if I have a big session I need multiple Mics at the same time.
@@fadygergis So you put your Neumann above the Sphere? Do you think it's just a more solid sound, even though it's just one mic? Which Neumann is it btw?
I have the Neumann u67 and u89 and I run them normally through my chandler LTD1 1073 pre. And yes they are far superior to the sphere or the slate but also that chain is $10K vs several hundred dollars so you get what you pay for.
@@fadygergis Very nice! So, in your opinion, to someone who have around 1500€ to spend in a mic would you consider the Sphere DLX to be a good bet, or would you go to just one "normal" solid mic?
If you have a very solid pre (not union stuff ) then go for a normal mic ( but remember that’s mono and not stereo ) but if you don’t have a good pre then def the sphere is a killer mic for the buck. I have 2 of them. Probl planning on selling one as I don’t need the second one anymore. But I will always keep at least one in my studio.
I’m very skeptical it’s possible to reproduce transient response characteristics but an engineer who happens to be a master musician I trust says it’s great fun so gonna try one. I’ve got dozens of great mics (drummer) but often would like to leave mic colour choice to the mix like I can do with drums these days (vdrums and plugins). I didn’t know why on earth a company would make such such a system and leave off other models like Coles, Sanken , Schoeps, Calrec, Earthworks, Royer, Gefell, Beyer, Crown PZM etc love my Neumanns for sure but it’s just one brand? keen to give it a bash and have a fun creative fiddle. Thanks for the vid.
Great job man. Thank you for the comparison. I have the Townsend but have not really used much yet. Interested in your thoughts about the accuracy of the emulations. Thnx again !
Love your video theres a deal going on for a few more days get a l22 frew with a apollo x6 i just ordered it on sweetwater , i have one question on console I understand you cant put a Compressor in the unison slot , so the first insert will be the townsend plugins but can i put a Auto tune plugin under the townsend plugin on the second insert and a Avalon plugins on the 3rd insert and reverb on the otherside insert while tracking live my recording, cause i already own the slate mic and i put plugins on the unison pre and inserts in my console while i track live logic and it sounds great , but i cant pass this deal up and like the fact i can hear the microphones color live in apollo
Yes absolutely you can. think of it as normal analog chain. Your Mic first, then your Mic-Pre then anything you want after that. so I would use the Townsend Plugin on the console as first insert (not unison), then after that what Mic Pre you want, like you Avalon (as insert not Unison), then after that you can insert you Autotune, compressors, EQ....etc and that works totally fine and you can choose from the console if you want to just monitor that or you want to print them before they hit your DAW.
Fady, I believe the isophere feature is meant to be used to compensate for the coloration that occurs if you had used an isolation filter such as the SE RF-X, Aston Halo and the likes. I do not believe it was intended to be used if the original recording did not occur with one of these devices.
@ssserotonin1373 my favorite been between either the 67 or the 251 or the c-12 I find myself circulating between those. But not that I have an original U89 and U67 I rarely use this mic on vocals. And more like a stereo condenser mic when needed.
Greetings from Pittsburgh! Thanks for the helpful videos! I was set on buying a Neumann TLM 107 but now I am rethinking that. Have you used the TLM 107?
You can never go wrong with Neumann mics they are absolutely amazing. But if you only have budget for 1 mic then I would go with something more versatile like the sphere.
@@fadygergis Ok! It's settled! also thanks for coming out and mentoring our team last year at Westridge. It was a real blessing and fresh air to our team!
Hi! Now that Townsend Labs owns the Sphere L22... Do you believe that Universal Audio will ever develop any new plugins (especially on Spark) for the Sphere? I have a UAudio Twin Duo USB (but since UAudio is so prejudicial about which of their devices will work on Windows/Apple systems, and I am about to move to a Mac... I decided upon the RME Babyface Pro (hoping to never purchase another Uaudio DSP device ever again since I can't use on Windows AND Mac)... Big cash grab for their brand which I cannot afford.
I would be surprised if they released the plugin under they UADx. But even if they do and you are monitoring using the RME console you will run into the issue of not being able to use the plugin while you monitor which will make things sounds weird or not pleasant.
@@fadygergis The reason I asked is because I have 2 of their Plugins for the Sphere L22 (Bill Pullman & another... I can't remember because I rarely ever use the UAD USB). I'm wondering if they may bring those plugins to spark, so that they will provide value to those of us who purchase, but don't want to be anchored to their previous outdated DSP driven interfaces.
