(There’s also a linear response preamp, the VMS-ONE, but any relatively transparent high-end mic pre will suffice, so this is entirely optional.)Įach of the two mics emulates a different range of classic and vintage models, with the the eight-strong line-up of the VMS ML-1 including the U47, C800G, SM7B and C12 (and expandable to 18 with the Blackbird Mics and Classic Tubes 3 Expansion Packs), and the 18 impersonations of the much smaller VMS ML-2 taking in the SM57, SM7B, RE20 and plenty of AKG’s for drum kit work. Slate’s microphone modelling solution centres on their Virtual Mix Rack (VMR) plugin, which provides the software component used to shape the signals captured by either of two dedicated ‘flat response’ condenser microphones: the VMS ML-1 large diaphragm and VMS ML-2 small diaphragm. Check out James Ivey’s review of it here.

The Sphere L22 might be a new addition to the UA family, but it’s actually been around since 2016. Clever stuff, and the icing on a truly delicious cake. The Sphere L22 itself is supremely well built, and its dual large gold-sputtered diaphragms enable stereo recording, with the intriguing option of setting each side to a different mic model, each with its own set of controls in the plugin. And if you want even more, UA’s Ocean Way and Bill Putnam Microphone Collection plugins add a further 12 and nine mic models, respectively.

This extraordinary roster includes the Neumann U47, U67 and U49, Shure SM57 and SM7A, Sony C800G and C-37A, AKG C12, 414 and 451, Electro-Voice RE20 and Sennheiser MKH 416, to name just a few, and all of them are accessed via a straightforward interface that also offers control over polar pattern and filtering (whether the real-world mic being modelled actually features those parameters or not), as well as the off-axis and proximity signals, which are captured by the Sphere L22. With their recent acquisition of Townsend Labs, Universal Audio’s catalogue now includes the acclaimed Sphere L22 modelling microphone, and the associated software plugin through which it emulates 34 highly desirable dynamic, ribbon and condenser mics.

T racks 5 mic room