The Only Voiceover Mic You'll Ever Need? Townsend Labs Sphere L22 Microphone Review and Guide
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- Опубліковано 25 лип 2024
- Jordan reviews and teaches you everything about the powerful Townsend Labs Sphere L22 microphone for voice actors. Jump around parts of the video with the timestamps below.
Don't listen on a crappy cell phone speaker - listen with some good headphones to hear the details :).
0:00 - Intro
1:44 - Tech Requirements
4:22 - How to connect and setup mic
7:28 - Features walkthrough, guide, tips
23:14 - Mic shootouts
24:14 - Sphere 416 vs Sennheiser 416
26:09 - Sphere U87Ai vs Neumann U87Ai
27:22 - Sphere RE20 vs Electro-Voice RE20
29:42 - Final thoughts
31:58 - UAD Apollo Tip
32:42 - How to live-monitor mic without UAD
33:33 - Audio Ninja Services and Home Studio Course
-Download Sphere Plugin: townsendlabs.com/support/down...
-Buy the Townsend Mic: bit.ly/36oFIs3
-Hire Jordan for VO studio help: www.jordanaudio.ninja/
-Sign up to be notified of his upcoming Audio Ninja Masterclass: www.jordanaudio.ninja/course
-Hear Jordan's voice acting work: jordanreynolds.com
-Hear his voiceover demo production work: demoswithchops.com
-Connect with Jordan on social media: www.jordanreynolds.com/links
Audio gear used in this video:
-Sennheiser MKH 416: amzn.to/36o7yEW
-Neumann U87Ai: amzn.to/32tR5xX
-Electro-Voice RE20: amzn.to/3pdt3kz
-Universal Audio Apollo X8: amzn.to/2JUzCZ6
-Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Headphones: amzn.to/2JUzCZ6
Video gear/tools used in this video:
-Inside of booth and B-Roll footage of equipment: iPhone 11 Pro Max
-At my desk footage: Logitech C920: amzn.to/35gQilB
-Screenflow for screen capture
-Adobe Premiere Pro and Photoshop for editing
-Presonus Studio One Professional for mixing / audio demonstrations
COMPLETE studio gear list: kit.co/jordanreynolds/2019-re... - Наука та технологія
So well done Jordan! Thank you so much for all the hard work you put into this review. It's an honor to have your presets ready to rock in the plug-in.
Really appreciate it! Video reviews are always overwhelming for me, but still incredibly fun. So glad it turned out the way it did! Thank you guys again for sending the mic for me to review and teach!!
Out of stock 🥱. Any notice regarding restocking ?
Wait what? You can load in presets from other users?
@@AnasAlsayedStudio another victim of the influencer effect, just like the Vanguard V4.
@@GeorgeTheTech explain
Thank you for sharing this Jordan! The off axis tip is a great one and this is better than the manual :) The off axis adjustment from 10-45 suddenly reduces the top end into a more vintage and better sound on voice/vocals in my tests.
Absolutely, Aaron! So glad you found the video valuable :).
What an incredible tutorial. I literally needed instruction on all of these items and you hit it out of the park bud. Thank You! No weird background music or sound effects. Just great instruction. well done!!
Haha, thank you. Gotta hate those annoying tutorials with loud ass music behind them the ENTIRE video :).
Everything I’ve wanted to ask you about this system has been answered in this video. Awesome stuff man as usual! Thank you!
Glad I got it all covered, haha. Thanks, buddy!
FANTASTIC Video, Jordan! I wasn't even in the market for a new mic and you've awoken a gear monster inside of me!
Thanks, buddy! GEAR MONSTER HUUUNNGGRRY!!!! :D
Hands down, the BEST L22 review on YT. PERIOD. And I’ve been binge watching them for the past three days. My L22 is being delivered this Friday, and I’m stoked. Thanks so much for all your hard work to bring us this video. You ARE appreciated! “Easy, right?” 🙏🏼🙏🏼
Wow, thank you so much. I put in over 100 hours (seriously, I clocked it) making this video. Just wanted it to be as valuable as possible. I appreciate YOU!
Killer tutorial, Jordan! Getting your own presets included with the mic is a HUGE get! Turning green over here...
Haha. Thanks, my friend. Really appreciate the support!
Thank you so much for putting together such a thorough walk-through of how to get the most out of the Townsend! I had only been using a fraction of these features until I watched your video.
