UA apply their considerable modelling expertise to a trio of moving‑coil microphones.
Few brands have maintained their heritage of classic analogue studio equipment whilst simultaneously pushing forward the world of digital audio as successfully as Universal Audio. This is very much evident in their recent microphone offerings, which include a number of premium capacitor mics made in collaboration with David Bock, as well as the Sphere DLX and LX, advanced modelling microphone systems that resulted from their acquisition of Townsend Labs in 2021.
Microphone modelling is not a new phenomenon, of course, but typically it involves modelling high‑end capacitor mics — usually models that are financially out of reach for most engineers and home recordists. UA’s new SD‑series modelling mics offer something a little different, in that they’re primarily intended to offer users emulations of a selection of more common (and affordable) moving‑coil dynamic microphones.
Model Behaviour
In 2022, UA released their debut dynamic mic, the SD‑1. This was intended to cover vocal and broadcast/podcasting applications, and was launched as part of their Standard series, which also included the SP‑1 pencil mics. A year later, UA released an affordable large‑diaphargm capacitor mic, the SC‑1, alongside a new piece of software called Hemisphere, which endows Standard‑series mics with the ability to model classic designs. And now, they’ve released a further trio of dynamic mics that can also be used with Hemisphere.
For review here we have the new SD‑3, SD‑5 and SD‑7, which are intended for typical tracking applications such as close‑miking drums or guitar cabinets. All three mics have an impressive, solid feel to them and a nice ’60s sci‑fi aesthetic that encourages you — if you’re so inclined — to hold them as mock ray guns for your amusement.
Among the models available for the SD‑3 are the Shure SM57, and its predecessor the Unidyne 545.Looking at the smallest first, the SD‑3 offers models of five very well‑known dynamic mics: the ubiquitous Shure SM57, its predecessor the Unidyne 545, the Sennheiser MD 409, the Audix D4 and the Sennheiser e604. The hefty‑looking SD‑5, as its physical size suggests, is aimed at recreating mics associated with recording kick drums and bass cabinets. Emulations of modern staples like the Shure Beta 52, Audix D6 and AKG D112 are included here, alongside a vintage AKG D12 option. Intriguingly, the SD‑5 also presents the option of recreating the ‘speaker in reverse’ trick, in which an NS‑10 speaker cone is used to capture a sub‑bass tone when being placed outside a kick drum. Lastly we have the SD‑7, which features a slightly wider frequency range than its siblings and focuses on classic Sennheiser models such as the MD 421 (both the vintage beige model and the current version), MD 441 and vintage MD 409n. I was also intrigued to see the option for the beyerdynamic M 160 ribbon mic here, as the M 160 is one of my studio’s most‑used microphones.
Enter The Hemisphere
The SD‑5 is clearly aimed at bass and kick‑drum duties, offering virtual versions of the Audix D6, AKG D12 and D112, Shure Beta 52, and the Yamaha NS‑10 speaker cone wired as a microphone.The experience of using the modelling software is key to how well these systems work in the real world, and I’m happy to report that it was painless to get up and running with the Hemisphere plug‑in. I don’t use UA’s LUNA DAW, but as a user of their plug‑ins, I was able to quickly access what I needed via their UA Connect portal. Once installed, it was just a case of popping the Hemisphere plug‑in on an insert in Pro Tools and choosing my mic model of choice.
Whilst not as comprehensive as the options available with UA’s Sphere plug‑in, there are still plenty of controls for adjusting the sound of the mic, and these can of course be tweaked after the fact. Depending on which model you have selected, you may be presented with filter controls which correspond to to real switches found on the mic being modelled. When the mic has fewer than three settings or switches (if the original hardware had no filter options, say), filter settings have been added to provide more flexibility. Also included is a Proximity control, which mimics moving the mic closer or further from its source, allowing quite dramatic changes in tone depending on the model. You can also experiment with an Axis control, which allows you to experiment with the mic’s off‑axis response — you can virtually rotate the mic’s capsule as far as 180 degrees. (In practice, I found the effect of this was often of limited use in practice.) Lastly, we have a polarity reversal switch as well as an option for running the Hemisphere plug‑in with a reduced CPU load. As you would expect from a company with a long history of producing plug‑in emulations, the software performed flawlessly throughout the review period.
Workflow
These mics are probably not intended for an engineer like myself who has a decent collection of mics already, including many of the models covered by Hemisphere. I also work in a traditional way, recording and monitoring through an analogue desk, so having to audition mics in software takes a bit of mental adjustment! In that context, I was a little cautious around slipping these mics into my day‑to‑day sessions in the studio, but it was also good for my review to see how the mics fared when used in combination with ‘normal’ mics in my day‑to‑day recording sessions. If you are already on board with UA’s ecosystem, perhaps using their modelled preamps for tracking with an Apollo interface, you should be able to audition mics very easily and with no added latency, which offers more potential for nailing your sounds with the age‑old combination of mic choice and placement. For my own setup, I had to either run sessions with very low buffer settings to avoid any audible latency, or rely on a combination of engineering instinct and listening back to takes when deciding on mic placement, which, whilst not ideal, worked fine.
