The recent free version 1.5 update to Sphere, the software component of the Townsend Labs microphone system, introduced IsoSphere, a way to compensate for the colouration introduced by reflection filters. in this demonstration Julian Rodgers tries IsoSphere with a Kaotica Eyeball.

What Is IsoSphere?

For many artists and engineers, changing times and technologies have led to working more from home and collaborating remotely—and often recording in less-than-ideal spaces. Townsend Labs meets these challenges with IsoSphere, an easy-to-use yet effective technology that rethinks how microphones interact with the space around them. 

Reflection filters and portable acoustic booths are a boon to home recordists, but they also impart their own undesirable colouration to the sound, and their effectiveness at reducing reflections and background noise is limited, especially at low to mid frequencies. IsoSphere optimises how the Sphere L22 works together with commonly-available isolation devices—such as the sE Reflexion Filters, Aston Halo, Kaotica Eyeball, and even vocal booths. It enhances off-axis behaviour for maximum rejection and modifies frequency response to compensate for unwanted colouration, leading to even better-sounding recordings.

In this demonstration the L22 is running a U47 model in cardioid. To engage IsoSphere it is necessary to select the correct model of reflection filter, all the popular models are available, and to specify the distance the sound source is from the mic. With IsoSphere engaged a few of the parameters become unavailable, significantly the polar pattern which is set automatically, in this case it is changed to something close to a hypercardioid pattern.

The differences are significant. Of the three examples the naked example sounds reasonably natural but the room sound is definitely there, in these examples compression is reasonably light but firmer compression is often what takes an acceptable sound over the edge and make people try reflection filters as a potential solution.

The example with the Kaotica Eyeball is the worst sounding of the three, while it is drier, the congestion the eyeball introduces is more of an issue than the room reflections were. Given the choice between that and the naked mic I’d use the naked mic.

Introducing the IsoSphere keeps the beneficial dryness of the Eyeball-only example but does appreciably reduce the congestion and colour introduced giving the best of both worlds.

Why Should I Use IsoSphere?

You might be using a mic without a reflection filter perfectly successfully in a less than perfect room. Why would you be interested in this technology? This would describe me. i don’t use a reflection filter but I think I’ll be trying this in future because although I’m working pretty close to the mic here, it allows me to work further away from the mic than I would without the reflection filter and IsoSphere.