Universal Audio is pleased to announce an asset purchase agreement with Townsend Labs Inc., the company behind the TEC award-winning Sphere L22 Microphone System.

As part of the agreement, the Sphere L22 microphone will join UA's industry-leading line of audio recording products, including Apollo interfaces and UAD Powered Plug‑Ins.

Powered by proprietary microphone modeling technology, the Sphere L22 mic system provides a wide range of highly sought-after studio mic sounds with amazing accuracy, allowing for auditioning and selection of various mic types and polar patterns, even after audio has been recorded.

UA has partnered with Townsend Labs since 2017, most notably on the Ocean Way and Bill Putnam Microphone Model Collections for Sphere L22 on the award‑winning UAD and Apollo platforms. UA will continue to support all of the Sphere L22 system’s current audio platforms, including UAD, AAX DSP, AAX Native, VST, and AU.

With this agreement, Townsend Labs founders Chris Townsend and Erik Papp will join the UA team, working to develop future microphone products under the UA brand.

“The Sphere L22 microphone is the perfect platform for us,” said Bill Putnam, CEO of Universal Audio. “With UA’s expertise in modeling vintage audio gear, and Townsend’s industry‑leading mic modeling technology, we're poised to bring customers significant innovations in this fast‑growing segment of the pro audio industry.”

This coming together of two of the leading names in analogue modelling strikes us as a natural fit. What developments it might bring only time will tell but we look forward to seeing the results.