How Do They Sound?
In addition to its models of moving‑coil mics, the SD‑7 can emulate beyerdynamic’s classic ribbon, the M160.Before throwing these intriguing new mics into real sessions at the studio, I made a point of putting them side to side against a couple of mics I use a lot in my studio — a Shure SM57 and the beyerdynamic M 160. With the mics used in scenarios I know very well indeed, such as close‑miking the top of a snare drum, or positioned just to the edge of the centre of a speaker cone, it was impressive to hear how close the modelling software compared to the real thing. To my ears, the emulations often had a slightly ‘softer’ edge to them, but tonally they seemed very accurate. I was sufficiently convinced to begin slipping them into recording sessions to provide different options, and generally putting them through their paces in the real world.
Looking at the diminutive SD‑3 model first, it was interesting to hear the differences between the different mic options. Perhaps surprisingly, I found myself liking the older Unidyne model a lot compared to the modelled SM57 that I know so well. When close‑miking a snare drum, I also found that playing with the filter and proximity controls in the plug‑in worked nicely for fine‑tuning the modelled mic to blend with the other mics used around a drum kit. Auditioning the much larger SD‑5 on my kick drum was great fun, and I was surprised at how well some of the more modern emulations worked, with the Audix and Shure options offering punchy modern kick sounds that would cut through a busy mix. The AKG D112 model sounded as underwhelming as I remember the real thing being, but the vintage D12 model worked great with the proximity exaggerated to bring in a bit more low end. Looking at the SD‑7 last, this is the mic that contains some slightly more ‘classy’, mic models and I enjoyed using the Sennheiser MD‑441 option for close‑miking drums and guitar cabs — it’s a dynamic mic that offers a more full‑range sound than other options. The two 421 options sounded good on toms, and I found myself slightly preferring the older version for its more rounded sound. As I mentioned earlier I’m a big fan of the beyerdynamic M 160, and it’s my go‑to mic for micing guitar cabinets. The emulation included with the SD‑7 sounded pretty close in a direct comparison, though if I’m splitting hairs, the software version sounded a little less forward in the midrange — which could be good or bad depending on the setting.
You can have an instant mic collection to audition at the click of a mouse, with the potential of using multiple instances of mics to record a drum kit or whole band.
Summing Up
There’s an interesting debate to be had about this new area of mic modelling technology due to both the cost of the mics they are emulating and the situations in which these mics are typically used. With the large‑diaphragm capacitor models that have been with us for a few years, you tend to get a selection of truly ‘aspirational’ mics that you would never be able to afford otherwise. That type of microphone is also primarily used for vocal sessions, in which mic placement can be more predictable than it is when recording drums or guitar amps. Despite being very well priced, for the cost of the three mics I’ve looked at in this review, you could pick up two or three of the cheaper mics that are being modelled and focus on the traditional principle of getting sounds right at the source. The counter side of this argument is that the SD‑series mics are affordable, and the mic models found in all three models sound good. With low‑latency monitoring you can have an instant mic collection to audition at the click of a mouse, with the potential of using multiple instances to record a drum kit or whole band. You also get the option of changing the mic in the context of the mix of production as it evolves, and I found the controls for changing filter options and fine‑tuning proximity effect worked nicely — almost as another layer of control before reaching for EQ and other mix processing.
Generally, I was impressed with how these mics performed in my studio and I can see them being a great way of complementing a collection, learning what you like mic‑wise, or as a standalone collection of mics for a minimal software‑based recording setup. And if you’re already immersed in UA’s modelling ecosystem, they could be an even more attractive proposition.
Hear For Yourself
I’ve prepared some audio examples of the SD mics in action on a drum kit and a guitar cabinet, including some comparisons of the Hemisphere models with the original microphones. To hear how the mics performed, visit: https://sosm.ag/ua-sd-media
Pros
- Very affordable mic modelling.
- Great selection of dynamic mic emulations to play with.
- Rugged build quality.
- Hemisphere software works very well.
- Proximity and filter functions offer additional control.
Cons
- You ideally need to be able to monitor through the modelling software when recording.
- Adjusting the off‑axis response seemed less effective than other controls.
Summary
UA’s stylish new SD dynamic modelling range opens up a more affordable route into microphone modelling with emulations of classic dynamic mics used for instrument recording.
Information
SD‑3 £120 each or £325 for pack of three. SD‑5 £190, SD‑7 £135. Prices include VAT.
SD‑3 $129 each or $349 for pack of three. SD‑5 $199, SD‑7 $149.
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