Excellent overview of the most impressive mic I've ever worked with - and I've worked with some famous mics. The quality I'm hearing in this doesn't represent what I get from mine. This could be partly caused by the fact that you were using a pickup pattern not native to the original mics. If you'll notice, the green icons represent the real mic's pickup patterns. The others are available, but are estimations of how that mic might behave in that pattern. You'll hear the subtle differences more clearly if you select something common to the models you're comparing, like cardioid, since these were what they had available to model. You say it's not your mic. Why not?!? You're smart enough to use REAPER, so I'm sure you probably ended up buying a Sphere. If I only did VO, I'd sell every mic I had to get one. The mic and plugin are so amazing for music, but it really shines, IMO, on just plain VO or something like a cello. Sadly, when you switched from your MXL 1006 to the Sphere, it sounded incredibly thin because it was in omni mode and not emulating a mic similar to the Neumann you were using. The Sphere can make that Neumann sound cheap if used right. This is a good review, but I don't think it gave a full representation of the sound quality of which that mic is capable of producing.
I am not in a recording studio with a -70dB noise floor, so there is no possible way I could give a "full representation of the sound quality". That's for you to discover when you demo the mic yourself! I didn't buy the mic, I am a studio design/tech, I don't have/need a locker of mics. Most of the mics I have were given to me at this point.
If you want to dig deeper into the mic's functions and use for voiceover, be sure to check out Jordan Reynold's review: ua-cam.com/video/DRKizfRDdXA/v-deo.html
Excellent! How about a part 2 - Matching Mauve! Where you dial in the emulation. 😉 I think you did a great job as it is not the easiest mic to setup. Did you get a chance to speak with them at Townsend Labs? Those guys are amazing from all aspects. Their support goes beyond the initial setup, but will help you tweak it for your environment. Just incredible!!
@@GeorgeTheTech There is a special SETUP for the mic. I forgot to ask if you went through that first. I'm wondering if it would have made a difference in some cases.
@@mageprostudios4334 I think the "special SETUP" you're talking about is the calibration mode, and isn't necessary on interfaces that will link channels, like an Apollo. If you have an interface with analog controls on the preamps, you want to run the calibration because you have to be sure both capsules are recording at exactly the same levels. If your interface lets you link channels, or has digital or notched level controls so you can be sure they are both the same, there's no need to calibrate the mic.
@@xaosnox he said he was using a mixer board, so he might have wanted to look that over. But, you are correct, interfaces that allow you to gang the input levels will alleviate the need for the calibration. What I was talking about was tweaking the models further. For example, they have a model for a new and a vintage version of a couple mics. You can alter them to adjust for your environment. A U87 is going to sound different in a closer space than it will in a more open space. Tweaking the settings, you can get a better sound for the tighter space and still get that u87 sound... Or at least as much of it as possible and still sound great. If it sounds good...
Great video!!! I purchased this mic because of your review believe it or not lol. If you don't mind, can you put a link on what mic stand/boom that you have that allows you to place the mic upside down like that? I have a regular mic stand now and although I can place it upside down, it dramatically decreases the height even though I set the stand to it's maximum height because I'm a pretty tall guy so it's sitting below my mouth now. I'm not a fan of the shock mount design of the townsend labs mic btw. It does not have that much flexibility (to assist with hanging it upside down) and the mic appears to be to heavy for it even at the tightest setting.
Sounds like a gate is being used. When there is input there is a noticeable hiss, and when the level drops pass a certain dB the gate is turned on and the hiss disappears. So the hiss constantly goes in and out, which is problematic.
George The Tech on the demos there’s noise gate and hiss in the audio recorded which I hope wasn’t the case one the system because if it was then that’s really not good but It was a great review but that has really confused me
@@orangemaniabrother2232 my tests aren't scientific lab based, just real-world experience and educational. There are certainly reviewers out there with better sounding studios than mine.
Boom Arm question: Do you think something like the Gator Frameworks 3000 would work to hold this mic? Or would I need something stronger? I have this mic which is currently on a standing stand but want to have it on a boom arm in the booth. Any minimum specs I should be following in my boom arm search? ***Also thank you as always, your videos are always so honest and detailed and really fun to watch and listen to.
Such a fun video! I love this mic however I have only gotten to use editing in post. I would like to use it during a source connect live session as one of the mic blends. Is this possible without owning UA interface or can is it only possible to do post recording? I suppose I am asking do I need to use UA twin/UA Solo or could something like a Steinburg UR22 MKii or say an Audient Evo 4 or Motu M4 work for live Mic Modeling? Cheers.