So glad you found it helpful! That was the goal :). Enjoy your mic!
Oh my gosh this was so good and there is now the 103 :-) Found this so helpful. I have a 416 and the Sphere and trying to get the 416 sound on the sphere your tip was Golden! Thank you so much!
Wow Jordan. You really went into detail and gave amazing insight into the nuances. Definitely need to hire you to help me tweak my new studio. 🙏🏽
Haha, thanks man!!
Terrific info Jordan! I don't even have the mic yet, but will be definitely getting one soon enough - meanwhile I've discovered that just using the plugin itself is an awesome way to improve a track recorded with inferior mics! Thanks for this excellent video!
Thanks so much for this! I recently got an L22 and have been scouring UA-cam for useful tutorials. I was going to pass this video by because it's aimed at voiceover, but I'm glad I persisted. You've done a great job detailing the nuances of the plugin features and your clear descriptions are spot on in terms of practical application. I have an Apollo so the clarifications there are greatly appreciated as well. I see that UA has also since granted your TLM103 wish as well, so congrats. They granted my wish with the Brauner. Thanks again!
I know the interface has changed a bit but I’m glad you found my video so helpful! Thank you for the comment. And the Brauner is a tasty mic!! 🤤
Awesome review, Jordan! It's so refreshing to see and hear a review that doesn't feature really terrible singers to check mic modeling. Well done!
Happy to hear you found it helpful, Jeff! I put A LOT of time into this baby. No pitchy singer samples! 😆
@@JordanReynolds I did find it helpful. The only deal-breaker for me, unfortunately, is that I am not in the UA platform camp. I went with Antelope Zen Go instead of Apollo for a variety of reasons. Far less expensive hardware, quality plugins at a fraction of what UA charges for theirs, etc. If I could use the Sphere in real time with my Antelope, I'd be all over it, because I think Townsend's platform is more versatile for tweaking than Antelope's Edge mic modeling (at least for now) and the L22 is gorgeous. So for the time being, just gonna stick with my organic mics going into the Zen Go and use their plugins for shaping. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed your presentation and was quite impressed. Cheers.
That vid was satisfying asf 😂😂 Great job, really! Both thumbs up my friend! :))
thanks so much for this video! i learned a bunch that other reviews didnt cover
1) the different settings for choosing kaotica eyeball vs whatever else! wow didnt know!
2) thanks for showing the order of plugins at the end both in UA AND RME!
3( showing its so close to the u87!
good stuff!
Thanks for the awesome comment! So glad you found it useful!
Love this video. Also, the new software that was just released has a TLM 103 model. I’d love to hear a follow up to this video of your thoughts on that as it was one of your big hopes for this virtual mic locker.
I was planning on getting a new setup. Thank you for the tips :D
Glad I could help!
Phenomenal, super deep product review. I already own one and I'm still trying to figure it out. This was really helpful. Amazing amount of effort went into this everyone should appreciate.
Thank you so much. I put sooooooo much time into making this video to make it as helpful as possible to anyone interested in or who just bought their first L22. :)
@@JordanReynolds As I could so easily tell and was totally acknowledging. People don't realize how much goes into it.
Question for you my man ik it’s a year later however did the Townsend software come with all the mics or did u have to pay for additional mics
@@stgjuice Not sure if you're asking Jordan or me, but it comes with a lot of mics. You can buy more but I haven't. In the end, since I only wanted it for recording acoustic guitar, I settled on two that I like and just use those, and never change them.
Thanks so much for this review it was what I was looking for and just another great review of the best mic
You got it!!
Such a dope update, to the best mic out there already. One price. 34 Stock mics. Beastmode!
😎 Thank you!
Hell yea, man! The value is INSANE. Thanks for the comment, man!
I liked the Townsend better than the 416 even *before* the axis correction. Richer and flattered your voice better.
The Neumann had more life in it than the Townsend, to my ears. Correction couldn’t really change that.
RE 20 the closest to a true emulation. Bravo!
Can’t beat the L22 at the end of the day!
Thanks for the comment, Jeff!
Hi Jordan!!! :) I’m so happy you did this review!.. I just had a 416 in my online cart, but at the last minute I googled "Can the Sphere model a 416?”, and Voilà! I’m here, & you brilliantly answered all my questions. THANK YOU! If they do the 103, then I'm in!... :)
Hey Sandi!! Great to hear from you :). Haha, I hope they add the 103 someday too! Cheers!