@@fadygergis I have a focusrite interface. What do you mean by not being able to use the plugin while monitor? Sorry I'm very new to this hope you can enlighten me.
@@grownprosper if you wanna monitor in zero latency you will be using the focusrite console/app. when you use that you wont be able to load the L22 plugin to be able to monitor in zero latency while listening to the mic modelings. you can always monitor from your DAW but you will have to run very low buffer size to avoid latency. when you use Apollo interface the Apollo console loads all the UAD plugins in it including the L22 plugin. so you can monitor with the plugin with zero latency.
True polar pattern emulation is not possible on a microphone with one diaphragm. The Townsend L22 has two (front and back) in Omni, The final signal is filtered by the plugin. If not, it the emulation will need to be direct to the single diaghram of the Slate
Great video and awesome comparison. I have a humble home studio with a few nice pieces. I picked up the Slate on sale back during the summer, and I really like it. I am not a purist, so I ran it into a Neve DPX then ran an 1176… man what a cool sound! Then this month UAD ran the special promotion, buy any rack mount and get a free Sphere… I did it. I haven’t unboxed the Sphere yet. I am actually a little perplexed… Can’t use it with the hardware that costs twice as much… I mean what gives here? I was tempted to run it through the Neve, pick up a 2nd 1176… just so I could get both signals through the hardware. I don’t know what to expect. Can you achieve the presence that the 1176 provides with just an L 22? By the way, I dabble in building DIY mics. And the capsule in the Slate is a C12 style capsule, while the capsules in the Sphere is the U87/67 style. The difference in price of the 2 mics is mostly in the extra capsule, but also in the switches… that is extra soldering that requires manual labor. Thanks for a the great video!
to answer your question yes absolutely you can, you just have to place the 1176 second in chain after the Mic plugin. weather your 1176 is a hardware insert in your DAW or you just using 1176 plugin either way they both will need to come second in chain after the Mic plugin.
@@fadygergis I am talking about hardware. Neve DPX with 2 channels. It has an insert on both channels. That is where I have the AudioScape 1176D inserted. Would I have to buy a 2nd 1176? Or can I get away with just 1 on the front facing capsule? Thanks for your response!
@@tabodee no you won’t need 2 of them! You will track you mic through your pre then print the plugin inside your daw. Then run hardware insert through your audio interface ( out and back in ) to your 1176 to print the compressor.
It’s very important that you’re not judging the accuracy of the ML-1 using a preamp emulation first. Think of the real world signal flow; you can’t put a preamp before a mic, so why would you do this in VMR. The signal needs to be clean when hitting the mic emulations. So putting any plugin or module before the emulation is going to deteriorate the accuracy. Otherwise great comparison. I’ve never used the L22 so it was enlightening to see what it can do!
I agree with you. That’s why I created a part 2 video and I fixed that issue in it. And it had all full comparisons with audio samples. All clean signal from mic into pre. You should check it out.
I sold my ML-1 and bought the L22. I thought the Slate mic and power/pre was cheaply made. I'm much happier with the Townsend. It sounds richer and feels richer.
@@johnplainsong9769 do you have an Apollo interface? I have a mouth ultra lite mk5 I’m thinking is it worth it because I can’t monitor back? To be honest I run the dsp comp and eq for tracking then just edit in post
I’m thinking about purchasing either the Townsend L22 or the new UA Sphere DLX. Not sure why one would choose one over the other. I also am using the behringer umc204hd. How clean is the preamp on that? Would that be good enough to use with Virtuam Mic System or should I think about getting analog vocal chain instead?
@@gabrielglenn1714 you don't to record. but if you want to monitor live with zero latency while hearing the mic emulations then yes you do to use the plugin in the Apollo Console
The correction for the reflection filter isn't supposed to emulate a filter, but correct for if you're actually USING the reflection filter. Also, townsend says you can use colored pres if you want the coloration of the pre. The processing of the mic itself isn't thrown off by using a colored pre.
In regards of your second point. On their manual it says different. But I am gonna give it a shot and run it through my analog chandler 1073 and see how I like it. Thanks for the info though.
I am so thankful for this channel, I have NEVER been so excited to subscribe to something.
Thanks for all your help this year.
Absolutely my pleasure man!
You got the mic shield setting backward. It's tonal correction for using the physical mic shield.
if you have two of the same preamps or a two ch. pre you can use the townsend labs , that's what the cal. switch for on the back to match to a external pre.