There other ways to do it "natively" without an Apollo, but it will be more complex to do using a multi-track DAW like Pro Tools or Reaper and running Source Connect with Source-Link plugin, and you will be dealing with a little latency in your headphones if you want to monitor the plugins. If that interests you I know how to set that up and can be reach for consulting at georgethe.tech
@@GeorgeTheTech Thanks George! Yes I have used Source Link in Logic Pro, which is what I use. I also saw you have a class or recording for the PreSonus Revelator io24, I just got one for my live stream and may add to the VO station so I don't have multiples of gear :-) I am going to watch that course so I should be ready for a consulting afterward. Thanks for what you do!
Hi, I've bought a Sphere L22 two weeks ago and there isn't the extra elastics. I've already wrote to your site for receive them but you haven't reply to my email. How to solve this problem? I live in Italy
George, great vid !! One question: do you think that the quality of the mic emulations are extremely close to the real mics, or do you think someone with a very trained ear could tell they are listening to an emulation? Just want to get your take on how realistic the emulations are versus the real deal. Please let us know.
I can speak to this, but when you say "extremely close to the real mics", that's kind of hard to answer, since each of these mics, especially the vintage models, sound different. That's one reason they are modeling famous collections like the Ocean Way Studio and Bill Putnam collections. That said, I've taken the L22 to several sessions and where I had a chance to put it side-by-side with an M49 and one of the early AKG C12 mics with the super crazy capsule that they stopped making (approx value of this particular unit, $25K) amongst other less impressive mics like a U87. But it was one of the modern Ai versions that sound like a RØDE NT1-A, and the Sphere emulations are of vintage and modified U87s, so of course it blew the current models away. But what was really impressive is that in the cases of the M49 and the C12, we ended using the L22 because I made the other engineers pick blindly, and they both insisted the L22 was their vintage mic. The emulations sound more like the mic than many of the units currently in use because they modeled well maintained mics that performed excellently. Every mic snob I've introduced to the Sphere has said something along the lines of "This is how my [C12; M49; U87] used to (or is supposed to) sound!" and they have all bought at least one. The guy with the M49, which I swear he loved at least as much as his wife and kids, put it up for sale and bought several L22s. I think he got around $14K for it. That's enough Sphere's to mic a whole drum set!
No I haven't, I think this technology leap-frogs Slate's VMS, honestly. The fact you can load UAD plugins into an Apollo Console makes it a really solid package.
George Whittam think it is more versatile but I wouldn't say "leap frogs". Perhaps for voiceover but it requires two channels and costs $700 more than an ML-1 mic. ML-1 is cardioid only but that fills a lot of needs. For a lot less money. In a fast thunderbolt interface latency is similar to Apollo interface and you don't need the UAD platform. I love the L22 but I think Slate is holding his own in this market. Plus the ML-2 availability makes his system more scalable and diverse. If Slate pops out an omni ML-3 someday soon it gets even more interesting.
George The Tech You were right... The L22 coupled a The UAD interface “LEAP FROGS” the Slate VMS. Not saying the Slate VMS is bad because it’s not. Actually the Slate is awesome. But by comparison the L22 with UAD unison preamps is a combination that the Slate can’t beat.
You should try the Antelope Edge solo. The price is reasonable, its only a cardioid mic, which only requires 1 input and it can be used with any clean input from an interface with the plugin. I think VO talent might really get a kick out of it (As I currently own one and love the Elam 251 emulation)
Excellent overview of the most impressive mic I've ever worked with - and I've worked with some famous mics. The quality I'm hearing in this doesn't represent what I get from mine. This could be partly caused by the fact that you were using a pickup pattern not native to the original mics. If you'll notice, the green icons represent the real mic's pickup patterns. The others are available, but are estimations of how that mic might behave in that pattern. You'll hear the subtle differences more clearly if you select something common to the models you're comparing, like cardioid, since these were what they had available to model.
You say it's not your mic. Why not?!? You're smart enough to use REAPER, so I'm sure you probably ended up buying a Sphere. If I only did VO, I'd sell every mic I had to get one. The mic and plugin are so amazing for music, but it really shines, IMO, on just plain VO or something like a cello. Sadly, when you switched from your MXL 1006 to the Sphere, it sounded incredibly thin because it was in omni mode and not emulating a mic similar to the Neumann you were using. The Sphere can make that Neumann sound cheap if used right. This is a good review, but I don't think it gave a full representation of the sound quality of which that mic is capable of producing.
