The Universal Audio Sphere DLX Modeling Microphone combines a large-diaphragm condenser microphone with the Sphere 180 DLX plug-in to accurately model 38 of the most sought-after vintage microphones including Neumann, Telefunken, AKG, and more. The mic can be configured to operate either in mono or in stereo. Auditioning and switching between mics during a session can be tedious, but thanks to the plug-in, you can change mic type, polar pattern, reduce bleed, room coloration, and even adjust the proximity effect—either during or after tracking vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, stringed and wind instruments, percussion, room sound, and more.
The Sphere DLX is a dual-capsule microphone with dual outputs, custom-designed to capture the three-dimensional soundfield with exacting detail—including the directional and distance information otherwise lost with a conventional single-channel microphone. Remarkably rugged and featuring -10 and -20 dB pads, the mic can handle in excess of 140 dB SPL before clipping and won't be damaged by high SPLs or air blasts as some vintage microphones can be. It also has a self-noise level of 7 dB-A SPL, well below most vintage microphones and comparable to many of the best modern microphones. Two XLR mic preamp inputs are needed to operate the mic with the plug-in, as all mic-modeling and other advanced DSP features occur in the Sphere 180 DLX software. Note that the mic can also be used as a standard condenser mic (no modeling) with only one XLR mic preamp required.