Oh my, Jordan, I'm so glad someone recommended this, because you've got me wanting one of these now! I use a TLM 103 but am super sibilant and it seems to enhance that. Also picks up plosives like crazy, as well as stomach gurgles, clothes rustling, and lots of mouth clicks. For my gaming work and animation, I can easily clean it up in post. But it's becoming a problem for audiobook work...adding a lot of editing and retake time. I also hate that I can't use my de-clicking/de-ess filter when I have a Source Connect session and they want it raw (cringe...they'll hear all the icky mouth sounds!). This may solve a lot of those problems. Now to track one down....
Wow what a versatile mic! Great video dude. Appreciate the gear list...can you also mention what web cam and picture-in-picture program you're using?
Thanks, man! Great question. Answers to your questions to below. Also updated the description with this info, so thanks for the questions!
Video gear/tools used in this video:
-Inside of booth and B-Roll footage of equipment: iPhone 11 Pro Max
-At my desk footage: Logitech C920: amzn.to/35gQilB
-Screenflow for screen capture
-Adobe Premiere Pro and Photoshop for editing
-Presonus Studio One Professional for mixing / audio demonstrations
@@JordanReynolds Sweet!!
such a great video. thanks :)
Amazing. Thanks for the incredible work in this video. If I wasn’t on camera I’d use this mic but because I’m on camera I’d prefer an original mic for optics
Thank you! Yea, a shotgun mic is the way to go for most on-camera work. Lighter, easier to position. Although you can totally place this mic out of frame, put it in the 416 mode, and it still sounds amazing.
@@JordanReynolds wow that’s cool. If I didn’t already own the 416 I’d be all over this
I'm so glad the guys at TL finally got this to someone to do a good review of this mic for voice over! I've been begging them for years to get one to you or Mike DelGaudio, the Booth Junkie. Excellent review except if you're using an Apollo, you want to put the preamp plugin in the Unison spot so it will adjust the impedance of the preamp and give the most accurate emulation. If you think about it, you're plugging your mic into a preamp before anything else in the real world. It's the same with the UAD plugins. Also, the 416 was designed to emulate the U47 in the field. It became the goto for ADR because it was what was used on set, so it would match the quality, and the U47 became hard to get. But the 416 is pale imitation of the U47, and the L22 has a U47 emulation, so why not just use that? Also, as a service to your viewers, the Soyuz 017 model is amazing. The tube version is the silky, hefty, warm, and bright at once. It's probably the all-around best sounding mic in production now - possibly of all time - and only cost about 800 dollars/Euros more than a U87Ai. The L22 emulation is pretty good, too. I find a mix of the U47 and the Soyuz 017 emulations works great 90% of the time.
Wow, didn't know you can program the booth size --- amazing Jordan!! --- Thanks for being so detailed in explaining this.
Thanks for the comment, Michael!
Was thinking about getting this mic before but I think I will if it when they restock for sure
You won't be disappointed. :)
I'm SO glad I got mine when I did. They were selling for a few hundred above retail, but I managed to find a lightly used (pretty much mint) L22 for $1,370 several months ago and couldn't be happier. You will LOVE this mic!
My goodness, you're an awesome teacher.
Appreciate it!
It's worth mentioning that all mics have some variability in sound from mic to mic of the same type. Take any two mics of the same type and they probably won't sound exactly the same. The little tweaks to the Sphere controls that Jordan did to get a closer sound seem well within the expected tolerances of these mics.
Also, it can be challenging to set up the mics the same so that capsules are aligned precisely the same relative to the source. This is especially true of the 416 where the capsule is toward the back end of the microphone.
Exactly. Which is why they sell "matched pairs" of mics. Because there is a small degree of variance between every identical model of mic out of the factory :). I spent a lot of time trying to get the capsules heights/distances as identical as possible. But still, super hard to do with 100% accuracy.
@@JordanReynolds Yes, I appreciate your hard work on that. I use lasers to try to get it as accurate as possible but it's never perfect. Even then the vocalist can move a cm or two and it's different.
30:45 I so agree! The only reason to buy any mic that the Sphere models rather than the Sphere is for the form factor. I found out the hard way that the L22 sucks as a lav mic. I'm still in physical therapy over that experiment.
Jordan this is the best video on the L22 bar none! I own this mic thanks to George the Tech, now it’s just a matter of getting the professional sound in my audio files👍
Ah thank you so much. George is awesome! Enjoy the mic, man :).