I am not in a recording studio with a -70dB noise floor, so there is no possible way I could give a "full representation of the sound quality". That's for you to discover when you demo the mic yourself! I didn't buy the mic, I am a studio design/tech, I don't have/need a locker of mics. Most of the mics I have were given to me at this point.
Thanks George! Informative. Ultimately I decided to hold off on purchasing this mic for now. Love the system and what it’s doing.
If you want to dig deeper into the mic's functions and use for voiceover, be sure to check out Jordan Reynold's review: ua-cam.com/video/DRKizfRDdXA/v-deo.html
Excellent! How about a part 2 - Matching Mauve! Where you dial in the emulation. 😉
I think you did a great job as it is not the easiest mic to setup. Did you get a chance to speak with them at Townsend Labs? Those guys are amazing from all aspects. Their support goes beyond the initial setup, but will help you tweak it for your environment. Just incredible!!
Since I had the mic here, and I've met and interview them in the past, I didn't take the time to see them this year.
@@GeorgeTheTech There is a special SETUP for the mic. I forgot to ask if you went through that first. I'm wondering if it would have made a difference in some cases.
@@mageprostudios4334 I think the "special SETUP" you're talking about is the calibration mode, and isn't necessary on interfaces that will link channels, like an Apollo. If you have an interface with analog controls on the preamps, you want to run the calibration because you have to be sure both capsules are recording at exactly the same levels. If your interface lets you link channels, or has digital or notched level controls so you can be sure they are both the same, there's no need to calibrate the mic.
@@xaosnox he said he was using a mixer board, so he might have wanted to look that over. But, you are correct, interfaces that allow you to gang the input levels will alleviate the need for the calibration.
What I was talking about was tweaking the models further. For example, they have a model for a new and a vintage version of a couple mics. You can alter them to adjust for your environment. A U87 is going to sound different in a closer space than it will in a more open space. Tweaking the settings, you can get a better sound for the tighter space and still get that u87 sound... Or at least as much of it as possible and still sound great.
If it sounds good...
there was a noise gate engaged making distortion affecting the test plus playback was quiet
I'll return your money, sorry.
that sound was very nice and comfortable~!
Great video!!! I purchased this mic because of your review believe it or not lol. If you don't mind, can you put a link on what mic stand/boom that you have that allows you to place the mic upside down like that? I have a regular mic stand now and although I can place it upside down, it dramatically decreases the height even though I set the stand to it's maximum height because I'm a pretty tall guy so it's sitting below my mouth now. I'm not a fan of the shock mount design of the townsend labs mic btw. It does not have that much flexibility (to assist with hanging it upside down) and the mic appears to be to heavy for it even at the tightest setting.
Sounds like a gate is being used. When there is input there is a noticeable hiss, and when the level drops pass a certain dB the gate is turned on and the hiss disappears. So the hiss constantly goes in and out, which is problematic.
At what point in the video are you referring to? Throughout? I have some auto-leveling going on in the production of the mix for the video.
George The Tech on the demos there’s noise gate and hiss in the audio recorded which I hope wasn’t the case one the system because if it was then that’s really not good but It was a great review but that has really confused me
Yeah that hiss was too much, a bit worrying really, though I'm sure I've not noticed that on other demos of this mic
@@orangemaniabrother2232 my tests aren't scientific lab based, just real-world experience and educational. There are certainly reviewers out there with better sounding studios than mine.
Boom Arm question: Do you think something like the Gator Frameworks 3000 would work to hold this mic? Or would I need something stronger? I have this mic which is currently on a standing stand but want to have it on a boom arm in the booth. Any minimum specs I should be following in my boom arm search? ***Also thank you as always, your videos are always so honest and detailed and really fun to watch and listen to.
Yes, I have that arm, it is very sturdy.
It's GREAT!
Something I have. It seem yet is what about internet security and a voice Overs? How to protect your work?
Such a fun video! I love this mic however I have only gotten to use editing in post. I would like to use it during a source connect live session as one of the mic blends. Is this possible without owning UA interface or can is it only possible to do post recording? I suppose I am asking do I need to use UA twin/UA Solo or could something like a Steinburg UR22 MKii or say an Audient Evo 4 or Motu M4 work for live Mic Modeling? Cheers.