I would love and i think alot of people on youtube will love too see how you put the plugins in while using the microphones and differences with vocals i know you said piano and guitar but please add vocals cause lot of us are using this as a main vocal mic i only need it for vocals so do you think i hear a difference from my slate or you think its gonna be close main reason is vocals for me
I am working on a new video with audio comparison using both Mics with audio files, it just takes bit more time but stay tuned and I will make sure it has vocals in it, not just instruments.
@@fadygergis 🙏🏼🙏🏼
Great video! Was looking for this comparison. I only have the Townsend Sphere. It sounds great through my wa273 even though it’s colored it’s very smooth but I like it through my Neve 5211 even better. Long as you match the levels exactly which is easy through the 5211 because they have stepped pots. Also it works fantastic through a symphony desktop which I tested on my channel. Any interface wheee you can link the inputs would work. And it’s low latency using the plug-in directly in your DAW. I do have the Apollo x4 as my main interface. It’s definitely better with that because of the ua plug-in. I’ve done a comparison between the Apollo and Symphony Desktop on my channel and I used the Sphere as my test mic if your interested.
thats awesome thanks for the feedback man. and for sure will check your video about that comparison.
@@fadygergis no problem and thanks man! Keep the content coming!
Yep, adjusting the pickup pattern is huge. Even the Antelope Edge Duo will let you adjust pickup patterns.
Great comparison. One question though, and please correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding of the UA Isosphere mic shield feature is that it is a compensation that can be applied to a recording that used a mic shield behind the mic to adjust for EQ and other issues that mic shields can cause, it is not a method for emulating mic shields. So, if you use it when no mic shield was there in the original recording at all, it would most likely lead to unwanted results.
Yes you are absolutely right!!!
I have the Slate and I love it, but I would love to try the Townsend. By the way man, your room looks amazing!
Thank you! And now it’s a great time to give it a shot with the Townsend as it’s on a crazy sale.
Great comparison, Thanks for putting this together for us!
Absolutely man!
Absolutely 👌
Maaaan! this was really usefull, im about to buy the sphere l22 and this vid helped me a lot to take the final decision, just a question, if i wanna use any of the UAD preamps, do i need to use on the Unison place or after the sphere plugin?
Awesome man. I am glad this is helpful. And to answer your question, you use the pre not in unison. You can either add it as an insert in the console after the plugin or add it later as a plugin inside your DAW. You can’t use it in unison as it will color the mic before it hits the sphere plugin for accurate mic emulation.
Any coloration or processing is after the plugin and not before.
Do you still use the Sphere now that you have moved away from UAD? if so, what's the chain you use? txs
Idt the isosphere function is to emulate a isobooth. It’s the opposite. When you use an isobooth, you use isosphere to make it sound less like it’s in the isobooth.
Hey Fady, if you still use both mics regularly, in which situations do you prefer to use the ml-1 and why?
Honestly, if I only have one channel available in my interface than that may be the case otherwise, for vocals, my big go to have been my Neumann. Also, I do use it if I have a big session I need multiple Mics at the same time.
@@fadygergis So you put your Neumann above the Sphere? Do you think it's just a more solid sound, even though it's just one mic? Which Neumann is it btw?
I have the Neumann u67 and u89 and I run them normally through my chandler LTD1 1073 pre. And yes they are far superior to the sphere or the slate but also that chain is $10K vs several hundred dollars so you get what you pay for.
@@fadygergis Very nice! So, in your opinion, to someone who have around 1500€ to spend in a mic would you consider the Sphere DLX to be a good bet, or would you go to just one "normal" solid mic?
If you have a very solid pre (not union stuff ) then go for a normal mic ( but remember that’s mono and not stereo ) but if you don’t have a good pre then def the sphere is a killer mic for the buck.
I have 2 of them. Probl planning on selling one as I don’t need the second one anymore. But I will always keep at least one in my studio.
Can you compare ML1 to Sony c80 please
What a great review for both.. subbed 👏🏾 hope there is a Black Friday deal for Townsend
Awesome. Happy to hear.
I’m very skeptical it’s possible to reproduce transient response characteristics but an engineer who happens to be a master musician I trust says it’s great fun so gonna try one. I’ve got dozens of great mics (drummer) but often would like to leave mic colour choice to the mix like I can do with drums these days (vdrums and plugins). I didn’t know why on earth a company would make such such a system and leave off other models like Coles, Sanken , Schoeps, Calrec, Earthworks, Royer, Gefell, Beyer, Crown PZM etc love my Neumanns for sure but it’s just one brand? keen to give it a bash and have a fun creative fiddle. Thanks for the vid.
