Slate Digital VMS One Virtual Microphone System Kit

Slate Digital and Vintage King Audio bring you the next generation of precision modeled hybrid microphone technology, the Slate VMS Virtual Microphone System. Exact characteristics of the best vintage tube microphone examples on the planet were painstakingly digitally modeled to within the smallest detail, enabling the user to have a virtual mic cabinet of the world's best microphones but without the massive expense and maintenance. The Slate Digital VMS also includes equally precise models of the world's most sought after microphone preamps so that you can mix and match virtual microphones and virtual preamps to find your own personal flavor. The Slate Virtual Microphone System incorporates a high quality and extremely transparent hardware microphone preamp within the power supply, so that you may also avoid the hassle and expense of having to add an external microphone preamp to your recording chain. Simply an incredible value from Slate and a product literally revolutionizing the microphone industry overnight. 

The Hardware:

ML-1: The ML-1 microphone is arguably the most important part of the Virtual Microphone System, because everything starts here. With a shock-mounted Mylar capsule sputtered in gold and custom-made components, the ML-1 is NOT just any ordinary microphone. It was designed in tandem with the VMS-ONE preamp to provide an exceedingly flat output for the VMS microphone and preamp software modules to act upon.

VMS-ONE: The VMS-ONE preamp ensures that your A/D converter sees the flattest signal possible from the ML-1 microphone. It utilizes state-of-the-art amplifiers to produce the purest and most linear signal possible, giving the VMS plugin module the ability to transform your recordings with hyper-accurate reproductions of classic microphones and preamps.

The Mics:

FG-47: This mic will take you back in time. It’s lush, warm, fat, present, and BIG sounding. If you have a wimpy source, it gets fixed with this mic. It doesn’t have that modern sizzly top-end air, but it takes EQ in the top end like a champion. I love adding some Custom Series 10 kHz when using this mic. By pushing the intensity, it gets even darker, moodier, and a bit more saturated. Don’t just use this microphone on vocals. Put it on drums as a room mic. Put it on the outside of a kick. Put it on horns, strings.

FG-800: The FG-800 is based on a solid performing studio vocal mic. This is a bright and airy microphone. That airy, clear, bright tone works perfectly in a pop mix with no EQ needed. When this mic works, nothing will sound as good. And it actually works a lot, even on modern male rock vocals.

FG-251: The FG-251 sounds so good on just about everything. It’s the perfect balance of top, middle, and bottom. There is something so flattering about this mic that every singer just sounds better than they do in the actual room. The intensity is really fun with this one. This mic pairs well with both preamps, so try them both using the VMR A->B system.

VMS now includes the Classic Tubes 2 expansion pack!

FG-12: The FG-12 emulates an Austrian classic known for being incredibly smooth and rich-sounding. Slate chose an absolutely incredible mic to model that is the perfect representation of this famous tone.

FG-800M: The FG-800M emulates an older Japanese tube mic and is slightly fatter and darker than the stock FG-800. If you love the FG-800 but wish it was a tad less sibilant and bright, you're gonna love this.

FG-M7:The FG-M7 takes one of the most famous dynamic vocal mics used by artists like Michael Jackson, and adds the tube stage of the classic 47 making it extremely punchy, crisp, with incredible mids that cut through the mix. Definitely gonna be a favorite!

FG-269: The FG-269 emulates an extremely rare German classic that shares much of the same circuit as the 67, but has a different tube that makes it more open and clear. This is one of the best sounding vocal mics I've ever heard.

FG67: The FG-67 emulates a German classic known for being bold, slightly dark, and thick. This is amazing as a vocal mic, room mic, horn mic, piano mic, and is probably my favorite on toms.

The Preamps:

FG-73: The FG-73 preamp module is modeled after one of the most famous discrete solid state preamps in the industry, made in Britain and used on countless recordings. It has a bold, present and warm sound that works great on any audio source – even full mixes.

FG-76: The FG-76 preamp module is modeled after a vintage German tube preamp that has been used on many classic recordings. It has a thick and colorful tone that can make tracks and mixes sound more ‘alive’. The bottom-end saturates in a very unique and musical way, making it a great module for bass guitar and kick drum tracks.

Includes:

• Travel case
• Shock mount
• VMS-ONE Power Supply Unit
• IEC Power Cable
• Software Card for VMC Classic Tubes 1 & 2 and VPC Virtual Preamp Collection

MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:

• Quad core i5 processor
• 4GB of RAM
• macOS 10.9 or later
• Windows 7 & above
• iLok 2 or 3 required

SUPPORTED PLUG-IN FORMATS:

• Intel Mac 32-bit & 64-bit: VST2, VST3, AU, AAX
• Windows 32-bit & 64-bit: VST2, VST3, AAX

Want to hear the Slate VMS Virtual Microphone System for yourself? Check out Slate Digital's Virtual Microphone System Audio Comparison

Reviews and Testimonials

“After trying out the VMS 251 and 47 models using the 73 preamp emulation, I can say that this product delivers on its promise to offer realistic recreations of the vintage mics and pres.”
- Jay Baumgardner

“I’m literally blown away. We just put it up against a real 47 and it matched so close that they would be indistinguishable in a mix. This is a winner. You even get the 3D quality of the real mics. This is a new frontier.”
 - Ross Hogarth

“I just A/B’d it with my Holy Grail microphones and it was eerily close. I never would’ve doubted that I was listening to another 47 or 251, but it was the Slate VMS. Considering the VMS will sell for 1/10 the price of my mics, this is a slam dunk, no brainer. And quite unbelievable.”
- Greg Wells

“With the VMS and its modules I used the 251 on leads and the 800 on overdubs/mults and harmonies. The 73 for the preamp sounded awesome and I even ‘blew it up’ for saturation that didn’t make me fear blowing up our real 1073. This system allows me to make that workflow happen but only using one mic/input. Very awesome indeed.”
- Rob Ruccia