The ML-2 microphone is the second model in our award-winning Virtual Microphone System. This small diaphragm microphone is capable of recreating the tone of an entire mic locker of instrument mics – including dynamics like the 57 and 421, cardioid models of classic ribbons like the 121, other famous small diaphragm mics like the 451 and 222, and even large diaphragm mics like the famous 414 and tube 67.
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YOUR NEW INSTRUMENT
MIC LOCKER
S-47F
This famous German FET microphone model is known for round highs, fat mids, and huge low end. It’s a standard on kick drum and bass cab, but also sounds great on toms.
S-67
This is actually a model of a large diaphragm tube mic! It has smooth and slightly dark highs, thick mids, and big lows. Great on room mics, overheads, toms, snare, guitars, basses, and everything else!
S-7
This is a dynamic mic that became famous as a broadcasting microphone, but its present mids make it ideal for all sorts of instruments such as kick, toms, snare, guitars, bass, and more.
S-E20
This is a model of a dynamic microphone that became popular in the seventies. It has a very even frequency response while remaining fat-sounding, so it can be useful on all sort of different sources – from vocals and electric guitar to kick drum.
S-57 Vintage
This model is a recreation of an early 80’s dynamic 57, perhaps one of the most famous dynamic microphones in audio history. It’s known for its punchy midrange and smooth top end, which is why it is a top choice on guitar and snare drum.
S-Custom Snare
This is a modified version of the S-57, with added curves from famous EQ’s to enhance the sound, producing the ultimate polished snare sound.
S-57 Modern
A brand new dynamic 57, this mic sounds very similar to the vintage model but with slightly smoother mids and more sizzly highs.
S-112
This is a model of a famous modern kick drum microphone. It has a classic “bouncy” midrange and fat low end.
S-112B
This is the same emulated mic as the S-112 captured from inside the kick drum itself.
S-421
Another classic dynamic mic, this model is perfect on toms, kick, guitar cab, bass cab, and horns. It has thick low mids and punchy lows.
S-Custom Tom
This is a modified version of the S-421 that adds more highs and lows, and has less low mid, creating the ultimate tom sound for both rack and floor.
S-414 Normal
This is a model of one of the most famous FET large diaphragm mics. It has clear punchy mids, slightly extended highs, and a very fat low end. It’s perfect on overheads, guitar cabs, bass cabs, toms, and horns.
S-414 Dynamic
This emulation is the same as the S-414 Normal, only it has been optimized for use with the ML-2 when it’s in Dynamic mode. Use this model and the ML-2’s Dynamic mode when micing very loud sources.
S-12
This is a model of a vintage kick drum microphone. It has a crisp top, fat low mid, and warm bottom end.
S-Custom Kick
This is a modified version of the S-12 that adds more attack and punch, with less low mids and more defined lows.
S-121 Normal
This is a cardioid model of the classic ribbon mic, and like the real thing, it has fat lows and slightly dark highs, making it perfect on horns, strings, room mics, guitar cabs, and overheads.
S-121 Dynamic
This emulation is the same source microphone as the S-121 Normal, only it has been optimized for use with the ML-2 when it’s in Dynamic mode. Use this model and the ML-2’s Dynamic mode when micing very loud sources.
S-222
This is a model of a famous small diaphragm tube mic. It’s bright but not harsh, with a smooth midrange and flat low end. It’s ideal for drum overheads, acoustic guitars, and string instruments.
S-451
This is a model of a famous small diaphragm condenser that is smooth and clear, with a beautiful high end. It’s great on snare, overheads, hi hat, toms, and guitar cabs if paired with one of the dynamic models.
ML-2
Like its big brother the ML-1, the ML-2 microphone was designed to have an ultra linear response with no distortion, so that it can serve as a blank canvas for our modeling software.
We tested a large number of mics during the development of the ML-2, and we found that even the most expensive small diaphragm microphone designs saturate when micing very loud and transient-rich sources like close mic’d drums. Therefore, we added a proprietary switch on the ML-2 called “Dynamic” which attenuates the mic’s output and repolarizes the capsule, allowing the ML-2 to be used in extremely high SPL situations without overloading or saturating. As a result, it can be used just like a dynamic mic on drums, guitar cabs, and more.
Latency Free Processing
The Virtual Microphone System software consists of the Classic Tubes microphone module, which contains eight classic tube microphone models. None of these processing blocks add any latency to the audio signal, so if you use a low latency interface with VMS you can track through the VMS software without any audible monitoring delay.
To accomplish this, we recommend a Thunderbolt or fast USB interface, recording at 96khz with the lowest buffer size possible. The combination of the 96khz sampling rate and low buffer size ensures the lowest possible latency.
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System Requirements
macOS
- Minimum: macOS 10.15 or later
- Recommended: macOS 11 or later
- Intel or Apple Silicon (M1) Processor
- AU, VST2, VST3, or AAX 64-bit host
Windows
- Windows 10 or 11
- Intel or AMD Processor, 4GB RAM
- VST2, VST3, or AAX 64-bit host
iLok Requirements
The All Access Pass can be used with iLok Cloud and does not require an iLok USB dongle. You will just need an active internet connection to use iLok Cloud.
Perpetual "Buy Now" individual plugin licenses require an iLok 2 or iLok 3 USB dongle.