Killing it Fady! 🔥
Thanks bro 🙌
Great job man. Thank you for the comparison. I have the Townsend but have not really used much yet. Interested in your thoughts about the accuracy of the emulations. Thnx again !
Absolutely my pleasure!
Fantastic review! Thank you !
My pleasure
Love your video theres a deal going on for a few more days get a l22 frew with a apollo x6 i just ordered it on sweetwater , i have one question on console I understand you cant put a Compressor in the unison slot , so the first insert will be the townsend plugins but can i put a Auto tune plugin under the townsend plugin on the second insert and a Avalon plugins on the 3rd insert and reverb on the otherside insert while tracking live my recording, cause i already own the slate mic and i put plugins on the unison pre and inserts in my console while i track live logic and it sounds great , but i cant pass this deal up and like the fact i can hear the microphones color live in apollo
Yes absolutely you can. think of it as normal analog chain. Your Mic first, then your Mic-Pre then anything you want after that. so I would use the Townsend Plugin on the console as first insert (not unison), then after that what Mic Pre you want, like you Avalon (as insert not Unison), then after that you can insert you Autotune, compressors, EQ....etc and that works totally fine and you can choose from the console if you want to just monitor that or you want to print them before they hit your DAW.
@@fadygergis awesome I love your video , I can’t wait to see more ,don’t you think that’s a great deal buying an X6 Apollo and getting a free L22
@@bayareafactorbaby8913 thank you! and yes absolutely its a great deal. I have both the X6 and the L22 and I paid way more than this current deal lol.
Fady, I believe the isophere feature is meant to be used to compensate for the coloration that occurs if you had used an isolation filter such as the SE RF-X, Aston Halo and the likes. I do not believe it was intended to be used if the original recording did not occur with one of these devices.
I have been getting mixed feedback on this specific part. I am gonna some digging about it.
@@fadygergis it is bro! Love it with my L22 and a kaotica fatboy. Using that and the proximity feature gets it really really good!
@ssserotonin1373 it’s one of the best mic emulations on the market
@@fadygergis fr, 87ai emu seems to be what I think sounds best on the several people I heard audition all of the models. What is your favorite?
@ssserotonin1373 my favorite been between either the 67 or the 251 or the c-12
I find myself circulating between those. But not that I have an original U89 and U67 I rarely use this mic on vocals. And more like a stereo condenser mic when needed.
Greetings from Pittsburgh! Thanks for the helpful videos! I was set on buying a Neumann TLM 107 but now I am rethinking that. Have you used the TLM 107?
You can never go wrong with Neumann mics they are absolutely amazing. But if you only have budget for 1 mic then I would go with something more versatile like the sphere.
@@fadygergis Ok! It's settled! also thanks for coming out and mentoring our team last year at Westridge. It was a real blessing and fresh air to our team!
Absolutely a pleasure man! Hope to come back again sometime soon. Let me know if y’all need any help
Hi! Now that Townsend Labs owns the Sphere L22... Do you believe that Universal Audio will ever develop any new plugins (especially on Spark) for the Sphere?
I have a UAudio Twin Duo USB (but since UAudio is so prejudicial about which of their devices will work on Windows/Apple systems, and I am about to move to a Mac... I decided upon the RME Babyface Pro (hoping to never purchase another Uaudio DSP device ever again since I can't use on Windows AND Mac)... Big cash grab for their brand which I cannot afford.
I would be surprised if they released the plugin under they UADx. But even if they do and you are monitoring using the RME console you will run into the issue of not being able to use the plugin while you monitor which will make things sounds weird or not pleasant.
@@fadygergis The reason I asked is because I have 2 of their Plugins for the Sphere L22 (Bill Pullman & another... I can't remember because I rarely ever use the UAD USB). I'm wondering if they may bring those plugins to spark, so that they will provide value to those of us who purchase, but don't want to be anchored to their previous outdated DSP driven interfaces.
@@fadygergis I have a focusrite interface. What do you mean by not being able to use the plugin while monitor? Sorry I'm very new to this hope you can enlighten me.
@@grownprosper if you wanna monitor in zero latency you will be using the focusrite console/app. when you use that you wont be able to load the L22 plugin to be able to monitor in zero latency while listening to the mic modelings. you can always monitor from your DAW but you will have to run very low buffer size to avoid latency. when you use Apollo interface the Apollo console loads all the UAD plugins in it including the L22 plugin. so you can monitor with the plugin with zero latency.
