The ML-2 microphone is the second model in Slate Digital’s 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.
Like its big brother the ML-1, the ML-2 was designed to have an ultra linear response with no distortion, so that it can serve as a blank canvas for the VMC Virtual Instruments modeling software.

Slate Digital tested a large number of mics during the development of the ML-2, and 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, the ML-2 features a proprietary “Dynamic” switch 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.

To get the most out of the ML-2 you can pair it with the VRS8 interface, which includes eight VMS Ultra Linear mic preamps. Additionally, the ML-2 is available a la carte and can work with any preamp, although it is not guaranteed that the software emulations will be accurate.