@@JordanReynolds I will Jordan I may be contacting you in the future for audio file and booth critique, there are so many voices out there “ no pun intended “ looking for someone to point me in the right direction. Stay safe
Hi Jordan, this is an absolute fantastic review about a fantastic piece of gear. So thanks for this. One question please: I would love to use the MKH 416 Shotgun Model for UA-camvideos. I don´t want to see a mic in the frame. What would you recommend as a reasonable distance to use the 416 for this case? Thanks and greetz. Carsten
Great question - this really depends on how good your ROOM sounds. If you've treated your space with a lot of acoustic treatment, blankets, etc - than you can get away with placing a 416 over 3 feet or more from your mouth. Just remember, the crappier your room sounds (noise and echo) the worse the shotgun mic will sound FURTHER away. So get that mic as close to your mouth as possible while still keeping it out of frame. I keep mine out of frame UNDER me (instead of way above me) which works great.
Hi sir great video,just few questions if you can answer please,if you recording in an untreated room not a bad sounding room actually but not professionally treated is that safe to go with this mic for tracking vocals,and is it a good investment for someone who isn’t as experienced with mics or will it be too much to handle for a newbie I was just thinking to buy a mic then I thought if you spending 800 pounds on a mic why not stretch your budget a bit and get this mic instead and one more thing when I say tracking vocals I am talking full on pro radio ready finished songs that we going to be recording out there your advise from your experience please.
Regards
wow what a great review
Thank you, I appreciate it!
Question! I want to buy this microphone. How is it recording vocals all in stereo? Are you panning the front side to the center after you record? The stereo element confuses me.
Why are you so smart? THANK you for your existence.
really nice video. Does the mic comes with the Free UAD plugs or you still have to buy it?
Plug-in is totally free! You can download it right now and play with it. Obviously it won’t be optimized for non-Sphere mic but you can at least click around in it :).
@@JordanReynolds Thanks for reply. I am using Apollo X6 and very interesting in L22 mic. Very detail video.
Great overview! Quick/stupid/clarifying question though...once setup and set as an insert on an Apollo, you record in stereo in your DAW and then export in mono?
@@user-dh1hn9zn7l nope! Once the sphere plugin is loaded as an insert, you then record in MONO 100% of the time! Super simple.
@@JordanReynolds Brilliant! Thank you!
This is, by far, THE BEST mic you could ever want for voice acting work. I absolutely love mine! I charge an extra fee to supply the raw wav from the L22 so the client can choose the mic works best in the project. I can tell you from mixing VO demos that switching mic emulations is often way easier and more natural sounding than EQing the vocal. But, I've never understood why people with other mics available would use a 416 or an U87 AI or emulations of them. The 416 got popular in voice acting because of lazy producers and because they wanted the ADR to match what was recorded on set with the 416, but a shotgun mic is horrible for a good voice actor. It'll cut through a mix well, but RARELY is it the ideal mic for someone's voice. In fact, Cory Burton, the legendary voice actor, wrote a whole article on what a crappy mic it is for voice actors. His site has disappeared, but the comments about it are in an archived reddit here:
www.reddit.com/r/VoiceActing/comments/5uy8te/voice_actor_corey_burton_rants_against_the/
It sounded great for Don LaFontaine's voice and will work in less than ideal situations because of its pickup pattern, but it is HORRIBLE at catching subtlety and nuance in a performance. The AI is a sad imitation of the classic Neumann mics and is nearly indistinguishable from the R𝚯DE NT1-A. Wanna stand out in the voice over crowd? Use the U47 mixed with some of the 017T or the C12 mixed in, use the Neve 1073 preamp emulation on an Apollo, and a tiny bit of tape saturation. I have had tremendous success with variations of this adjusted to fit the performer. That saturation gives the voice presence across a broader range of the sound spectrum, and producers can EQ it to fit where they want it in the mix and it still punches through.
This is genius commentary, honestly. I've been trying to figure out how to go about adding that vintage warmth to my audio, and tape saturation and preamp emulation seems what's missing, aside from emulating old analog synths for effects and whatnot, on top of vintage microphone emulation (Neumann U47, Neumann M49, Neumann U67, AKG C12, Telefunken ELA 251m, Soyuz 017T, etc.).
hey bud, question... How'd u tune your booth? I have a diamond booth from vocalbooth.com and it resonates around 500-650. So bad I could cry. Otherwise its excellent. I'd really love to hear how you did that
This is the Best review.... Of Sphere L22..