@@fadygergis Ah I understand now. Thank you for taking the time to explain 🙏 Have an awesome day!
True polar pattern emulation is not possible on a microphone with one diaphragm. The Townsend L22 has two (front and back) in Omni, The final signal is filtered by the plugin. If not, it the emulation will need to be direct to the single diaghram of the Slate
thats the main thing the L22 has superior to the slate ML-1
Great video and awesome comparison. I have a humble home studio with a few nice pieces. I picked up the Slate on sale back during the summer, and I really like it. I am not a purist, so I ran it into a Neve DPX then ran an 1176… man what a cool sound! Then this month UAD ran the special promotion, buy any rack mount and get a free Sphere… I did it. I haven’t unboxed the Sphere yet. I am actually a little perplexed…
Can’t use it with the hardware that costs twice as much… I mean what gives here?
I was tempted to run it through the Neve, pick up a 2nd 1176… just so I could get both signals through the hardware. I don’t know what to expect. Can you achieve the presence that the 1176 provides with just an L 22?
By the way, I dabble in building DIY mics. And the capsule in the Slate is a C12 style capsule, while the capsules in the Sphere is the U87/67 style.
The difference in price of the 2 mics is mostly in the extra capsule, but also in the switches… that is extra soldering that requires manual labor.
Thanks for a the great video!
to answer your question yes absolutely you can, you just have to place the 1176 second in chain after the Mic plugin. weather your 1176 is a hardware insert in your DAW or you just using 1176 plugin either way they both will need to come second in chain after the Mic plugin.
@@fadygergis I am talking about hardware. Neve DPX with 2 channels. It has an insert on both channels. That is where I have the AudioScape 1176D inserted. Would I have to buy a 2nd 1176? Or can I get away with just 1 on the front facing capsule? Thanks for your response!
@@tabodee no you won’t need 2 of them! You will track you mic through your pre then print the plugin inside your daw. Then run hardware insert through your audio interface ( out and back in ) to your 1176 to print the compressor.
You can use it in the same manner as the Slate by connecting just the xlr connector for the front capsule if you want to forego using the modeling.
Sell or trade me for the Townsend 😂
It’s very important that you’re not judging the accuracy of the ML-1 using a preamp emulation first. Think of the real world signal flow; you can’t put a preamp before a mic, so why would you do this in VMR.
The signal needs to be clean when hitting the mic emulations. So putting any plugin or module before the emulation is going to deteriorate the accuracy.
Otherwise great comparison. I’ve never used the L22 so it was enlightening to see what it can do!
I agree with you. That’s why I created a part 2 video and I fixed that issue in it. And it had all full comparisons with audio samples. All clean signal from mic into pre. You should check it out.
@@fadygergis Absolutely, I was actually in the middle of watching it while you commented on this!
I sold my ML-1 and bought the L22. I thought the Slate mic and power/pre was cheaply made. I'm much happier with the Townsend. It sounds richer and feels richer.
They are both great mics. But the L-22 is definitely superior and have tons more features.
@@johnplainsong9769 do you have an Apollo interface? I have a mouth ultra lite mk5 I’m thinking is it worth it because I can’t monitor back? To be honest I run the dsp comp and eq for tracking then just edit in post
Thanks for this video-- great stuff. Also just out of curiosity...can you tell me about that light that's on the tripod behind you? It looks cool :)
my pleasure. and for sure here a link to it: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076KJDT13/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
@@fadygergis Thanks so much!
@@loganvenderlic9901 my pleasure!
I own both the Slate and the Sphere. The Sphere is the winner for me.
I second that. Polar patterns for me are crucial as well which is something slate doesn’t offer.
I’m thinking about purchasing either the Townsend L22 or the new UA Sphere DLX. Not sure why one would choose one over the other.
I also am using the behringer umc204hd. How clean is the preamp on that? Would that be good enough to use with Virtuam Mic System or should I think about getting analog vocal chain instead?
There are the same exact thing just rebranded. Just new name!
@Fady Gergis do you have to have UAD interface for L22 like you do with Sphere?
@@gabrielglenn1714 you don't to record. but if you want to monitor live with zero latency while hearing the mic emulations then yes you do to use the plugin in the Apollo Console
Have the Slate ML-1 and its great, but I really want to replace it with the L22 :)
I have both and I still use both regularly.
But I hear you!
I just sold my L22 because of exactly what you said. The variations are too subtle.
What mic are you using for now?
Talk To Much No audio Examples Boring