Sphere Mic Collection

Can’t comment on any of the models except the Gefell CMV563 and SM57 which I own. The L22 is a Really useful mic and with the Sphere system you don’t need any other mic if you’re not recording drums. The CMV and 57 models are in the vibe of the real thing but no, they are not same but if you don’t have the originals next to you all good and who cares as this gives numerous musical mics in 1. On a snare, a real 57 has more mid punch whereas the Sphere version still sounds more like an eq’d condenser than a dynamic. There are far better mics than the 57 though even on snare so I don’t know why anyone would want to use that model on anything except as a reference to get started with? Who wants to use a $2k mic to model a $50 one? Makes no sense but art is stupid like that I guess. . Anyway, My original CMV563 in Omni (M80 capsule) is brighter than the sphere model but with the advantage in the virtual world that in combination with a mic pre I’m able to pad down the sphere mic to stop Distortion whereas the original CMV563 overloads easily inside the body when using the M80 capsule. The Soyuz was a waste of excitement in comparison to the CMV so skip that and go U47 if you want that flavor. You don’t need the Oceanway mics collection unless you are a big U47 fan ( I am) cos that has the best U47 but the Putnam collection is fun too. Overall, this system is a truly great accomplishment and all you need for everything and just a few more mics from drums.

Ok, I've seen a bunch of reviews here on this device/Plugin combo, but I wanted to give my two cents. I've been recording for years, and have collected a number of inexpensive mics, stepping up in quality/cost with each purchase. I've amassed 18 different Condenser/dynamic mics from as inexpensive as the amazon special for $20 to the Warm Audio WA47jr, and Cad M9 (My two most expensive mics, each purchased for over $300) When contemplating moving gup to the next level of quality, I figured I'd end up in the $1000 price range for something like a Neuman TLM103. I started getting ads for different mic modeling systems. Because my footprint was UA, I decided to give this a try.

I immediately heard something that's been missing from the low cost mics I have. I decided to perform a shootout, recording the same song with each of my mics, then listened back. The difference is night and day. This emulator has something that I've been missing, but could not put my finger on. There is a depth, and body on the recordings captured with the Sphere.

Also, to test the claim of accuracy, I happen to have the physical mic for one modeled by the software. The SM57. It's modeling it exactly. The tonality, low end, mids...all captured and evident when all sounded identical to the model. I'm sold.

I got my Townsend Labs L22 free as a part of a promotion when I purchased my Apollo X6. I am glad that I made that decision to invest not only on an industry standard interface but at the same time got hold of this gem. It is not a hype - on its own L22 is a superb Microphone and then with Sphere it literally generates near 99% of real tones of some of the most sought after Microphones. Besides the tone - what I love about it is the ability to play around with the recorded track to try other microphones and customization of the mics features. You can't go wrong with this.