Townsend Labs has announced the addition of ten new microphone models to the Sphere plugin, the software component in the award-winning and best-in-class Sphere L22 microphone modeling system.
With the free 1.4 update, the collection now includes over 30 individual models.
It’s not only the unrivaled accuracy and rich feature set that sets Townsend Labs Sphere L22 apart from other microphone modeling systems. It’s also the number of microphone models that are available to Sphere L22 owners.
Erik Papp of Townsend Labs comments: “This update adds tremendous value to the Sphere L22 system. The Sphere Core Collection expands over time. We are proud to grow the collection by 50% with this release. It is a way of saying “Thank You” to our existing customers while providing more value to those that may have been waiting. The Sphere mic collection now covers an even wider range of uses. We are particularly happy to be able to add the Soyuz 017 TUBE, which is a modern classic. We modeled the 017 in collaboration with Soyuz, and we are honored that Soyuz chose Townsend Labs to work with us and that they entrusted us to represent their sound.”
5x Grammy award-winning audio engineer, musician and producer Cassidy Turbin (Beck, Childish Gambino, Dwight Yoakam) adds:
“The 421 models sound just as I’d expect. And even better with Sphere I was able to dial in a tighter polar-pattern from an actual 421 and greatly reduce drum bleed on an upright piano track. The Soyuz 017 TUBE modeling on the L22 makes for a really versatile microphone. It’s kind of like if a 47 and 67 had a child. Pretty damn unique.”
The new microphone models:
- LD-563, based on a classic German bottle microphone with interchangeable microphone capsule heads. The different polar patterns in the Sphere plug-in are based on three different capsules, M7, M8, and M55k. For many, the 563 with the M7 cardioid capsule is a favorite for recording vocalists.
- LD-017T, a commissioned model of a current production Soyuz 017 TUBE large diaphragm microphone, created in partnership with Soyuz. It’s a modern classic that is 100% hand-built in Tula, Russia. Popular uses include vocals and acoustic instruments.
- DN-409N and DN-409U, based on two different variants of the classic German 409 dynamic microphone, which is a favorite for rock vocals and guitar amplifiers. The older N-version is slightly more colored whereas the U-version from the 1980s has a nice, smooth top-end.
- DN-421N, DN-421S, and DN-421B, based on three different variants of the iconic German 421 microphone—a large-diaphragm dynamic, popular for bass and guitar amps, kick drums and toms, horns, and vocals. The N-version is based on a classic beige 421 from the 1960s and has a slightly warmer sound than the 421B, which is based on a current production black 421 and faithfully captures its slightly brighter character. The 421S is the oldest version of the three, with a script logo and a more colored sound.
- DN-12A and DN-12E, based on Austrian dynamic microphones – a go-to choice for kick drum and bass instruments. The DN-12A is based on the original version from the 1950s and has a more colored sound. The DN-12E is based on a later version with a slightly more “modern” sound.
- SD-416, based on an industry-standard shotgun microphone, commonly used in the studio for voice-over and ADR duties. It is the go-to mic for that big voice-over sound in Hollywood-produced movie trailers we’re all so familiar with.
The Sphere L22 Microphone Modeling System is available for $1,499 USD excluding tax.
The Sphere plugin is free of charge and is available in the major native plugin formats (VST/VST3, AU and AAX). Also included at no additional cost are plugin versions for Universal Audio’s UAD-2/Apollo and Avid’s AAX DSP platforms.
More information: Townsend Labs
