Townsend Labs Sphere™
Customer Reviews
Townsend Labs Sphere
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A. Gandy
Beyond satisfied
I don’t have a lot of experience with studio mics. I’ve been using the Neuman TLM 103 with an Pro Sonus compressor/eq for the last 13 years. This is def an upgrade. The L22 is so clear without the plug in but after using the plug in it is amazing what it can do. You can actually creat the sound you want before you get to the mixing process. Especially if it’s coupled with the Apollo X twin.
J. Baylor
Mind Blowing!!!!!
I have used other mics that emulate the sound of legendary mics. The L22 takes the entire cake. I work out of my home studio from a laptop and it has taken my sound to a level I never knew was possible! Get this mic. You will not be disappointed.
D. Harms
Game Changer
I was a little hesitant when I first heard of this, but after using it on a few sessions, I am blown away. The ability to change the microphone during mixing allows the vocals to sit exactly in the right place in my mixes! I haven't had any bad experiences with it using it on both acoustic guitar and vocals. The microphone choices are top notch and easy to navigate. I am very happy with this plug-in!
A. Rodrigo
Love it.
I have used this twice si ce I bought this and it is an Amazing companion to the Sphere L22 Microphone that I also have.
I don't think that I need to buy another Microphone ever again.
J. Kniest
My best music purchase ever
I’m a singer songwriter trying to record and produce my own records. This mic gave me the confidence that I lacked working with other mics on my voice. It really adds warmth and bigness to my voice. Love it!!
B. Sokolovic
Sphere mic awesome, UA ecosystem, not so much
Townsend labs created a fantastic mic, and the included plugin works great and is quite flexible. This particular plugin was free (included in the 1500 dollar price tag of the mic). With computers that laugh at typical VST CPU usage, the days of hardware accelerated plugins being a necessity are well behind us, as there are fantastic options available which run natively for a fraction of the price. Great interface, great mic and great plugin, but at 100-150 a plugin moving forward, I’m a solid pass. Especially when purchasing new hardware only duplicates included starter set plugins, diminishing the value for existing users.
G. Chastan
I can sell my U87
I tested the Sphere against my U87 AI and with a bit of tweaking could make the sphere sound 98% the same. Impressive product!
Very nice on accoustic guitars in stereo too.
L. Jepsen
Great Product and Support
There are two things I want when I invest in a product -- quality and support. The Sphere Mic and additional UA emulations have been a fantastic addition to my studio and I've been impressed with the timely response from Chris when I've had questions.
M. Eriksson
Awesome!
Awesome plug and microphone!
D. Johnson
Great Mic, Great Emulations and Great Value!!
I've had the L22 for a little under a year but just started extensively using it on some of my newest projects. I love it. Being able to record on a $10k C-800G but later change it to equally expensive (and out of my price range) ELA M 251 is MIND BLOWING!! Moreover, It sounds great! I bought the Ocean Way and Bill Putnam collections as well and cant wait to play around with them! Great Job Townsend Team (Oh, and you too UA team!
J. Mathews
Best Investment EVER!!!
The Sphere L22 is the best purchase of my musical gear career. Not only did my commitment years ago to go Universal Audio turn out to be a smart move. The seamless integration with the Sphere L22 has made my home studio a complete joy to work / play in. These guys have flipped the audio world on it's head.
M. Cooper
This Mic and Plugin Combo Are the Truth
I was blown away instantly upon arrival of my new mic system. Being in the recording industry for over 20 years now and owning a lot of the mics that were modeled in the plugin, all i could say was WOW. I wish Townsend would have done this years ago. Hats off to all the Hard work that was put into the creation of this product. Since the purchase of this Microphone system, I have began selling off all of my high end microphones with no regrets. The sound is accurate and clean and my high end clients love the facts that I or my staff don't have to leave the console to swap out mics to find the one best suited for their voice.