There other ways to do it "natively" without an Apollo, but it will be more complex to do using a multi-track DAW like Pro Tools or Reaper and running Source Connect with Source-Link plugin, and you will be dealing with a little latency in your headphones if you want to monitor the plugins. If that interests you I know how to set that up and can be reach for consulting at georgethe.tech
@@GeorgeTheTech Thanks George! Yes I have used Source Link in Logic Pro, which is what I use. I also saw you have a class or recording for the PreSonus Revelator io24, I just got one for my live stream and may add to the VO station so I don't have multiples of gear :-) I am going to watch that course so I should be ready for a consulting afterward. Thanks for what you do!
do i have to buy an expensive interface just to buy this mic?
ThisiskG
No.. but you need a interface with at least two mic inputs.
Hi, I've bought a Sphere L22 two weeks ago and there isn't the extra elastics. I've already wrote to your site for receive them but you haven't reply to my email. How to solve this problem? I live in Italy
I am not the manufacturer or the dealer.
Great voice George!
George, great vid !! One question: do you think that the quality of the mic emulations are extremely close to the real mics, or do you think someone with a very trained ear could tell they are listening to an emulation? Just want to get your take on how realistic the emulations are versus the real deal. Please let us know.
Not having all of these mics to compare to, it's impossible for me to make that judgement call.
@@GeorgeTheTech Ok, thanks for following up George. I'm seriously thinking about getting the L22, and thank you for putting together this video.
I can speak to this, but when you say "extremely close to the real mics", that's kind of hard to answer, since each of these mics, especially the vintage models, sound different. That's one reason they are modeling famous collections like the Ocean Way Studio and Bill Putnam collections. That said, I've taken the L22 to several sessions and where I had a chance to put it side-by-side with an M49 and one of the early AKG C12 mics with the super crazy capsule that they stopped making (approx value of this particular unit, $25K) amongst other less impressive mics like a U87. But it was one of the modern Ai versions that sound like a RØDE NT1-A, and the Sphere emulations are of vintage and modified U87s, so of course it blew the current models away. But what was really impressive is that in the cases of the M49 and the C12, we ended using the L22 because I made the other engineers pick blindly, and they both insisted the L22 was their vintage mic. The emulations sound more like the mic than many of the units currently in use because they modeled well maintained mics that performed excellently. Every mic snob I've introduced to the Sphere has said something along the lines of "This is how my [C12; M49; U87] used to (or is supposed to) sound!" and they have all bought at least one. The guy with the M49, which I swear he loved at least as much as his wife and kids, put it up for sale and bought several L22s. I think he got around $14K for it. That's enough Sphere's to mic a whole drum set!
Great video! Thanks. What video camera are you using?
DJI Osmo
Pocket
Have you had a chance to do something similar with the Slate Virtual Mic System?
No I haven't, I think this technology leap-frogs Slate's VMS, honestly. The fact you can load UAD plugins into an Apollo Console makes it a really solid package.
George Whittam think it is more versatile but I wouldn't say "leap frogs". Perhaps for voiceover but it requires two channels and costs $700 more than an ML-1 mic. ML-1 is cardioid only but that fills a lot of needs. For a lot less money. In a fast thunderbolt interface latency is similar to Apollo interface and you don't need the UAD platform. I love the L22 but I think Slate is holding his own in this market. Plus the ML-2 availability makes his system more scalable and diverse. If Slate pops out an omni ML-3 someday soon it gets even more interesting.
OK, leapfrog might be too strong, more of an evolution of the technology.
George The Tech
You were right...
The L22 coupled a The UAD interface “LEAP FROGS” the Slate VMS. Not saying the Slate VMS is bad because it’s not. Actually the Slate is awesome. But by comparison the L22 with UAD unison preamps is a combination that the Slate can’t beat.
It's the best thing out there for sure.
@@GeorgeTheTech
You should try the Antelope Edge solo. The price is reasonable, its only a cardioid mic, which only requires 1 input and it can be used with any clean input from an interface with the plugin. I think VO talent might really get a kick out of it (As I currently own one and love the Elam 251 emulation)
Yes, one of these days I'll get my hands on one to test it, certainly is a reasonable price.
As of late, Antelope's support reputation has been pretty awful... YMMV
do i have to buy an expensive interface just to buy this mic?
Nope, any interface with 2ch's, like a Steinberg UR22 would be fine.