You are the second Bendorw of Podcastsage.... 😂😂
Hah! I love Podcastage! Mad respect.
Hey Jordan, I'd love to know more about your booth!
It's a triple wall Studiobricks Pro :).
Do you by chance use Universal Audio Interfaces(s)? I keep finding mixed comments regarding whether their PREs add coloration to the audio being tracked... ANd that the headphone jacks provide coloration as well. I am trying for as close to sterile sound in as I can get and flat response out (especially if I pick up this L22 Sphere mic)
If you have experience with UAD interfaces, I would truly appreciate your thoughts/input. Danke
Yes I only use my UAD interface with my Sphere microphone. I find the UAD preamps are very clean and neutral. Anything from RME will also be very clean and neutral too (but you won't be able to use any of the mic models LIVE like you can on the UAD).
Me who understood little to nothing and couldn't hear the difference but still wanting to learn cuz I wanna be a VA: ye! Go Jordan! :D
Haha, thanks for watching and commenting!
8:20 Interestingly, Antares Mic Mod lists all the specific brands and models. Not sure why Slate, Antelope and Townsend can't....
Highly recommend the Austrian Audio OC818 as well. Less expensive than the Sphere as well.
That is a great mic as well..
But Sphere is better in my opinion...
You can do the same as oc818 but with more control... 🙂🙂
Great video! But just like with other videos i always feel the Townsend , slate etc miss the mark to much for my taste. they lack that 10% that you talk about. 10% dont sound much but it can be the diffrence with a "good take" or a recording that gives you goosebumps and that really moves you. I sold my slate and going to test a Lauten Audio Eden this time.
I haven't tested other mic modelers but have heard a lot of shootouts. The Townsend always sounds the closest to the original to my ears. Slate is always nice but usually a lot brighter and hyped. I totally understand where you're coming from though :).
I really wish that you would have talked about the sound of the mic itself. Not just the models it replicates. Haha.
How about a shootout with the Slate Digital ML1
Maybe someday! But if you google "Slate ML1 vs Townsend Labs Sphere L22 shootout" you'll already find articles that have shootouts ;).
How’s this mic on it’s own without emulations that’s a very important thing before you go for it
The build, noise floor, and parts are all top notch. I've been using it daily for almost 2 years now with zero issues. And when you use it with zero emulations it's super clean and flat. Almost too flat for most uses :).
@@JordanReynolds thanks for you reply mate 👍
What mic stand are you using ?
Rode PSA-1
Dang it Jordan! Stop spending my money! Nice review, though.
Hahaha! Tell me about it!
I actually do need ink and toner
but is it in stock now?
They don’t actually sound like the real mics.... , they are more sibilant and harsh , don’t waste you’re money
A lot of folks would disagree with you on that one, including Bandrew from Podcastage: ua-cam.com/video/kGD4H-XkARE/v-deo.html
Totally entitled to your opinion but I mostly disagree :). I do agree that some of the models are a TAD bit brighter than the original mics - but with a simple nudge of the AXIS knob in the Sphere plugin - any additional brightness is gone.
@@Townsendlabs and bandrew is the one that did the shootout with the real mic brands and that’s exactly where I noticed that it does not sound the same... you’re guy’s mic isint bad don’t get me wrong... but in a mix and stacked vocals it would not sound nearly as good as the real ones
It's worth pointing out that in many of these cases Sphere models the original vintage microphones which are often substantially different from newer reissues. I've measured and listened to over a half dozen original U67s and none of them sound like the new U67 reissue.
We now have a modern 87 model so that is a more apples to apples case. But even then all microphones have some variability in production and no two 87s are exactly alike.
@@rylandweet7750 like Jordan was saying, you have every right to have and express your opinion, which seems to be pretty much set anyway. Recommending others to "not waste your money" seems like a bit of a stretch nonetheless. I'm not sure if you've actually had the chance to work with multiple tracks recorded with the Sphere mic that would lead you to the conclusions above. I would just invite you to download the tracks we have available on our site to explore it for yourself. With 70+ five-star customer reviews on Sweetwater and a growing number of certified Gold records tracked with the L22, it does seem to work rather well for lots of people, but YMMV. - Julian