J. Buettner
Game changer
I was lucky to be introduced to the Sphere microphone by a good friend whom I trust when it comes to pro audio gear. We had a chance to compare the Sphere 251 model to a Telefunken ELA M 251E reissue and I committed to buying the Sphere on the spot. The friend who owned the Telefunken reissue has since sold that $14,000 (retail CAD price) mic and bought a Sphere as well. As a micro studio, I was up against needing to purchase several mics - a dynamic for guitars, a ribbon for guitars, a large diagram condenser that suited male vocals, one that was more suited to female vocals, a pencil condenser for acoustics, etc. It's a daunting and expensive road. Sphere gives me a rare and unique opportunity to generate the tones of classic, vintage mics that have become out of reach. Owning one vintage tube mic would have shot my entire mic budget. Now I have access to a library of 30 iconic microphones. It's not just a luxury but an opportunity to learn the behaviour of so many classic mics as well. Used in conjunction with Apollo, I've got a rig that packs more horsepower that I ever imagined I would own. If you were afraid of mic modelling before, you don't need to be anymore. Thanks to Townsend Labs and UA both for delivering something revolutionary.
K. Rudolf
Revolutionary!
I have never heard my voice sound so rich and detailed before. In fact I've gotten so used to being able to change the mic after recording, the idea of choosing a mic before recording seems dated to me! The Ocean Way and Putnam collections are amazing as well. I own all 3. All I can say is that The Townsend Sphere and software gives extremely faithful representations of the mics they model and it's great because I no long get mic envy!
M. Keohen
review redone
I recently reviewed the sphere and said that the customer service hold time was too long, but they did call me back, I meant to say the Universal Audio CS was too long, Townsend was great, this is a really nice microphone.. UA tech support (to be Fair) is excellent, but wait time is longer..
M. Keohen
Very nice, but learning curve
Sounds great so far, learning curve is dicey for me, but I'm no daw genius. where to put plug in, routing is still a work in progress for me, however the Sphere does sound very good so far. Customer service techs are very good, but the phone wait can be lengthy, but they do call you back. thxu
G. Buschle
Well...
I wanted to replace some of my Mics like the Mojave ma 200.
First of all I was pretty impressed. But after a while I decided to keep my MA 200 and send the Townsend back... Why?
To be honest: it was the sybillance. My Ma 200 handled this very well, also my MBHO 608 FETs. But the Townsend simulations did not do this very well. So I tried and demoed the Putnam Collection which was much better and could now compete with the Mojave. But a this point I was already so disappointed I did not want to spend another 150 bucks just to get the same results as with my MA 200, which I really underestimated over the years. Now I am sorry.
Maybe I will try the townsend again one day. But now I rather invest my money in something else.
k. vincent
Beautifull product
Very usefull in every situation
O. Lamas
This is Special
Never thought this would be so useful. I noe EQ less, compress less and enjoy the natural sound of the sources I record a whole lot more in their natural, less processed state. That is just the beginning with this monster of a system. Well worth it. It is spectacular.
M. Ivey
1 Mic - Endless Possibilities!!! 10++ stars
So sad that 5 stars are the limit here. There should be an option to go higher on ratings for some products.
Previous and current owner of a Shure 57 and a Neumann TLM 103 I was looking to purchase another mic because certain material simply didn't fit the tonal qualities or either of these mics.
I spent hours at my local Guitar Center and other shops doing comparisons on the different available mics in store. Needless to say it wasn't the most ideal way to find the perfect mic I needed and took more time than I could really afford.
Then I began reading all the posts in the UAD forum about this mic. I was just bit cynical at first but the more I read I realized I couldn't find even 1 negative comment which sparked the curiosity. That many people can't be wrong.... right?
After some research (I mean really really deep research) I committed to make the purchase with the understanding that I could return the mic if I felt it didn't meet my expectations.
I was initially impressed with the stylish and classy design of the case and mic. But after plugging it in and hearing what it did.... WOW!!! Totally was amazed at the many tonal qualities I could get out of if. Add to that the ability to deviate as much as I desired from the original models it provided by tweaking proximity, polarity and other parameter; being able to use 2 models in a stereo effect. What more can I say, this mic is beyond phenomenal and the ability to have so many models worth thousands of dollars at my immediate disposal gave me a very satisfying Return On my Investment. Put all those things in perspective and the price more than pays for itself many times over.
Also...... ended my trips to the local music store ;-)
Highly recommend this mic. I promise you won't regret the purchase